If your goal in life is to make the world a better place, you should probably pursue a job in education or healthcare.
Twelve of the top 13 most meaningful jobs in America, according to PayScale, fell into one of those two categories.
To compile its latest list, PayScale asked over 2 million professionals whether their work is meaningful, and ranked almost 500 professions based on the percentage of people in each of those jobs who answered “yes.”
| Rank | Jobs | Median pay | People who said it’s a highly meaningful job | People who said it’s a highly satisfying job |
| 13 | Epidemiologists | $69,000 | 91% | 77% |
| 12 | Kindergarten teachers | $39,000 | 91% | 81% |
| 11 | Occupational therapists | $64,400 | 91% | 77% |
| 10 | Rehabilitation counselors | $39,100 | 91% | 74% |
| 9 | Anesthesiologists | $273,000 | 91% | 83% |
| 8 | Psychiatrists | $197,000 | 92% | 85% |
| 7 | Chiropractors | $60,100 | 92% | 70% |
| 6 | Radiation therapists | $70,200 | 93% | 86% |
| 5 | Education administrators, elementary and secondary school | $76,700 | 95% | 88% |
| 4 | Directors of religious activities and education | $37,600 | 96% | 84% |
| 3 | Surgeons | $304,000 | 96% | 83% |
| 2 | English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $3,600 | 96% | 74% |
| 1 | Clergy | $46,600 | 98% | 90% |
