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 We try to make the best job lists to use and informative. The data comes from The U.S. Department of Labor, The U.S. Census Bureau and The U.S. Department of Education. Most of the lists emphasize jobs with high pay, high growth, or large numbers of openings.
Many people consider these factors important in selecting a desirable job, and they are also easily quantifiable. While these measures are important, we think you should also think about other factors in considering your career options. For example, location, liking the people you work with, having an opportunity to serve others, and enjoying your work are just a few of the many factors that may define the ideal job for you. These measures are difficult or impossible to objectively quantify based on the data we have available and are not. We suggest that you consider the importance of these issues yourself and that you thoroughly research any job before making a firm decision.
We collapsed a number of specialized postsecondary education jobs into one title. Thegovernment database we used for the job titles and descriptions included more than 30 job titles for postsecondary educators, yet the data source we used for growth and number of openings provided data only for the more general job of Postsecondary Teacher. To make our lists more useful, we included only one listing, Postsecondary Teacher, rather than separate listings for each specialized job. We did, however, include descriptionsfor all the specific postsecondary teaching jobs in Part II. Should you wonder, here are the more specialized titles: Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary; Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary; Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary; Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary; Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary; Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary; Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Business Teachers, Postsecondary; Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary; Communications Teachers, Postsecondary; Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary; Economics Teachers, Postsecondary; Education Teachers, Postsecondary; Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary; English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary; Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary; Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Geography Teachers, Postsecondary; Graduate Teaching Assistants; Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary; History Teachers, Postsecondary; Home Economics Teachers, Postsecondary; Law Teachers, Postsecondary; Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary; Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary; Physics Teachers, Postsecondary; Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary; Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary; Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary; Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary; and Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary. Many jobs have tied scores. Many jobs have the same scores for one or more data elements.
For example, in the listing of the best 200 jobs, four medical specializations— Anesthesiologists; Internists, General; Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and Surgeons— are listed in a row. You might think that Anesthesiologists is listed first because it has a higher rating, but that is not the case. The only data available applied to all four jobs, so they all have tied scores and are listed in alphabetical order. There was no way to avoid these issues, so simply understand that the difference of several positions on a list may not mean as much as it seems. Job Annual Earnings Growth Annual Openings 1. Computer Software Engineers, Applications ............................$73,410 ..........45.5% ..........55,000 2. Computer and Information Systems Managers ........................$90,490 ..........36.1% ..........39,000 3. Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software ...................$77,250 ..........45.5% ..........39,000 4. Sales Managers .......................................................................$81,970 ..........30.5% ..........54,000 5. Computer Systems Analysts ....................................................$65,050 ..........39.4% ..........68,000 6. Management Analysts .............................................................$63,090 ..........30.4% ..........78,000 7. Pharmacists .............................................................................$82,520 ..........30.1% ..........23,000 8. Anesthesiologists ............ .....................................more than $145,000 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 9. Internists, General ................................................more than $145,000 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 10. Obstetricians and Gynecologists ........................more than $145,000 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 11. Surgeons.............................................................more than $145,000 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 12. Family and General Practitioners ........................................$137,670 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 13. Pediatricians, General .........................................................$136,490 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 14. Postsecondary Teachers ..................... ...............................$51,815 ..........38.1% ........216,000 15. Psychiatrists ........................................................................$135,440 ..........19.5% ..........38,000 16. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts............$59,300 ..........57.0% ..........29,000 17. Medical and Health Services Managers .................................$66,360 ..........29.3% ..........33,000 18. Computer Security Specialists ...............................................$57,060 ..........37.4% ..........35,000 19. Network and Computer Systems Administrators ....................$57,060 ..........37.4% ..........35,000 20. General and Operations Managers .......................................$74,600 ..........18.4% ........260,000 21. Chief Executives...................................................................$136,400 ..........16.7% ..........63,000 22. Government Service Executives ..........................................$136,400 ..........16.7% ..........63,000 23. Private Sector Executives.....................................................$136,400 ..........16.7% ..........63,000 24. Marketing Managers...............................................................$85,220 ..........21.3% ..........30,000 25. Financial Managers, Branch or Department ..........................$79,090 ..........18.3% ..........71,000 26. Treasurers, Controllers, and Chief Financial Officers ............$79,090 ..........18.3% ..........71,000 27. Lawyers..................................................................................$92,730 ..........17.0% ..........53,000 28. Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School .......................................................................