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13 Jobs Offering Over $40 an Hour That Employers Desperately Need Filled

These high-paying roles span healthcare, tech, finance, and analytics, and hiring in each one is expected to outpace the typical job over the next decade

By Josh Koebert , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Nov. 13, 2026

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Some careers pay well because the skills behind them are genuinely hard to find. Others pay well because demand keeps outrunning the supply of trained people, and the roles below manage to do both at once.

You also don't need one specific background to break into them. A few ask for years of graduate school, while others open up with a bachelor's degree and some hands-on experience, so there's a realistic entry point whether you're starting fresh or switching lanes midcareer.

If you've been looking for a way to get ahead financially, retraining for work like this can be the long game that finally moves the needle. Steady demand also tends to mean steadier job security and more room to negotiate.

Editor's note: All salary data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), May 2025.

Financial manager

Median hourly wage: $80.08

Financial managers build the reports and forecasts that steer a company's biggest decisions, directing investment activity and mapping out long-term financial goals while tracking the market trends that move the bottom line.

Employers typically want a bachelor's degree plus five or more years in a related business or financial role such as accountant, securities sales agent, or financial analyst, and optional certification can help a candidate stand out. Employment is projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 65,600 openings projected each year over the decade.

Software developer

Median hourly wage: $65.37

Software developers figure out what users need, then design and build the applications that meet those needs, drafting the models and diagrams that guide programmers and overseeing testing and maintenance once the code ships.

A bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field such as engineering or mathematics is typical, often paired with internship experience, and some employers prefer a master's degree. Employment is projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 106,100 openings projected each year for developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers combined.

Physician assistant

Median hourly wage: $65.33

Physician assistants examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the supervision of a physician, reviewing medical histories, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, and prescribing medication as part of everyday care.

The path runs through a master's degree from an accredited physician assistant program and a qualifying exam that leads to the Physician Assistant-Certified credential. Employment is projected to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,500 openings projected each year over the decade.

Nurse practitioner

Median hourly wage: $63.61

Nurse practitioners often serve as a patient's primary or specialty care provider, assessing symptoms, diagnosing conditions, and managing treatment plans. Many work independently, prescribing medications and ordering lab tests.

Entry requires an active RN license, completion of an accredited graduate-level APRN program, and a passing score on a national certification exam before a state will issue an APRN license. Employment is projected to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035, and roughly 32,200 openings a year are projected across the combined group of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners.

Actuary

Median hourly wage: $62.50

Actuaries dig into statistical data to put a price on risk, estimating the likelihood and cost of events like death, illness, accidents, and natural disasters, then using that work to shape insurance policies and investment strategies.

Most start with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, actuarial science, statistics, or another analytical field and work through a series of certification exams, often passing one or two before they graduate. Employment is projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings projected each year over the decade.

Information security analyst

Median hourly wage: $62.11

These analysts monitor networks for breaches, work with firewalls and encryption software, hunt for vulnerabilities, and help build and test the disaster recovery plan an organization leans on after an attack.

A bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field plus related work experience is the standard entry point, and employers often prefer candidates who hold a professional information security certification. Employment is projected to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,100 openings projected each year over the decade.

Medical and health services manager

Median hourly wage: $59.55

These managers plan, direct, and coordinate services across an entire facility, a single clinical department, or a medical practice, setting goals and budgets, keeping operations compliant, and recruiting and supervising staff.

A bachelor's degree combined with experience in an administrative or clinical healthcare role is typical, and some positions, such as nursing home administrator, require a state-issued license. Employment is projected to grow 24% from 2025 to 2035, with about 62,300 openings projected each year over the decade.

Data scientist

Median hourly wage: $57.80

Data scientists collect, categorize, and analyze data, then create, validate, test, and update the algorithms and models behind machine learning, often using visualization software to present what they find.

A bachelor's degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a related field is the usual requirement, though some employers prefer a master's or doctoral degree. Employment is projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings projected each year over the decade.

Statistician

Median hourly wage: $50.79

Statisticians design the surveys, experiments, and opinion polls that generate useful data, then run it through statistical software to spot trends and explain the results to technical and nontechnical audiences alike.

A master's degree in statistics or a related quantitative field is the usual path, though some entry-level roles and federal jobs accept a bachelor's degree with heavy math and statistics coursework. Employment is projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 2,000 openings a year projected for mathematicians and statisticians combined.

Physical therapist

Median hourly wage: $49.40

Physical therapists evaluate how patients move, then build individualized plans that use exercises, stretching, hands-on therapy, and equipment to ease pain and restore mobility, while also coaching families and overseeing assistants and aides.

The role requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from an accredited program plus licensure, which every state grants only after a qualifying exam. Employment is projected to grow 12% from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings projected each year over the decade.

Genetic counselor

Median hourly wage: $48.09

Genetic counselors assess a client's risk for inherited conditions such as birth defects, walk individuals and families through genetic test results, and support the decisions people make based on those findings.

A master's degree in genetic counseling is standard, and nearly every state requires licensure, which usually depends on board certification. Employment is projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 300 openings projected each year over the decade.

Operations research analyst

Median hourly wage: $42.76

These analysts use mathematics and logic to help organizations allocate resources, build production schedules, oversee supply chains, and set prices, creating quantitative models and writing up recommendations for managers.

A bachelor's degree is the typical minimum, often in operations research or a related field such as applied mathematics, business, engineering, or computer science, and some employers prefer a master's degree. Employment is projected to grow 12% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,500 openings projected each year over the decade.

Epidemiologist

Median hourly wage: $41.93

Epidemiologists plan and direct studies of public health problems, gathering data through interviews, surveys, and samples to trace the causes of disease and share what they learn with practitioners, policymakers, and the public.

Most positions require at least a master's degree, often an MPH, and some epidemiologists go on to earn a doctoral degree in epidemiology or medicine. Employment is projected to grow 19% from 2025 to 2035, with about 800 openings projected each year over the decade.

Bottom line

These careers reward people willing to put in real training, whether that means a licensing exam, a graduate degree, or years of specialized practice. The trade-off is pay well past the $40 an hour mark in fields that aren't slowing down.

If you're weighing a change, treat it like a long-term financial decision rather than a quick leap. Before you commit years to a new credential, it helps to start investing whatever you can now so a bigger paycheck later has a head start.

None of these paths are shortcuts. But they show that strong pay and strong demand can go hand in hand, and for anyone ready to do the work, that combination is hard to beat.