CareerCast
is out with their annual ranking of the 10 best and 10 worst jobs for 2014, and
let's just say that math and science guys everywhere are about to high-five.
"This absolutely verifies the
importance of STEM careers," said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com
and JobsRated.com.
CareerCast looks at 200 of the most
populated jobs and then ranks them on a variety of criteria that fall into four
key categories: environment, income, outlook and stress. (Stress alone has 11
different factors, from high risk to tough deadlines.)
"When you look across a range of
criteria -- not just salary and hiring outlook but also the work environment,
physical factors and stress -- [STEM] jobs are the best," Lee said.
Mathematician was named the best job for
2014, followed by tenured university professor and statistician. There were
some wild swings in the rankings this year -- all three of those top jobs
jumped double-digits on the list. Normally, you see single-digit moves from
year to year. The reason is because the Bureau of Labor Statistics just updated
their database to include more recent statistics and projections through 2022.
The results weren't as dramatic in the 10
worst jobs -- many of last year's worst remained on the list, only moving a few
spots either way. That's because they tend to be dangerous jobs with low pay --
factors that simply aren't changing for these jobs.
Lumberjack earned the distinction of being
the worst job, followed by newspaper reporter and enlisted military personnel.
The worst jobs list is where you saw residual effects of the recession peek
through: Some of these jobs took an extra hit in the hiring outlook due to
industry consolidation, municipal cutbacks or other factors.
One interesting thing you'll find on the
worst list: Many of these people love their jobs, be they lumberjacks,
firefighters or broadcasters. "There are always going to be happy
lumberjacks!" Lee quipped, adding, "We've talked to happy lumberjacks
who say, 'I love what I do. I love being outdoors. I don't care that I don't
make much money or that there are layoffs pending."
The list has a very practical application
for teachers, who use it to launch a discussion with their students about
careers. Hmm. That's a great point. You never hear a kid say he wants to be an
actuary when he grows up, do you?!
> The 10
best jobs for 2014
1.
Mathematician
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Up 17
Midlevel
income: $101,360
Key factors
for ranking: work environment, high income and outlook, low stress
These are
the people who figure out if a decision makes sense for a company or
organization, be it digging for oil or building a car. They work in a variety
of sectors, including energy, transportation and IT. "Mathematicians have
historically been thought of as academics," Lee said. "But now they
do so much more -- they're hired in the public and the private sector.
Nonprofits."
2. Tenured
university professor
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Up 12
Midlevel
income: $68,970
Key factors
for ranking: work environment (ranks No. 1 of all jobs), lack of stress
The key
word here is tenured. "That means they have a job for life," Lee
said, pointing out that they also receive a six-month sabbatical every seven
years. Plus, they usually teach about three to four classes per week and have a
say in setting their schedule.
3.
Statistician
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Up 17
Midlevel
income: $75,560
Key factors
for ranking: work environment, outlook
"These
are the people who determine the statistical likelihood of things," Lee
said. "They figure out how many people will buy that new iPad or if that
breakfast cereal is selling well due to changing demographics." Basically,
any kind of planning for the future. And they can work across most industries.
4. Actuary
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 3
Midlevel
income: $93,680
Key factors
for ranking: environment, hiring outlook
Actuaries,
who came in No. 1 on last year's best jobs list, are the people who determine
how long something is going to last. Typically, they work for insurance
companies (this accounts for around 80 percent of actuaries), estimating how
long people are going to live or the statistical likelihood that they will get
a particular disease. However, they're increasingly being used for other
industries, such as infrastructure: How long will that bridge last? Is it time
to replace that rail line?
5.
Audiologist
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 1
Midlevel
income: $69,720
Key factors
for ranking: outlook, lack of stress
Audiologists
tend to work in a low-stress environment in a job that is very rewarding, since
their focus is to help patients deal with hearing issues. Plus, the hiring
outlook gets a boost on two fronts: aging baby boomers and retiring
audiologists.
6. Dental
hygienist
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: no change
Midlevel
income: $70,210
Key factors
for ranking: low stress (it ranks as the least stressful of all 200 jobs on
this list), outlook
"Talk
to a dental hygienist and they'll tell you the best part of their job is that
they're in control of the situation," Lee said. They work directly with
their patients and get to set their own schedule. Plus, Lee said, it's the only
job in the top 10 where you don't need a four-year degree.
7. Software
engineer
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 4
Midlevel
income: $93,350
Key factors
for ranking: low stress, outlook
Software
engineers are the people who write software code for programs that manage
everything from online shopping to home heating and airport-landing schedules.
8. Computer
systems analyst
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Up 2
Midlevel
income: $79,680
Key factors
for ranking: work environment, outlook
These are
the people who work with the actual hardware (from servers to laptops) to make
sure that it's the right equipment, the right amount, it's doing what a company
needs it to do, and there are no outages. They're always working to increase
speed and efficiency. And there is a huge demand for what they do.
"We've
got a technical revolution going on," Lee said. "The need for more
and more hardware is just growing every year as everything migrates to
online."
9.