$73,960 ..........20.7% ..........31,000 29. Registered Nurses .................................................................$51,020 ..........27.3% ........215,000 30. Personal Financial Advisors ..................................................$60,230 ..........34.6% ..........18,000 31. Database Administrators .......................................................$59,150 ..........44.2% ..........16,000 32. Education Administrators, Postsecondary .............................$67,760 ..........25.9% ..........19,000 33. Logisticians ............................................................................$49,740 ..........27.5% ........162,000 34. Physician Assistants...............................................................$68,200 ..........48.9% ............7,000 35. Physical Therapists................................................................$58,700 ..........35.3% ..........16,000 36. Compensation and Benefits Managers ..................................$72,180 ..........19.4% ..........21,000 37. Training and Development Managers.....................................$72,180 ..........19.4% ..........21,000 38. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School ...................$44,920 ..........30.0% ..........59,000 39. Administrative Services Managers..........................................$58,130 ..........19.8% ..........40,000 40. Human Resources Managers ................................................$70,350 ..........19.4% ..........21,000 41. Special Education Teachers, Middle School ..........................$43,260 ..........30.0% ..........59,000 42. Dental Hygienists ...................................................................$56,680 ..........43.1% ............9,000 43. Special Education Teachers, Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary School ................................................................$42,630 ..........30.0% ..........59,000
44. Environmental Engineers .......................................................$64,040 ..........38.2% ............6,000 45. Public Relations Managers.....................................................$67,810 ..........23.4% ..........10,000 46. Accountants ...........................................................................$49,770 ..........19.5% ........119,000 47. Auditors..................................................................................$49,770 ..........19.5% ........119,000 48. Occupational Therapists.........................................................$53,320 ..........35.2% ..........10,000 49. Computer Support Specialists ...............................................$39,900 ..........30.3% ..........71,000 50. Advertising and Promotions Managers ..................................$61,400 ..........25.0% ..........13,000 51. Construction Managers .........................................................$67,620 ..........12.0% ..........47,000 52. Training and Development Specialists ...................................$44,270 ..........27.9% ..........35,000 53. Market Research Analysts .....................................................$54,830 ..........23.4% ..........18,000 54. Computer Programmers.........................................................$61,730 ..........14.6% ..........45,000 55. Public Relations Specialists ...................................................$43,050 ..........32.9% ..........28,000 56. Clinical Psychologists ............................................................$53,230 ..........24.4% ..........17,000 57. Counseling Psychologists ......................................................$53,230 ..........24.4% ..........17,000 58. Educational Psychologists .....................................................$53,230 ..........24.4% ..........17,000 59. Financial Analysts...................................................................$61,130 ..........18.7% ..........22,000 60. Sales Agents, Financial Services............................................$62,680 ..........13.0% ..........39,000 61. Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities.............................$62,680 ..........13.0% ..........39,000 62. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers .......................$128,140 ..........18.5% ............6,000 63. Social and Community Service Managers...............................$46,200 ..........27.7% ..........19,000 64. Sales Engineers ....................................................................$68,510 ..........19.9% ............7,000 65. Instructional Coordinators ......................................................$47,550 ..........25.4% ..........18,000 66. Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education......................$20,450 ..........36.2% ..........88,000 67. Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ................$40,980 ..........27.2% ..........34,000 68. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ............................$60,200 ..........26.9% ............6,000 69. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists ..........$46,890 ..........28.0% ..........15,000 70. Speech-Language Pathologists .............................................$50,890 ..........27.2% ..........10,000 71. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education ...................................................................$45,180 ..........18.2% ........118,000 72. Employment Interviewers, Private or Public Employment Service ........................................................................................$40,970 ..........27.3% ..........29,000 73. Personnel Recruiters .............................................................$40,970 ..........27.3% ..........29,000 74. Veterinarians..........................................................................$65,290 ..........25.1% ............4,000 75. Paralegals and Legal Assistants ............................................$38,440 ..........28.7% ..........29,000 76. Engineering Managers ..........................................................$95,630 ............9.2% ..........16,000 77. Chiropractors .........................................................................$66,610 ..........23.3% ............3,000 78. Loan Officers .........................................................................$47,530 ..........18.8% ..........30,000 79. Cost Estimators .....................................................................$49,220 ..........18.6% ..........25,000 80. Medical Records and Health Information Technicians............$24,920 ..........46.8% ..........24,000 81. Respiratory Therapists ..........................................................$42,050 ..........34.8% ..........10,000 82. Technical Writers ...................................................................$52,160 ..........27.1% ............6,000 83. Medical and Public Health Social Workers .............................$39,160 ..........28.6% ..........18,000 84. Biologists ...............................................................................$64,390 ..........22.3% ............3,000 85. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education .......$42,590 ..........15.2% ........183,000 86. Industrial Production Managers .............................................