2026's top 10 jobs all boast $100k-plus median salaries: here's the list

Driving the news: Cardiac medical tech is the best job of 2026, per Indeed's index.

• Each job in the top 10 boasts a median salary of $100,000 or more, as do many others in the top 50.

By the numbers: "The labor market overall has been in this low-hire, stagnant space for the last year," Laura Ullrich, Indeed's North America Research Director, said in the release, citing health care as a major exception.

• "Only 11% of total jobs are in healthcare, but it represents 72% of the job growth [in the broader job market]."

State of play: The employment trends in the government's December jobs report continued to be exceptionally weak in many of the sectors that are cyclical drivers of economic activity, suggesting soft underlying demand, writes Axios' Neil Irwin.

• The biggest job gains in the month were in health care and social assistance (38,500 jobs added) and leisure and hospitality (47,000), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The intrigue: Tech remains "one of the most accessible fields for career switches" despite "a significant pullback from its post-pandemic peak," Ullrich said.

• That's reflected by jobs on the list including data scientist (#10) and solution architect (#20).

Between the lines: Jobs in health care and education are poised to weather AI's impact better than other fields, given that they are complex and resist simple automation.

• Trades that require a lot of manual labor, such as plumbing and construction, are also largely AI-proof.

Here are Indeed's top 10 jobs of 2026:

1. Cardiac medical tech

• Share of job postings (per 1 million on Indeed): 224
• Wage growth since 2022: 34%
• Postings growth since 2022: 34%
• Share of remote postings: 2%
• Estimated median annual salary: $133,907

2. Truck driver owner-operator

• Share of job postings: 7,529
• Wage growth since 2022: -5%
• Postings growth since 2022: 39%
• Share of remote postings: 1%
• Estimated median annual salary: $160,000

3. Nurse practitioner

• Share of job postings: 2,874
• Wage growth since 2022: 10%
• Postings growth since 2022: -2%
• Share of remote postings: 10%
• Estimated median annual salary: $143,183

4. Speech language pathologist

• Share of job postings: 191
• Wage growth since 2022: 14%
• Postings growth since 2022: 11%
• Share of remote postings: 8%
• Estimated median annual salary: $109,431

5. Licensed professional counselor

• Share of job postings: 286
• Wage growth since 2022: 33%
• Postings growth since 2022: -17%
• Share of remote postings: 32%
• Estimated median annual salary: $107,812

6. Licensed clinical social worker

• Share of job postings: 1,016
• Wage growth since 2022: 20%
• Postings growth since 2022: -32%
• Share of remote postings: 32%
• Estimated median annual salary: $119,618

7. Physical therapist

• Share of job postings: 6,299
• Wage growth since 2022: 8%
• Postings growth since 2022: 0%
• Share of remote postings: 2%
• Estimated median annual salary: $110,848

8. Occupational therapist

• Share of job postings: 4,147
• Wage growth since 2022: 6%
• Postings growth since 2022: 13%
• Share of remote postings: 3%
• Estimated median annual salary: $105,580

9. Radiation therapist

• Share of job postings: 239
• Wage growth since 2022: 26%
• Postings growth since 2022: 8%
• Share of remote postings: 3%
• Estimated median annual salary: $115,923

10. Data scientist

• Share of job postings: 958
• Wage growth since 2022: -3%
• Postings growth since 2022: 15%
• Share of remote postings: 35%
• Estimated median annual salary: $115,079

Of note: Filling out the rest of the top 20 are school psychologist, physician assistant, dental hygienist, HVAC technician, attorney, radiation tech, dietitian, solution architect, home health licensed vocational nurse, and registered nurse.