Occupational therapist
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 2
Midlevel
income: $75,400
Key factors
for ranking: outlook, low stress
These are
people who help patients overcome illness or accidents so they can return to
the workforce. "It's very satisfying work," Lee said, explaining that
it's one of those jobs that receives more thank-yous than others because its
aim is to help patients overcome a major obstacle.
10. Speech
pathologist
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Up 2
Midlevel
income: $69,870
Key factors
for ranking: low stress, hiring outlook
Here's
another job that tends to be personally rewarding, because of its positive
effects on a patient's life. Plus, many of the patients requiring speech
assistance are children. Health-care jobs have ranked extremely well over the
past few years as baby boomers age, and this year was no exception, with 4 of
the top 10 jobs coming from the sector.
> The 10
worst jobs for 2014 (out of 200)
200.
Lumberjack
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 1
Midlevel
income: $24,340
Key factors
for ranking: work environment (ranked worst of all 200 jobs), income and
outlook
Lumberjack
comes close to the bottom for nearly every factor, from the job being dangerous
to low income. But it's also taken a hit on the outlook as the construction
industry slumps and the newspaper industry shrinks. Plus, technological
advancements are quickly replacing the need for humans in the wood-harvesting
process.
199.
Newspaper reporter
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Up 1
Midlevel
income: $37,090
Key factors
for ranking: hiring outlook, stress
Reporters
have always had long hours and tight deadlines with low pay, but with the move
to digital, the hiring outlook is brutal. In fact, between papers shutting
down, consolidating or moving exclusively online, newspaper reporter is the
only career on the list to have a negative outlook. From 2013 to 2022, the
number of jobs are expected to decline 13 percent, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
198.
Enlisted military personnel
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: No change
Midlevel
income: $28,840
Key factors
for ranking: work environment
Soldier
surfaces on the worst jobs list every year because it's such a dangerous job:
Your life is always on the line, as is the life of everyone you work with. And
now, with military cutbacks, the ability to re-enlist and make a career in the
military is threatened, Lee said.
197. Taxi
driver
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 51
Midlevel
income: $22,820
Key factors
for ranking: work environment
Taxi driver
has always been a tough job, from dangerous work conditions to low pay. But the
fact that it fell 51 notches to land in the bottom 10 was due to two factors,
Lee said. With updated statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), it has earned the distinction of being the most likely
profession to be the victim of a crime. Plus, the trickle-down effect in the
job market that resulted from the recession has increased competition for
low-requirement jobs like taxi driver.
196.
Broadcaster
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 12
Midlevel
income: $55,380
Key factors
for ranking: income, stress, outlook
Broadcasting
has always been a high-stress, low-pay career. But now broadcasters are also
expected to do more beyond their radio or TV show, such as posting material
online to increase visibility, Lee said. Plus, consolidation in the industry
has taken a toll on the hiring outlook.
195. Head
cook
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: New to the list
Midlevel
income: $42,480
Key factors
for ranking: stress, income
First, one
thing to clarify for all you Food Network fans: We're not talking about head
chefs; we're talking about head cooks. Chefs make the menu, but the head cook
has the role of overseeing the execution of the restaurant orders. He or she is
paid hourly, whereas chefs are typically on salary. And head cooks don't always
work at fine-dining establishments; they also work at fast-food chains, prisons
and schools -- all tough working environments.
While cook
has always been featured, head cook is new to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
list and therefore the CareerCast ranking. Lee said that although the pay for
head cook is just a little higher, the amount of responsibility is much worse.
"When the cooks don't show up, you're doing it all," he explained.
194. Flight
attendant
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 3
Midlevel
income: $37,240
Key factors
for ranking: income, outlook
The big
factors here are consolidation and cutbacks in the airline industry. Not only
are there fewer jobs to go around, but now a flight might have three attendants
instead of four. It also ranks as having one of the lowest incomes."It's a
hardworking, low-reward job," Lee said.
193.
Garbage collector
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 32
Midlevel
income: $22,970
Key factors
for ranking: income, stress
Garbage
collector has always ranked low, given the tough conditions and low pay.
However, with municipal cutbacks during the recession, more waste management
has been pushed to the private sector, and that means lower wages.
"Privatization has been going on for a while, but the recession
accelerated that," Lee said. "Municipalities just don't want to spend
the money on garbage collecting."
192.
Firefighter
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 25
Midlevel
income: $45,250
Key factors
for ranking: stress
Putting
your life on the line to fight fires is indeed stressful. But the recession has
heightened the stress load even further, said Lee. "Both municipal and
local municipalities went through a very tough time during the recession,"
Lee said. "With cutbacks, people retired and the jobs weren't filled. Pay
increases aren't happening. The stress of the job goes up because you're
expected to do more." Add to that the fact that the latest OSHA rankings
revealed an increase in firefighter deaths.
Still, most
firefighters will tell you they have the best job. "If you're an
adrenaline junkie, you don't care if you're running into a burning
building," Lee said.
191.
Corrections officer
Change from
ranking on 2013 list: Down 2
Midlevel
income: $38,970
Key factors
for ranking: work environment and stress
Corrections
officer is, without argument, one of the most stressful jobs. However, this is
the first time it's landed in the bottom 10 -- for the same reasons other jobs
have landed on the worst list -- municipal budget cuts and privatization.
(Source:
entrepreneur.com)