$71,650 ............7.9% ..........18,000 87. Radiologic Technicians ..........................................................$41,850 ..........22.9% ..........21,000 88. Radiologic Technologists .......................................................$41,850 ..........22.9% ..........21,000 89. Child, Family, and School Social Workers .............................$34,300 ..........23.2% ..........45,000 90. Biochemists ...........................................................................$64,390 ..........22.9% ............2,000 91. Biophysicists ..........................................................................$64,390 ..........22.9% ............2,000 92. Physical Therapist Assistants.................................................$37,280 ..........44.6% ..........10,000 93. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ...............................$73,470 ............9.4% ..........11,000 94. Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes ...............................................................................$55,700 ..........27.8% ............2,000 95. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers ............$33,650 ..........34.5% ..........17,000 96. Optometrists ..........................................................................$87,340 ..........17.1% ............2,000 97. Industrial Engineers ...............................................................$64,050 ..........10.6% ..........16,000 98. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists ......................$44,460 ..........19.3% ..........21,000 99. Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ....$50,070 ..........23.7% ............6,000 100. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval..............................$58,630 ..........17.3% ............8,000 101. City Planning Aides ..............................................................$48,660 ..........17.5% ..........18,000 102. Directors—Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio....$51,870 ..........18.3% ..........10,000 103. Producers ............................................................................$51,870 ..........18.3% ..........10,000 104. Program Directors ...............................................................$51,870 ..........18.3% ..........10,000 105. Social Science Research Assistants ....................................$48,660 ..........17.5% ..........18,000 106. Graphic Designers ...............................................................$36,930 ..........21.9% ..........29,000 107. Radiation Therapists............................................................$55,550 ..........31.6% ............1,000
108. Rehabilitation Counselors ....................................................$27,410 ..........33.8% ..........19,000 109. Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors ................$44,990 ..........15.0% ..........32,000 110. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers .......................................$50,980 ..........24.0% ............4,000 111. Natural Sciences Managers .................................................$86,910 ..........11.3% ............5,000 112. Civil Engineers .....................................................................$62,840 ............8.0% ..........17,000 113. Nuclear Medicine Technologists...........................................$53,680 ..........23.6% ............2,000 114. Copy Writers ........................................................................$43,340 ..........16.1% ..........23,000 115. Creative Writers ...................................................................$43,340 ..........16.1% ..........23,000 116. Poets and Lyricists ..............................................................$43,340 ..........16.1% ..........23,000 117. Art Directors ........................................................................$63,170 ..........11.4% ............8,000 118. Biomedical Engineers...................................................$64,780 ..........26.1% ......fewer than 500 119. Recreation Workers .............................................................$18,950 ..........20.5% ..........56,000 120. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians ..........................$24,190 ..........44.1% ..........11,000 121. Actuaries..............................................................................$75,280 ..........14.9% ............2,000 122. Education Administrators, Preschool and Child Care Center/Program ..........................................................................$35,240 ..........32.0% ............9,000 123. Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products......................................................................$47,250 ..........11.2% ..........29,000 124. Budget Analysts ...................................................................$55,090 ..........14.0% ............8,000 125. Podiatrists ............................................................................$95,550 ..........15.0% ............1,000 126. Dentists, General ...............................................................$120,420 ............4.1% ............7,000 127. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ........................................$120,420 ............4.1% ............7,000 128. Orthodontists .....................................................................$120,420 ............4.1% ............7,000 129. Prosthodontists...................................................................$120,420 ............4.1% ............7,000 130. Epidemiologists............................................................$53,660 ..........32.5% ......fewer than 500 131. Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians ..................$37,800 ..........33.5% ............6,000 132. Credit Analysts ....................................................................$46,640 ..........18.7% ............9,000 133. Mechanical Engineers .........................................................$65,210 ............4.8% ..........14,000 134. Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational Education ...................................................................................$42,960 ............9.0% ..........69,000 135. Physical Therapist Aides .....................................................$21,070 ..........46.4% ............8,000 136. Audiologists .........................................................................$50,000 ..........29.0% ............1,000 137. Economists ..........................................................................$70,520 ..........13.4% ............2,000 138. Hydrologists .........................................................................$59,010 ..........21.0% ............1,000 139. Computer Hardware Engineers ............................................$79,090 ............6.1% ............6,000 140. Electrical Engineers .............................................................$70,830 ............2.5% ..........11,000 141. Multi-Media Artists and Animators ........................................$46,770 ..........15.8% ..........12,000 142. Mental Health Counselors ....................................................