Artificial intelligence is changing the job market faster than ever before. While some professions are already feeling the pressure of automation, new analyses show that there is a group of occupations that remain – at least for now – highly resistant to AI. What’s more, they offer exceptionally high salaries.
According to the latest Indeed 50 Best Jobs in the U.S. for 2026 ranking, seven healthcare professions are among the ten best jobs of the year. They all have one thing in common: they are heavily dependent on human interaction, empathy, and personal contact—qualities that no algorithm can yet fully replace. Although the ranking applies to the United States, it can also be applied globally.
Article content – Jobs that AI cannot easily replace:
Healthcare as a driver of the labor market
According to Indeed, the best job of 2026 is a cardiac healthcare technician. This specialization offers a median annual income of $133,907 and has seen significant growth in wages and job numbers over the last three years. Other healthcare professions also appear in the top ten, such as nurse, speech therapist, licensed therapist, clinical social worker, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and radiological therapist.
Indeed researchers evaluated thousands of professions according to several criteria – from above-average wages to immediate demand to recruitment dynamics and the possibility of remote work. “The entire job market has been in a state of low recruitment and stagnation for about a year. One of the few exceptions is healthcare,” says Laura Ullrich, director of research at Indeed Hiring Lab for North America.
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Healthcare currently accounts for only about 11 percent of all jobs in the US, but it accounts for nearly three-quarters of total job market growth. The main driver is an aging population. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of people over the age of 100 is expected to more than quadruple over the next thirty years. This increases the demand for basic and elective medical procedures—and thus for the people who can provide them.
“This may explain why professions such as occupational therapist and aesthetic nurse are making the list. This trend is not going to slow down—quite the contrary,” according to the Indeed report.
Trades are making a comeback
Outside of healthcare, the most sought-after fields include crafts and technical professions. The second-best position in the ranking is that of a self-employed truck driver. The median annual salary in this case is $160,000. Although wages in the segment fell by five percent year-on-year, the number of job offers has increased by 39 percent over the last three years.
There is also high demand for air conditioning technicians and electricians. According to the authors of the study, at a time when people are questioning the return on traditional higher education and considering the impact of AI, skilled trades are proving to be a practical and cost-effective path with long-term prospects.
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Technology is not ending, it is just changing form
Although the technology sector has seen a roughly 36 percent decline in job postings since 2020, the reality is more complex. Actual employment in IT and mathematical professions is still almost 20% higher than before the pandemic.
Only data scientists appear in the top ten technology roles, but the broader ranking shows where companies are actually hiring. These are mainly positions related to system architecture, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Today, companies are not looking for developers of all kinds en masse, but for experts who can support AI deployment, build a robust technological infrastructure, and protect data.
“The current slowdown in technology recruitment is not a collapse, but a structural realignment,” explains Laura Ullrich.
From the perspective of employees and investors, the message is clear. Professions based on human contact are the most resistant to artificial intelligence. Healthcare will grow in the long term thanks to demographics. Crafts are experiencing a renaissance as a stable and practical career choice. And technology is not going away—it is just shifting to areas where human expertise is irreplaceable. In the era of algorithms, these fields are forming the new pillars of the economy.
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Sources:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/news/best-jobs
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/13/indeed-2026-best-jobs-in-the-us.html
