It’s a great time to work in healthcare. Despite high rates of burnout and job dissatisfaction among doctors, being a physician ranks #8 overall on the Best Jobs in the U.S. and #6 among Best Healthcare Jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for physicians is also a mere 0.5%.

If you recruit PAs and Nurse Practitioners, you’ll be happy to know they ranked #3 and #4 respectively on the overall Best Jobs in the U.S. and #2 and #3 in Best Healthcare Jobs specifically.

Naturally, there’s a method to their rankings. After all, what’s desirable in a career for one person may be the least desirable for another. Some qualities are reasonably universal though – like higher salaries, opportunities for promotion, and ample open positions – and those are the characteristics U.S. News used to create their Best Jobs rankings.

Speaking of higher salaries, physicians ranked #5 on the Best Paying Jobs in the U.S. Doctors who specialize, including anesthesiologists, surgeons, obstetricians & gynecologists, and oral & maxillofacial surgeons ranked even higher for best salaries.

Physician jobs are also positioned for abundant growth. The Bureau of Labor statistics predicts that employment growth in this sector will be much quicker than the average for all jobs by 2026. An aging population with increasing health concerns and health reform that will lead more Americans to health care services is driving this demand.

This is all great news for the physician and healthcare communities, but for physician recruiters the demand for candidates is becoming increasingly competitive. In an earlier article we noted 5 things trending in physician recruiting. Among them: there’s a limited pool of experienced, qualified physicians, which means they’re in a position to entertain multiple offers. If you really want a candidate, your offer must be competitive. Your recruiting cycle is going to get longer, too. You’ll find other great insights in Doximity’s 2019 Physician Compensation Report, too. For instance, compensation growth increased in most metropolitan U.S. areas but varies widely by medical specialty. Simply click the button to download it.