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In 2026, ‘learn to code’ has become ‘learn to nurse’

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by Jared Whitley, opinion contributor - 05/02/26 12:00 PM ET

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by Jared Whitley, opinion contributor - 05/02/26 12:00 PM ET

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For many years, manufacturing jobs were the safe, sure way to become financially stable — the engine of the post-war middle class as the American economy exploded in the Eisenhower years. Then, as globalization moved factory jobs away to other countries — for good or for bad — office jobs replaced them, with college degrees becoming the most reliable key to success.

In the time since, years of the internet allowing corporations to move office jobs to other countries have undermined the reliability of that pathway. With the uncertainty of AI’s impact on the modern job market, everyone is scrambling to find the next sure money-maker.

Healthcare is increasingly emerging as the path to prosperity.

The economic impact of hospitals and related businesses is enormous. In 2023, according to the American Hospital Association, hospitals in the U.S. employed 6.6 million people directly and, with indirect employment rolled in, were supporting one in six U.S. jobs. Hospitals also purchased more than $1.3 trillion in goods and services that year.

And the need for health services will only increase in the near future, as baby boomers age.

This is why proposed federal Medicaid cuts could be so destabilizing. They could cut the legs out from under the healthcare profession right as we need it more than ever.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the stability of nursing as a profession, the potential high salary, and the relative ease of entry. Nurses have a variety of advanced options available to them, with accelerated or bridge programs enabling completion of certain types of degree faster. Generally, an associate degree in nursing takes two years to achieve, with programs to become a registered nurse taking between two and four years.

Students who go into nursing school can be relatively confident that jobs will be waiting for them on the other side. Humans have always needed healthcare, and always will. As the economy shifts — in ways no one can really predict — nursing is emerging as one of the most reliable and fastest-growing paths to long-term prosperity.

The average registered nurse makes about $93,000 a year, which is nearly double the average salary in the United States, with many options for advancement. (No nursing student has ever had to field awkward questions from relatives about what their degree is going to be worth at Thanksgiving dinner.) Moreover, because there are numerous entry points for becoming a nurse, the position is attainable for first-generation students and career switchers.

Although the Medicaid cuts haven’t gone through yet, if they eventually do, nurses will face hiring freezes, which could primarily impact rural areas where healthcare facilities often face staffing problems.

Nurses are also way more popular than any other actor in healthcare at a time when Americans’ confidence in their medical system is at its lowest ever. According to a Gallup poll ranking quality of care, 82 percent of people surveyed said nurses provide excellent or good medical care, while 69 percent named doctors as best. (Health insurance companies were all but last, at 31 percent.) Nurses also typically have higher job satisfaction.

Furthermore, because people need nurses everywhere, the degree is highly portable. People in big, developed cities need nurses, people in rural communities need nurses. Travel nursing allows qualified nurses to see the world.

Nursing has built-in upward mobility and long-term stability. It is relatively straightforward to enter for students from a variety of ages. Healthcare isn’t going anywhere, and can’t be outsourced. About 10 years ago, we told kids to “learn to code” in order to maximize their relevance in the labor market. Nowadays, that should probably change to “learn to nurse.”

Jared Whitley has worked in the U.S. Senate and White House. He has an MBA from Hult business school in Dubai.

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