The 7 Best White-Collar Jobs

Best White-Collar Jobs: Salary and Growth Expectations

A baby gets a checkup from a nurse.
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Ariel Skelley / Getty Images

White-collar jobs refer to professional jobs that typically are located in offices. These types of jobs do not involve manual labor or wearing a uniform. White-collar workers tend to earn  salaries, rather than hourly wages. A requirement of a white-collar job usually is a college degree or some sort of formal training.

White-collar jobs can encompass many positions, such as those that involve software, administrative work, law, or other technical functions. Based on statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on growing fields and salary pay, along with interviews from career experts across the country, we list seven white-collar jobs that will grow about 30% or more in the next decade and pay over $75,000.

Key Takeaways

  • Many top white-collar jobs in the medical field require a master’s degree, such as nurse practitioner or health care manager.
  • There are some white-collar jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree, such as logistician or information security analyst.
  • All of the best white-collar jobs involve great pay and being highly involved with patients or business operations.

Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner works in a hospital, physician’s office, clinic, government agency, or managed care facility. They are primary care and specialty care providers, which means they can evaluate and diagnose patients and discuss how to improve a patient’s health. This can include prescribing medicine, ordering lab tests, tracking medical history, recommending treatment plans, referring patients to other medical professionals, or promoting health strategies. Similar to a physician, a nurse practitioner can specialize in a certain population of people. For example, you could be a nurse practitioner for adult care, pediatric care, or mental health, among others. Nurse practitioners work office hours, which may include shift work on nights and weekends depending on the office practice.

  • Average salary: $120,680/ per year
  • Number of people employed: 220,300
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 52%

How To Get a Job as a Nurse Practitioner

You need a master’s degree or higher to become a nurse practitioner, as well as pass a state and national certification exam. Nurse practitioners have similar roles to physicians, except they only spend six to eight years on average in postsecondary education compared to an average of 11 years for physicians. If you are considering becoming a nurse practitioner, it is helpful to begin working with patients at a local hospital or doctor’s office by shadowing a nurse practitioner or volunteering. This can boost your resume when you apply to a master’s program or future job.

Medical and Health Service Managers

Medical and health service managers plan, direct, and coordinate health services for hospitals, clinics, or a group of physicians. They can manage the entire facility, an individual department, or an office. The typical day-to-day work includes setting department goals, recruiting team members, managing the finances of the facility, creating work schedules, organizing health records, and ensuring compliance with all health laws. This job is great for people who are organized and like to work in a variety of different capacities in the health care field.

  • Average salary: $101,340
  • Number of people employed: 429,800
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 32%

How To Get a Job as a Medical and Health Service Manager

You typically need at least a bachelor's degree, but most employers prefer a master’s degree in health care related fields such as nursing, health care administration, or social services. Coursework related to hospital organization, health care management, human resource administration, budgeting, and health economics is desirable. In addition to coursework and degrees, medical and health service managers should have practical administrative experience working in a health care facility or hospital for at least a year.

Information Security Analyst

An information security analyst works for an IT department within an organization or for a computer and network security firm. Analysts carry out security measures for an organization’s network and systems, which can include working on encryption and firewall software, investigating security breaches, recommending software updates to management, and monitoring an organization’s networks. You also must stay up-to-date with the latest security trends and products.

  • Average salary: $102,600 per year
  • Number of people employed: 141,200
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 33%

How To Get a Job as an Information Security Analyst

You typically need a bachelor’s degree in information technology or computer science, or any related field such as math or engineering. However, it is possible to find a job with only a high-school diploma if you have certifications or industry experience. If you are considering becoming an information security analyst, it is helpful to obtain certifications such as a CISSP, or begin working in an information technology department to get relevant industry experience.

Statistical Analyst

Statistical analysts work in individual firms on interpreting their data to answer specific business questions or problems. This can involve applying statistical theories and developing models to test these theories on firm data and creating visualizations to explain the data. It also can involve designing surveys, polls, and communicating analysis to technical and nontechnical audiences. There are a number of job titles that often have similar roles, such as mathematician, statistician, or data analyst.

