You Have One of the Top 25 Jobs in the U.S.

Being that it’s Monday evening and you’re likely wrapping up a packed shift, running behind on documentation, and late to pick up your kids, you may not feel so great about your job at this exact moment. So, take a deep breath, and a step back to get some perspective. Life as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant is pretty sweet – so much so that both careers recently made the list of Top 25 Jobs in America for 2016.

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants earn base salaries, on average, close to the $100K mark. Not to mention, the NP and PA professions have momentum. The rising cost of healthcare and an ever growing primary care shortage have clinics and hospitals scrambling to increase NP and PA staffing, a huge positive for the profession’s outlook.

The career path for nurse practitioners and physician assistants isn’t so bad, either. NPs and PAs have a wealth of options available to them. From the inpatient hospital setting to small, private practices and from highly specialized settings to primary care, NPs and PAs may pursue a path that best fits interests and personality. The opportunity for endless learning in medicine protects NPs and PAs from career stagnation giving the opportunity for constant improvement. 

Sure, there are a few downsides to life as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. But, I have to say that I agree with Glassdoor’s inclusion of NPs and PAs in its top jobs list. Stability, momentum, and flexibility make a career as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant top 25 in my book.