The 10 Best Jobs in America Today

[quantyst]

The Best and Worst Jobs in the U.S. - WSJ.com

Remember that kid in elementary school who always had a pencil and calculator nearby, and while the rest of us drew pictures, read comic books or played cards, that kid was happily crunching numbers -- for fun. Fast forward 20 years or so, and it turns out that kid probably has one of best careers around today, according to an exclusive new study of the nation's best and worst jobs.

Compiling research on 200 different positions, this year's JobsRated.com report ranks mathematician as the country's best job, followed by actuary and statistician -- three jobs for which a calculator and solitude are prerequisites. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Monty Python troupe made famous the song, "I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK." Unfortunately, our study finds that lumberjacks have the nation's worst job, followed by dairy farmers and taxi drivers, which seems to bear out the old grade-school adage that "it's better to earn a living with your head rather than with your hands."

Of course, it doesn't take much effort to determine that mathematician is a more attractive job to most people than lumberjack. But ranking 200 jobs from best to worst is no easy feat. To compile this year's report, researchers relied on five criteria to compare jobs as different as librarian and sheet metal worker. Those criteria: stress, physical demands, hiring outlook, compensation and work environment (for more info on scoring, visit our Methodology Page).

If advanced equations aren't your strong suit, however, there are plenty of other jobs that score well, too. After the top three math-oriented careers, the rest of the top 10 read like a who's who of well-educated professions:

The Best and Worst Jobs

Of 200 Jobs studied, these came out on top -- and at the bottom:

The Best
1. Mathematician
2. Actuary
3. Statistician
4. Biologist
5. Software Engineer
6. Computer Systems Analyst
7. Historian
8. Sociologist
9. Industrial Designer
10. Accountant
11. Economist
12. Philosopher
13. Physicist
14. Parole Officer
15. Meteorologist
16. Medical Laboratory Technician
17. Paralegal Assistant
18. Computer Programmer
19. Motion Picture Editor
20. Astronomer

The Worst
200. Lumberjack
199. Dairy Farmer
198. Taxi Driver
197. Seaman
196. EMT
195. Garbage Collector
194. Welder
193. Roustabout
192. Ironworker
191. Construction Worker
190. Mail Carrier
189. Sheet Metal Worker
188. Auto Mechanic
187. Butcher
186. Nuclear Decontamination Tech
185. Nurse (LN)
184.Painter
183. Child Care Worker
182. Firefighter
181. Brick Layer

 

[Andy Nguyen]

This is interesting. The top 3 jobs are mathematical in nature.
http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/JobsRated_Top200Jobs
I'm going through the list to see where Wall street jobs are ranked and the closest I could find are
84. Stock broker

 

[bigbadwolf]

...according to an exclusive new study of the nation's best and worst jobs.

I don't know what purpose these "studies" serve. Maybe they keep some otherwise idle journalists in gainful employment. Their criteria are arbitrary and so also is the way they assign numerical values to each job or profession. Equally importantly, what is the function of these studies? A lumberjack cannot peruse such a study and decide he wants to become a mathematician. Or in the rare case that he does, it won't be because of some daft "investigation." It seems the primary purpose is to titillate and provide ammunition for coffee-time conversations.

 

[IlyaKEightSix]

Actuaries? Math?

Big joke, yes?

Speaking from personal experience, the veneer that the profession puts on and what it advertises are simply complete LIES.

There is no math. There is no intellectual stimulation.

It's glorified accounting that in order to do, you need to study 3000 hours (AT LEAST) for.

To put it into perspective, 2000 hours is a full year of 9-5 work.

 

[const451]

101. Dentist; 103. Orthodontist; 156. Surgeon

They are way below
72. Office Machine Repairer :D

Do not all health related occupations are in high demand, have high pays, and the highest job security b/c of the aging baby boom generation... The job can be a bit stressful but that also depends on individual outlook.