As a career coach and human resource expert, Genevieve Green said, “Analytically inclined jobs are the best places to be right now, because as we get the capability, more and more, to measure our businesses, firms need people to analyze the data. Jobs in data analytics and business intelligence will see expansive growth and are compensated well.” This is evidenced by the large projected growth in the field over the next 10 years.

  • Average salary: $96,280
  • Number of people employed: 44,800
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 33%

How To Get a Job as a Statistical Analyst

Most statistical analysts will have at least a bachelor's degree in mathematics, statistics, economics, or data science. Some firms may also prefer a master’s or doctoral degree, although most entry-level positions will not require this. Statistical analysts must have practical classroom or work experience working with data, which could also be obtained through internships.

Logistician

A logistician helps coordinate and analyze an employer’s entire supply chain. The supply chain is the entire process that moves a product from a warehouse or production to the consumer. This means that a logistician oversees not only a range of goods, but also interacts with internal and external employees. For example, a logistician may help source materials and supplies for the product, develop business relationships with suppliers and clients, and work with internal staff to improve the production process.

  • Average salary: $77,030
  • Number of people employed: 191,000
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 30%

How To Get a Job as a Logistician

To become a logistician, you need to understand logistics and supply chains. Some employers will hire you with relevant workplace experience, but an associate degree or bachelor's degree in supply chain management or logistics will make it easier to find a job in the field. Also, having relevant work experience such as work as a dispatcher, clerk, or military service member, will make it easier to find a job.

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists investigate the patterns and spread of diseases. They study public health problems and find ways to prevent or treat them. This includes collecting and analyzing data, communicating findings to practitioners and policymakers, and planning studies. They may also supervise staff and write grant proposals for research. Epidemiologists may specialize in a particular type of disease or population of people, such as cancer patients.

  • Average salary: $78,830
  • Number of people employed: 7,800
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 30

How To Get a Job as an Epidemiologist

An epidemiologist needs at least a master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, or other relevant field. Those involved with research or as a university professor often need a doctoral degree. In addition to the degrees, epidemiologists typically have relevant practical experience in laboratories and clinics. To make an application for graduate school more competitive, coursework in anatomy, microbiology, statistics, and biological sciences is useful.

Speech-Language Pathologist

A speech-language pathologist, often called a speech therapist, evaluates, diagnoses, and treats children and adults in communication and swallowing disorders. This can result from brain injuries, stroke, development delays, Parkinson’s disease, autism, or other causes. A speech therapist can dramatically improve the sound and fluency of vocabulary in children and adults, as well as help them strengthen muscles to help them swallow. Speech therapists work in schools, private practices, hospitals, and nursing homes.

  • Average salary: $79,060
  • Number of people employed: 158,100
  • Projected job growth from 2020-2030: 29%

How To Get a Job as a Speech-Language Pathologist

A speech-language pathologist needs at least a master's degree, state licensure or registration, and they must pass an exam. As part of most master’s degree programs, there will be supervised clinical experience, often called a fellowship, required under a current certified speech-language pathologist. For some speech-language pathologists who work in a school setting, a teaching certificate or specific courses may be needed. To get hands-on experience before applying to a master’s program or job, shadowing a current speech-language pathologist would be helpful.

The Bottom Line

The seven best white-collar jobs involve meaningful work that impacts the operations of businesses or the lives of patients and society. Each job involves some certification or degree, but also has strong job prospects over the next decade with a very competitive salary.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between a white-collar job and a blue-collar job?

A blue-collar job typically involves manual labor and is often paid hourly. A white-collar job usually is a salaried job and involves working in an office setting. A white-collar job may require additional training or educational qualifications, and often tend to pay more than a blue-collar job.

What proportion of Black Americans work white-collar jobs?

Black Americans tend to be overrepresented in lower-paying jobs in low-growth sectors and geographies, while they tend to be underrepresented in high-paying, fast-growing jobs and geographies, a 2021 McKinsey report found. The report also found that Black workers were concentrated in three industries–health care, retail, and accommodation and food service–which had the highest share of workers earning below $30,000.

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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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