Top 5 Nursing Careers
Nursing is a broad, ever-expanding field with a constant need for trained, passionate, qualified professionals to fill the open roles.
And it’s a unique industry as well, with dozens of areas for specialization and room for advancement to grow your career. Given all that, how are you ever supposed to decide which path of nursing is right for you?
According to The Best Schools, the following are the top 5 highest-paying*, reliable and secure nursing jobs reporting the best levels of employee satisfaction. Maybe one of these nursing specializations is right for you.
Nurse Anesthetist – average salary: $135,000
These nurses are responsible for administering anesthesia to patients and maintaining accurate levels. Most often they work in conjunction with surgeons, dentists, and anesthesiologists. To fill this role, you’ll need to train and practice as an RN and complete a two-year anesthesia program.
Nurse Researcher – average salary: $95,000
This non-clinical job puts the nurse in a scientific environment to observe and assess related research and report data on medical, pharmaceutical, and nursing matters. Often employed by private agencies or non-profit research-based organizations, these nurses should have a bachelor’s degree or higher education.
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) – average salary: $84,000
Midwives are often thought of as those who deliver or help deliver babies, but they provide a great level of care to women in other medical situations as well. They assist in family planning, pre- and post-natal care. CNMs should have a master’s degree.
Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse – average salary: $81,000
These nurses attend to the care and needs of children with endocrine disorders and diseases. Part of their work includes providing education to families on their child’s physical growth and development challenges and managing their expectations for the future. RNs with at least two years of experience may be eligible for these positions.
Nursing Informatics Analyst – average salary: $80,596
These professionals usually have a bachelor’s degree or higher education in a specialized health informatics program, and work outside of a clinical environment. These nurses provide and assess insight and data of healthcare systems to improve them for the greater good of patients and healthcare workers of all types.
*Salary information provided by 2010 Monster.com statistics and does not guarantee any set salaries.
