The 10 Best Jobs in America Today

The 10 Best Jobs in America Today

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 from www.JobsRated.com.

Mathematician ranks as the country's best job, followed by actuary and statistician -- three jobs for which a calculator and solitude are prerequisites – reports the study of 200 different positions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Monty Python troupe made famous the song, «I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK.» Unfortunately, however, the 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. In order to compare jobs as different as librarian and sheet metal worker, the study relies on five unique criteria: stress, physical demands, hiring outlook, compensation and work environment. Each job’s ranking is dependent on how it scores in each category.

While mathematician tops the list, even if advanced equations aren't your strong suit there are still plenty of other jobs to consider. After the top three math-oriented careers, the rest of the top 10 read like a who's who of well-educated professions:

1. Mathematician – Applies mathematical theories and formulas to teach or solve problems in a business, educational or industrial climate.
2. Actuary – Interprets statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, death and loss of property from theft and natural disasters.
3. Statistician – Tabulates, analyzes and interprets the numeric results of experiments and surveys.
4. Biologist – Studies the relationship of plants and animals to their environment.
5. Software Engineer – Researches, designs, develops and maintains software systems along with hardware development for medical, scientific and industrial purposes.
6. Computer Systems Analyst – Plans and develops computer systems for businesses and scientific institutions.
7. Historian – Analyzes and records historical information from a specific era or according to a particular area of expertise.
8. Sociologist – Studies human behavior by examining the interaction of social groups and institutions.
9. Industrial Designer – Designs and develops manufactured products.
10. Accountant – Prepares and analyzes financial reports to assist managers in business, industry and government.

All of these positions rate highly in the key criteria, and all require at least a college degree if not graduate-school credentials. If you seek more career guidance, or want to see how your job stacks up in the study, visit www.JobsRated.com to see the entire ranking of 200 different jobs and the methodology beyond the rankings, as well as other jobs rated information at www.CareerCast.com.