 

[alain]

Do not all health related occupations are in high demand, have high pays, and the highest job security b/c of the aging baby boom generation... The job can be a bit stressful but that also depends on individual outlook.

all of the above might change for the worse if we move to universal healthcare.... maybe they took that into consideration

 

[kelvin]

I want to know how they made up the list...

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Here is best job in the world.

An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months. The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.
In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.
The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.
"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.
"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."
Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state's 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.
"Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign."
Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state.
"I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won't want to go home at the end of the six months," she said.
"This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone."
Applications are open until February 22. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1.
Job-seekers can apply on Islandreefjob.com

 

[alain]

I think the job applicant should know a lot about the critters that might inhabitat the island. If not, he/she might not survive long in there.

 

[Christian]

Andy,

I want to apply for that job, but the website is down. Must be too many applicants.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090506/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_world_s_best_job

SYDNEY – A bungee jumping, ostrich-riding British charity worker was named Wednesday the winner of what's been dubbed the "Best Job in the World" — a 150,000 Australian dollar ($111,000) contract to serve as the caretaker of a tropical Australian island.

Ben Southall, 34, beat out nearly 35,000 applicants from around the world for the dream assignment to swim, explore and relax on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef for six months while writing a blog to promote the area.

He was selected for the gig by officials from the tourism department of Queensland state.

Southall and 15 other finalists spent the past four days on the Queensland island for an extended interview process, which required applicants to snorkel through crystalline waters, gorge themselves at a beach-side barbecue and relax at a spa. The finalists also had to demonstrate their blogging abilities, take swimming tests and sit through in-person interviews.

In his application video, Southall expressed a love for adventure, and featured photographs of himself riding an ostrich, running a marathon, trekking through Africa and kissing a giraffe.

The job is part of a AU$1.7 million tourism campaign to publicize the charms of northeastern Queensland, and officials say it has already generated more than AU$100 million worth of publicity for the region.

Southall will live for free in an airy, three-bedroom oceanfront villa with a private pool and sweeping views of the surrounding islands.

The job begins July 1.

 

[alain]

I wonder what's the over/under of the guy surviving the gig without an accident.

 

[RussianMike]

Or without female companionship

 

[Andy Nguyen]

BANGKOK -

Attention Internet-savvy travelers: Thailand is giving away free trips to five lucky couples who don't mind sitting in front of a computer while on vacation.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand launched a new campaign Tuesday offering five couples fully paid trips to the country's most popular cities and beaches. In return, they will be asked to blog, chat and tweet about their holiday in a bid to win a grand prize of $10,000, a BlackBerry and a video camera.

Applicants should be "good storytellers" and must know how to navigate YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, the TAT said on the contest's newly launched Web site Domain Name Registration - Free Domain Parking - utlimatethailandexplorer.com Parked where one-minute video auditions can be submitted until Oct. 15.

Thailand's tourism industry is facing its worst crisis in years, with foreign arrivals down 15 percent so far this year because of political upheaval and the global recession.

Tourism officials say they were inspired by Australia's recent highly publicized campaign dubbed the "Best Job in the World." The contest to serve as the caretaker on a tropical Australian island for six months, while promoting the destination on a blog, drew 35,000 applicants and worldwide media attention.

"We got the idea from Australia," said TAT official Phanom Kaributra, who is coordinating the contest. "We think it's a good way to use social networking to promote Thailand."

A panel of TAT officials will select 25 semifinalists by Oct. 15 and the winning five couples — and grand prize winner — will be chosen by worldwide online voting.

Each of the five couples will be sent early next year on a six-day trip to different destinations: the capital Bangkok, beach resorts Phuket, Samui and Pattaya, and the northern city of Chiang Mai.

Phanom said the couples would be free to explore but would not be encouraged to "go to red-light districts and places like that."

 

[Dylan]

Some of these job descriptions seem highly suspect and vague. Just who are they counting as philosopher?