Choosing a career path is a big decision—and a key consideration in doing this is whether the career will bring you fulfillment, personally and professionally. As you contemplate your career trajectory and explore your next steps in school, you’ll want to take time to think about what matters most to you. There are hundreds of rewarding and satisfying jobs out there, but the right one for you will depend on your individual goals and needs. For example:
- Do you want to help people in need?
- Is earning a high salary important to you?
- Do you desire a good work-life balance?
- Are you seeking a career that’s creative and innovative?
- Do you prefer a role that offers variety?
- Do you want a career that aligns with your passions or interests?
Asking these questions will be important in finding the most rewarding career path for you. However, this personal assessment is just step one. Understanding the types of opportunities out there is equally important. So with that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most rewarding and most satisfying jobs available today.
But first: What makes a career rewarding or satisfying?
Everyone has different definitions of a rewarding career, but we can all agree that certain characteristics make a job more fulfilling or satisfying than others. After surveying a variety of sources and individuals, we’ve landed on a list of the offerings that make a job most meaningful:
- The job challenges us intellectually.
- The career allows you to impact others’ lives or help people in need.
- It offers a sense of purpose.
- There is a healthy work-life balance.
- It isn’t an overly stressful job or work environment.
- The job pays well, with consistent opportunities for salary growth and benefits.
- There are opportunities for career advancement and development.
- There is variety in one’s day-to-day responsibilities.
- The role offers autonomy and the ability to make decisions or be creative.
- There is good company culture, where employees are rewarded for their work.
- The job matches employees’ interests, talents, and passion areas.
U.S. News put it perfectly in their list of the Top 100 Jobs of 2024, stating: “No single job suits all of us, but many of the best ones have a few attributes in common: They pay well, challenge us year after year, match our talents and skills, aren’t too stressful, offer room to advance throughout our careers, and provide a satisfying work-life balance. Job seekers also often consider whether a position is in demand.”
Goodwin University offers a range of career-focused degree and certificate programs to get you into a career you love, fast. Learn more here.
The most fulfilling careers out there today
As you look for the most rewarding career opportunities, keep in mind that every list is subjective. We’ve chosen the following careers based on the qualities listed above, but the jobs that you find most fulfilling might depend on your personal interests and goals. For example, you might weigh a healthy work-life balance more heavily than a high salary. Alternatively, you may desire a career working in an area of interest—like website design, or health and medicine—and it’s this type of role that will bring the most meaning to you.
With that said, here are six of the most satisfying jobs you can pursue today:
1. Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners are rated the number-one career in 2024, according to U.S. News. And the reason for this is the high level of job satisfaction involved. Nurse Practitioners fulfill job duties very similar to physicians, coordinating treatments and delivering primary care to patients in need. These healthcare professionals have many opportunities for career development and ways to advance in their roles, through specializations, research, and a rapidly growing job market. Additionally, Nurse Practitioners can look forward to a lucrative salary, with the average NP earning $128.5k per year. But professional reward and career growth aren’t the only reasons that Nurse Practitioners top the charts of most rewarding careers. The fact of the matter is, they have the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Their career revolves around helping people in need, and they can do this all with job security and high pay.
2. Registered Nursing
Registered nursing is also one of the most rewarding career options out there, for similar reasons to the Nurse Practitioner route. Registered Nurses (RNs) spend their days caring for patients who are sick, injured, and disabled—in other words, helping people in need. On top of the personal fulfillment and purpose that stems from this career choice, Registered Nurses also boast a high salary potential with a small investment in school. Today, you can become an RN with a short-term, associate degree in Nursing. And at the end of that program, after receiving licensure, you can expect to earn upwards of $94,000 annually. According to career experts, Registered Nurses enjoy upward mobility, job flexibility, and a wide breadth of job opportunities where no day is the same. For RNs, there are all types of patient demographics you can work with, and specializations you can pursue in areas that interest you.
