:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-461458511-0576a7deb8d042c1b20c73e2959621ba.jpg "Here Are Some Top AI-Resistant Jobs for 2026—And Many Offer Six-Figure Salaries")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/GettyImages-461458511-0576a7deb8d042c1b20c73e2959621ba.jpg)
Key Takeaways
- Jobs platform Indeed released its list of the top 50 best jobs for 2026.
- Heath care, the trades and technology are three of the fields that dominated the lineup.
- The top 10 jobs all command a median annual salary of $100,000.
As artificial intelligence eats into demand for some roles, a new report suggests a bright spot: Some of the most in-demand jobs of the year are still very much people-dependent.
Seven of the top 10 spots on Indeed’s 50 Best Jobs in the U.S. for 2026 ranking are in health care-related fields. Most of them are rely on human-to-human interaction. All 10 jobs also command a median yearly pay of more than $100,000, according to the jobs platform.
A Boom in Health Care Jobs
The No. 1 job on the list is cardiac medical technician. Indeed’s report said the healthcare specialty, with an estimated median annual salary of $133,907, has seen robust job openings and wage growth over the past three years.
Other top health care-related fields for job seekers are nurse practitioner (No. 3), speech language pathologist (No. 4), licensed professional counselor (No. 5), licensed clinical social worker (No. 6), physical therapist (No. 7), occupational therapist (No. 8) and radiation therapist (No. 9).
What This Means For The Economy
The U.S. labor market is still rewarding skills, such as empathy, care, and hands-on expertise, that are harder for AI to replace. As automation reshapes white-collar jobs, practical careers may offer both security and opportunity—and may not requir advanced degrees.
For its annual best jobs ranking, Indeed researchers analyzed thousands of occupations listed on its platform and ranked them based on where workers can get hired and thrive. Among the criteria they used were above-average pay, immediate demand, salary growth, hiring momentum, and remote work flexibility.
“The labor market overall has been in this low-hire, stagnant space for the last year,” Laura Ullrich, North America research director for Indeed Hiring Lab, said in the report. “One major exception is healthcare.” Only 11% of all jobs are in healthcare, according to Indeed, but the field represents nearly three-quarters of broader job-market growth.
Demand for healthcare workers is being fueled by the needs of an aging population for both essential and elective procedures, boosting job security in these professions. The number of people ages 100 and older is projected to more than quadruple in the next 30 years, according to the Pew Research Center.
These trends “may help explain why roles like occupational therapist or aesthetic nurse appear on this year’s list,” the report said. “This trend isn’t expected to slow any time soon. In fact, it could accelerate as more Americans live to be 100 and older.”
High Demand for the Trades
Outside of healthcare, the skilled trades are hotbeds of hiring activity. In addition to owner-operator truck driver in the top 10, HVAC technician and electrical foreman positions are also on the list.
| Rank | Job Title | Wage Growth (3-year) | Growth in Job Postings (3-year) | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiac medical tech | 34% | 34% | $133,907 |
| 2 | Owner-operator truck driver | -5% | 39% | $160,000 |
| 3 | Nurse practitioner | 10% | -2% | $143,183 |
| 4 | Speech language pathologist | 14% | 11% | $109,431 |
| 5 | Licensed professional counselor | 33% | -17% | $107,812 |
| 6 | Licensed clinical social worker | 20% | -32% | $119,618 |
| 7 | Physical therapist | 8% | 0% | $110,848 |
| 8 | Occupational therapist | 6% | 13% | $105,580 |
| 9 | Radiation therapist | 26% | 8% | $115,923 |
| 10 | Data scientist | -3% | 15% | $115,079 |
The No. 2 best job on Indeed’s list is owner-operator truck driver, with an estimated median annual salary of $160,000. While its wage growth is down 5%, job openings have jumped 39% over the past three years. Demand also remains high for HVAC technicians, electricians and electrical foremen.
“As some workers question the return on investment of traditional higher education options and weigh the impact of AI disruption, skilled trades are emerging as a practical, cost-efficient path with long-term demand,” Indeed researchers said in the report.
Tech Jobs Keep Growing
Top hiring trends in the tech sector are for roles that support AI, cloud infrastructure and security solutions. Data scientist (No. 10) was the only role in the field to make the top 10, but the field was well-represented on the rest of the list. Positions such as solution architect (No. 20), software architect (No. 34) and security engineer (No. 47) indicate where businesses are adding jobs.
“Despite a 36% decline in job postings since early 2020, actual employment in computer and mathematical occupations remains nearly 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels,” said Ullrich. “This indicates that the current tech hiring slowdown is a structural rebalancing versus a dramatic collapse.”
