Once again, when it comes to return on education investment, several Salus University healthcare professions are among the 2022 Best Jobs ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

Salus graduate degree programs that ranked high on the list include physician assistant (PA) at No. 3, speech-language pathologist (SLP) at No. 10, occupational therapist (OT) at No. 31 and optometrist (OD) at No. 37.

The Best Jobs list also recognized the audiologist (AuD) profession at No. 79 as well as the University’s newest program launching in fall 2022, orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) at No. 56, which also debuted on the list this year.

While healthcare careers have remained prominent in U.S. News annual compilations of all industries, when the list is narrowed down to healthcare-specific jobs, most of the University’s professions are in the top 25. PA comes in at No. 2, SLP at No. 3, OT at No. 11, OD at No. 13 and AuD at No. 22. The number of jobs for PA students graduating from Salus as projected by U.S. News is 40,100 nationwide, with a projected median salary of $115,390.

“The PA profession is one of the most sought-after professions in the country because PAs can practice medicine in multiple specialties with varying levels of autonomy,” said Daniel Pavlik, DMS, PA-C, director of the University’s PA program. “Our board scores suggest that we are training some of the strongest PAs in the country.”

Not far behind are SLPs, with projected jobs at 45,400 and the median salary at $80,480; OT at 23,000 jobs with an $86,280 median salary; optometrists at 3,900 positions and $118,050 average salary; and audiologists at 2,100 jobs and an average salary of $81,030.

“It is no wonder, given the vast scope of an SLP and the value we bring to the healthcare team as we assess, diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders,” said Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair and director of the SLP program at Salus. “The expansion of our scope of practice and the continuous growth in the job market makes a career in SLP very desirable to many people.”

With the addition of O&P, the University has added another program whose graduates will likely experience a lucrative job market.

“Salus O&P plans to launch in fall 2022 and not look back,” said J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, chair and director of the O&P program. “The new and unique O&P program can offer students an opportunity to stand out and be among the best in their field, which is in high demand and provides for an exciting work environment. We get to see immediate results, which is rewarding and challenging at the same time. We not only manage patients’ care, but we also get to create for the individual.”

According to U.S. News, the rankings are based on which occupations have the highest projected number and percentage of openings from 2020 to 2030, then sorted using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics covering salaries, projected job growth, employment rate, future job prospects, stress level, and work-life balance.

The healthcare sector is also projected to add 2.6 million new jobs from 2020 to 2030 with a 16 percent growth rate — much faster than the average for all occupations, according to BLS.

Salus University, founded as the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1919, today is a diversified, globally recognized professional academic center of learning that offers a wide range of degree programs.

Salus operates four clinical facilities in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties that provide highly specialized vision, hearing and balance, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy services.

The University has more than 1,200 students, and more than 14,000 alumni worldwide. For more information on healthcare professions, please visit here.