$32,040 ..........26.7% ..........13,000 143. Purchasing Managers ..........................................................$67,830 ............4.8% ............9,000 144. Occupational Therapist Assistants ......................................$38,120 ..........39.2% ............3,000 145. Adult Literacy, Remedial Education, and GED Teachers and Instructors ............................................................................$37,910 ..........20.4% ..........14,000 146. Calibration and Instrumentation Technicians .......................$45,390 ..........10.0% ..........24,000 147. Commercial and Industrial Designers ..................................$52,080 ..........14.7% ............7,000 148. Directors, Religious Activities and Education........................$29,240 ..........24.1% ..........16,000 149. Electrical Engineering Technicians.......................................$45,390 ..........10.0% ..........24,000 150. Electronics Engineering Technicians ...................................$45,390 ..........10.0% ..........24,000 151. Landscape Architects ..........................................................$50,780 ..........22.2% ............2,000 152. Chemists...............................................................................$54,960 ..........12.7% ............7,000 153. Medical Transcriptionists......................................................$27,790 ..........22.6% ..........18,000 154. Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers...$38,750 ....12.8% ..........35,000 155. Interior Designers ................................................................$40,420 ..........21.7% ............8,000 156. Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health .........................................................................$35,790 ..........36.8% ............4,000 157. Geologists...........................................................................$68,570 ..........11.5% ............2,000 158. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.......................$91,230 ............8.7% ............2,000 159. Atmospheric and Space Scientists .....................................$65,400 ..........16.2% ............1,000 160. Clergy ..................................................................................$34,930 ..........15.5% ..........34,000 161. Health Educators .................................................................$38,100 ..........21.9% ............8,000 162. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians ......................$30,140 ..........19.4% ..........21,000 163. Film and Video Editors ........................................................$41,820 ..........26.4% ............3,000 164. Meeting and Convention Planners .......................................$39,070 ..........21.3% ............7,000 165. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors ........$31,510 .......23.3% ..........10,000 166. Dietitians and Nutritionists ...................................................$42,630 ..........17.8% ............8,000 167. Microbiologists .....................................................................$52,100 ..........20.0% ............1,000 168. Insurance Sales Agents .......................................................$40,370 ............8.4% ..........52,000 169. Environmental Engineering Technicians ..............................$38,180 ..........28.4% ............3,000 170. Insurance Underwriters ........................................................$48,370 ..........10.0% ..........12,000 171. Geographers................................................................$56,290 ..........19.5% ......fewer than 500 172. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists .......................$67,740 ..........16.0% ......fewer than 500 173. Librarians ...........................................................................$44,730 ..........10.1% ..........15,000 174. Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists .....$39,200 ......14.7% ..........15,000 175. Editors..................................................................................$42,450 ..........11.8% ..........14,000 176. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists ........................$48,330 ..........13.2% ............6,000 177. Aerospace Engineers ..........................................................$77,340 ..........–5.2% ............5,000 178. Operations Research Analysts.............................................$59,090 ............6.2% ............6,000 179. Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers ...........................$61,430 ............7.9% ............4,000 180. Industrial Safety and Health Engineers ................................$61,430 ............7.9% ............4,000 181. Product Safety Engineers.....................................................$61,430 ............7.9% ............4,000 182. Survey Researchers.............................................................$26,990 ..........33.6% ............3,000 183. Physicists .............................................................................$83,570 ............6.9% ............1,000 184. Urban and Regional Planners ..............................................$52,680 ..........10.7% ............5,000 185. Orthotists and Prosthetists ..................................................$49,860 ..........18.9% ............1,000 186. Marriage and Family Therapists...........................................$38,210 ..........22.4% ............3,000 187. Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School.............$45,140 ............9.0% ..........12,000 188. Materials Scientists...............................................................$71,090 ............8.5% ............1,000 189. Athletic Trainers ..................................................................$32,990 ..........29.9% ............2,000 190. Political Scientists ................................................................$81,670 ............5.9% ............1,000 191. Financial Examiners ............................................................$59,050 ............8.9% ............3,000 192. Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products...........$42,200 ............4.3% ..........24,000 193. Biological Technicians..........................................................$33,360 ..........19.4% ............7,000 194. Chemical Engineers .............................................................$75,310 ............0.4% ............2,000 195. Gaming Managers ...............................................................$57,930 ..........12.4% ............1,000 196. Fashion Designers ..............................................................$54,530 ..........10.6% ............2,000 197. Statisticians..........................................................................$64,320 ............4.8% ............2,000 198. Materials Engineers .............................................................$65,010 ............4.1% ............2,000 199. Astronomers ................................................................$85,910 ............4.9% ......fewer than 500 200. Nuclear Engineers ...............................................................$83,260 ..........–0.1% ............1,000 |
