If 2025 made you question whether your job is actually safe, you’re not alone.

Between layoffs, AI hype, and “restructuring” announcements, job security has felt…shaky at best. 🫨

So this week, we’re breaking down the 7 careers with the most job security in 2026, what they pay, and how to get started so you can make more informed career decisions.

Physician Assistant, NY Presbyterian: $157K-$193K (Bronxville, NY)

Data Engineer, Cisco: $152K-$219K (Austin, TX/Remote)

Electrician, IBEW Local 26: Earn while you learn! (DC, MD, VA)

Speech Language Pathologist, Children’s National: $69K-$116K (DC)

Social Worker Practitioner, County of Yolo: $87K-$106K (Woodland, CA)

7 Careers With The Most Job Security

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that “secure” jobs aren’t always as secure as we’re told.

Tech workers. Government workers. People who did “everything right.”

Yet over 1.1 million layoffs later, job security feels more like a myth than a guarantee.

So, we dug into the data and talked to real workers to answer one big question: Which jobs are actually safest heading into 2026 and pay well?

1. Physician Assistant

Physician assistants work under a doctor’s supervision to diagnose patients, prescribe medication, and provide hands-on medical care. As healthcare demand rises and provider shortages worsen, PAs have become essential (more than they always were)!

• Median salary: $133,260

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $220,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 20% per the BLS

• Required education: Master’s degree from an accredited PA program

2. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

APRNs include nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives. They often perform many of the same duties as physicians, especially in underserved or high-demand areas.

• Median salary: $132,050

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $350,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 35% per the BLS

• Required education: MSN from an accredited program, plus an RN license and possibly a certification based on your specialty

3. Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity analysts protect systems, networks, and data from attacks. It’s a job that’s only getting more critical as AI, cloud systems, and remote work expand.

• Median salary: $124,910

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $205,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 40% per the WEF

• Required education: A bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, or similar is preferred, but some can break in with an associate’s degree or certifications.

4. Big Data Specialist or Data Engineer

These roles clean, organize, and manage massive datasets that power analytics and AI systems. AI can’t function without high-quality data (and humans still run that pipeline).

• Median salary: $112,590

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $350,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 110% per the WEF

• Required education: A bachelor’s degree in computer science, data engineering, or a similar area, but some jobs may accept an associate’s degree, certifications, or experience in place of a 4-year degree.

5. Speech Language Pathologist

Speech-language pathologists help people regain or develop communication and swallowing abilities. Their work spans hospitals, schools, rehab centers, and private practices, and most importantly, can’t be automated.

• Median salary: $95,410

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $230,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 15%

• Required education: A master’s degree in speech language pathology and audiology, professional supervised hours, and state licensing. Master’s programs are highly competitive, so applicants should be persistent! Read our guide here!

6. Electrician

Electricians install and maintain electrical systems, and with aging infrastructure, clean energy expansion, and AI’s growing power demands, their job security keeps climbing!

• Median salary: $62,350

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $108,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 9%

• Required education: High school diploma and apprenticeship (which are paid).

7. Social Worker / Therapist

Social workers and therapists provide counseling, advocacy, and access to essential services. Many roles are tied to legally required services, making them especially resilient during economic downturns.

• Median salary: $61,330

• Highest salary recorded in our Salary Database: $155,000

• Job growth (2024-2034): 6%

• Required education: A Master of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program.

Want to know more about each role and tips for looking for a secure job? Read the full guide here!

Did you know that 12.6% of current US workers (19.2 million jobs) face high automation displacement risk? 😳

In this episode of the Two Cents Podcast, we break down which jobs are most at risk (and safest) from AI replacement and automation.

Tune in on YouTube below, or on your preferred podcast platform here!

• 20 careers with the most job security 🔒 Full list according to US News

• How to protect yourself from AI 🪬 Strategies to avoid being replaced

• Which companies are conducting layoffs? 💼 The full list of 2025 layoffs

• 6 highest-paying seasonal jobs 🎄 Plus, none of these require a degree

• How much do you pay for health insurance? 💸 The answers were shocking

See you next week for more career tips, money moves, and transparent advice! 💚