3. Physical or Occupational Therapy
While physical therapy and occupational therapy are two distinct career paths, they share a lot in common when it comes to job satisfaction and reward. Occupational therapists and OTAS (occupational therapy assistants) help people who are injured, disabled, or in recovery develop the skills for daily living. For example, these professionals might help someone learn how to write, how to use a wheelchair, or recover leg function after a bad accident.
Physical therapists and PTAs (physical therapy assistants) help patients manage and recover from injuries or long-term illnesses. While OTs and OTAs focus on teaching life skills and increasing patients’ independence and functionality, PTs and PTAs work to enhance mobility and lessen pain in their patients.
Obviously, both of these career paths involve helping people in need. But those in these professionals will tell you that the reward is different than you might find in an ambulatory setting. Physical and occupational therapy professionals establish relationships with their patients, and help people go on to live meaningful and productive lives. In addition to the personal fulfillment that naturally comes from this, these therapeutic professionals also benefit from high salary potential, flexibility, and upward mobility in their fields.
4. Mental Health Professions
It’s no secret that America is facing a mental health crisis, with an estimated 1 in every 5 adults experiencing a mental health condition. Those who enter the field of psychiatry and mental health are therefore likely to encounter abundant job opportunities. More people than ever are looking to go to therapy or receive mental healthcare services, yet there are not enough clinicians and counselors to accommodate these growing needs. At the same time, there is a clear purpose behind the work of those in this field. Mental health professionals help people manage conditions like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and more. Depending on their title, these professionals might help treat the disorders, offer therapy and counseling services, advocate for these individuals, or work with them to develop important coping and life skills.
Common titles in the mental health field are:
- Mental health associates
- Mental health or victims advocates
- Mental health and substance abuse counselors
- Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners
And more!
5. Public Health Workers
There are many types of workers in the field of public health, but one thing is for certain: They all hold incredible importance. Especially today, in the aftermath of COVID-19, we recognize the value that public health professionals have in keeping our communities safe. For this reason, we’ve included public health workers on our list of the most rewarding career paths. These individuals are responsible for monitoring, responding to, and preventing public health threats like disease epidemics, terrorism and violence, climate change, and even natural disasters. These professionals also help ensure that individuals and communities have access to safe, equitable healthcare services, if and when they need it.
Examples of public health workers include, but are not limited to, community health workers, statisticians, epidemiologists, health educators, health promotion specialists, and environmental or occupational health officers. Learn about the various public health career options here.
Epidemiologists and statisticians, in particular, have been cited as some of the most rewarding careers in this field. These two types of professionals are change-makers, but handle a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Rather than working on the frontlines of health, these professionals conduct research, crunch numbers, and investigate trends that inform public health decisions. Both boast high salary potential and plenty of room for growth in their respective fields. All the while, they report low to average stress levels, making their jobs very manageable. Epidemiologists, in particular, have a job satisfaction rate of 73%, according to SoFi, making it one of the most rewarding careers out there today.
6. Entrepreneur
We could not leave this list without including one of the most personally fulfilling careers out there: running your own business! Entrepreneurs are forward-thinking professionals who create, develop, and manage their own business venture. While their journey can be challenging and risky at times, the rewards of creating a meaningful business (and leaving a lasting legacy) make becoming an entrepreneur a highly satisfying career choice.
Being an entrepreneur is fulfilling because it offers autonomy, creativity, and the opportunity for personal and professional growth. Entrepreneurs have the freedom to make their own decisions, design their own schedules, and shape their business according to their vision and values. This creative process, combined with the challenge of overcoming obstacles, fosters a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Not to mention, entrepreneurs have high potential for financial success and the unique opportunity to align their career with their personal passions and purpose.
Achieve a rewarding career through Goodwin University
Kick off a career you love and find purpose in all that you do. But first, think about what a rewarding career will look like to you. Once you have a grasp on what you need from your career, and what checks off all your boxes, you can make an informed decision regarding your next steps: Will you pursue a college degree, professional certification, or jump right into the job market?