In the United States, nurses are emerging as the so-called "middle-class ladder," establishing themselves as a key pillar of the labor market.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that demand for nursing jobs, which can reliably ensure high incomes even amid the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and an economic downturn, is increasing. As manufacturing and office jobs lose ground, the medical field is being supported by structurally rising demand and a high wage growth rate, the analysis said.
Nurses are recognized as a stable profession thanks to structural factors such as population aging and rising medical costs. In particular, income rises stepwise depending on degree and experience, and the perception that the rewards are solid relative to effort is said to be driving labor demand.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual pay for registered nurses (RNs) is $93,600 (about 141 million won), exceeding twice the overall occupational average of $49,500. With a master's or doctoral degree, the median annual pay reaches $132,050.
In addition, over the past several decades, the U.S. health care industry has recorded the most consistent job creation across all sectors. According to research by the University of Chicago, the expansion of employment in health care since the 1980s had already overtaken manufacturing and retail in the early 2000s.
Over the past three years, employment in health care and social welfare increased 12.5%, contrasting with the employment growth rate in all other occupations over the same period, which remained below 2%.
In particular, the increase in medical demand in the United States is underpinning the creation of nursing jobs. Annual national health expenditures in the United States surged from 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 1970 to 18% in 2024, a rise attributed to growth in the older population and in the number of patients with chronic diseases.
In addition, the increase in demand for medical services as millions received insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, and the expansion of the health care system from visit-based to outpatient and community-based settings have also boosted the presence of nurses.
The outlook is also expected to be bright. The U.S. Department of Labor forecast that from 2024 to 2034, employment for advanced-degree nursing roles and general nursing roles will increase by 35% and 5%, respectively, figures that exceed the average growth rate of 3% across all occupations.
Joshua Gottlieb, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, called this "the engine of modern middle-class jobs."
Experts broadly say nursing is resilient to both economic cycles and technological change. Rona Finnegan, dean of the Loyola University School of Nursing, said, "Nursing is a strong occupation during economic downturns," adding, "As long as population aging, the rise in chronic diseases, and the expansion of medical services continue, demand will not decline."
In fact, universities are rapidly increasing nursing school enrollment, and the share of male nurses expanded from 8% in 2005 to 13% recently.
However, some note that high workloads, night and weekend shifts, and infection risks are likely to dampen labor supply. In a 2024 survey of 800,000 U.S. nurses, 41% of those who answered they would quit nursing within five years cited stress and burnout as reasons for leaving.
In January this year, about 15,000 nurses in New York City also went on a mass strike. They belong to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and called for improvements to chronic staffing shortages and workplace safety.
Nurses said, "Hospitals are delaying hiring on the grounds of expense," and pointed out, "An abnormal system in which one nurse simultaneously cares for 14 to 15 patients is becoming entrenched."