Best Jobs in America

[Satty]

Linky

The Top 50

More jobs: Stats on 166 titles

Rank Career Job growth(forecast) Average pay

1 Software engineer 46.07% $80,427

2 College professor 31.39% $81,491

3 Financial advisor 25.92% $122,462

4 Human resources manager 23.47% $73,731

5 Physician assistant 49.65% $75,117

6 Market research analyst 20.19% $82,317

7 Computer/IT analyst 36.10% $83,427

8 Real estate appraiser 22.78% $66,216

9 Pharmacist 24.57% $91,998

10 Psychologist 19.14% $66,359

11 Advertising manager 20.34% $107,049

12 Physical therapist 36.74% $54,883

13 Technical writer 23.22% $57,841

14 Chiropractor 22.40% $84,996

15 Medical scientist 34.06% $70,053

16 Physical scientist 12.18% $80,213

17 Engineer 13.38% $76,100

18 Curriculum developer 27.53% $55,793

19 Editor 14.77% $78,242

20 Public relations specialist 22.61% $84,567

21 Sales manager 19.67% $135,903

22 Optometrist 19.73% $93,670

23 Property manager 15.30% $78,375

24 Actuary 23.16% $81,509

25 Writer 17.72% $60,519

26 Social service manager 25.52% $74,584

27 Paralegal 29.75% $61,204

28 Health services manager 22.76% $92,211

29 Advertising sales agent 16.33% $112,683

30 Physician/Surgeon 23.98% $247,536

31 Management analyst 20.12% $63,426

32 Occupational therapist 33.61% $51,973

33 Mental health counselor 27.18% $53,150

34 Landscape architect 19.43% $50,383

35 Biotechnology research scientist 17.05% $66,393

36 Urban planner 15.17% $60,891

37 Lawyer 14.97% $153,923

38 Speech-language pathologist 14.57% $58,329

39 Meeting and convention planner 22.21% $56,072

40 Dietitian/Nutritionist 18.30% $52,244

41 Biological scientist 17.03% $61,317

42 Financial analyst 17.33% $66,203

43 Dentist 13.52% $122,883

44 Accountant 22.43% $62,575

45 Environmental scientist 17.11% $59,027

46 Lab technologist 20.53% $51,502

47 Registered nurse 29.35% $68,872

48 Sales engineer 13.96% $78,875

49 Veterinarian 17.39% $79,923

50 School Administrator 14.55% $73,767

[the_yellow_dart]

OK...

Where the hell did they get these numbers?

I'm a software engineer, and I know many people in the industry. None of them make anywhere near $80k, even the ones near retirement. Average salary my a--.

[04monteintimidator]

yeah i know alot of engineers... my dad is in that business and ive met alot of people from around the country... they make much more than 76k a year... these figures are messed up...

[the_yellow_dart]

yeah i know alot of engineers... my dad is in that business and ive met alot of people from around the country... they make much more than 76k a year... these figures are messed up...

*chokes*

More than $76k/year? Are they working for the mob?

[04monteintimidator]

haha no no... right after i poste that i remembered that alot of the engineers ive talked to are also subcontractors of some kind... not to mention since i live so close to NYC where construction is pretty much always going on... most people involved in construction are making more money than the normal... so isregard my previous post... haha sorry

[regfootball]

OK...

Where the hell did they get these numbers?

I'm a software engineer, and I know many people in the industry. None of them make anywhere near $80k, even the ones near retirement. Average salary my a--.

factor in the NANA land they call California and that's likely what is skewing the number.

click the link for the other 166 careers.

architects....not squat. someone get me a razor blade now please. Not like i didn't already know my career sucked.

[knightfan26917]

*shakes head*

Heh...did they forgot some of the highest paid jobs ... professional sports players...? That's fine if they did ... don't really want to see their salaries anyway...he he he.

*sighs*

I need a new job/career...heh.

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

radio show, 8p-11p central, April 14-21-28, wrmn1410.com

"You better not try to stand in my way" ... J Paycheck ... 'Take This Job & Shove It'

[mustang84]

I think the reason that architects, pro sports players, etc aren't on there is because there isn't expected to be huge job growth for them. The stats are comparing annual salaries to the job growth, and apparently a software engineer has the best chance to find a job at a good pay.

Hey reg, out of curiosity, what is the average annual salary for an architect anyway? Back in high school, I thought I read $56k, but I can't remember.

[Sixty8panther]

Location, location, location....

Plus it's not WHAT but WHO yoy know.

[Flybrian]

Half those jobs are lame. Actuary? Real Estate Appraiser? Human Resources Manager? Man, I want to outdoors sometime.

[cmattson]

Averages are such a poor statistic. Median is a much better figure to use. Anyways, 'software engineer' covers a vast, vast arena. I work in a niche area that has virtually no threat of being exported. It's small, it's technical & it's proprietary. Basically, it's not a mainstream software language. There aren't droves of Bangledeshi citizens arm-wrestling for my work. You can't pluck somebody right out of college & have them productive tomorrow. Maybe within 2-3 years of training/development (if you've got a good candidate) . I'm fortunate to say that I'm one of those people that skew this statistic upwards. I'd hazard a guess that your east-coast and west-coast people trend this number upwards as well - just because of the higher-cost of living in those places drive salaries skyward.

[Robert Hall]

OK...

Where the hell did they get these numbers?

I'm a software engineer, and I know many people in the industry. None of them make anywhere near $80k, even the ones near retirement. Average salary my a--.

Depends on geographically where you are at and the particular market sector (telecom, healthcare, financials, a pure technology company, etc) and the technology. VB or COBOL programmers aren't going to be in as high demand as new technologies like Java or Ruby..

I'm a software engineer/architect and the jobs I'm seeing around here (Denver) for sr. J2EE developers are often north of $80k... in my company, $85k is probably about the average for our FTE development staff (we don't have many people under 30), with most of my 30-something peers (10+ years in the game) in the $85-105k range, with the architects going up to about 125k or so...

Of course, the big money in software is in contracting..it's dicey and you can't always expect to be billing all the time, but it's still possible around here with a good skill set to bill $50/hr-75/hr for 6-12 month contracts..

The numbers I see here in Denver are probably higher than some areas, but most likely lower than more-expensive places like the Bay Area, LA, NYC, or Boston)...

Even after all the dot.bomb bubble burst, the outsourcing trend, and H1b influx of the last 5 or so years, I'm finding there are still good paying jobs to be found, but you have to keep current and keep growing your skills...

Edited April 13, 2006 by moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

Half those jobs are lame. Actuary? Real Estate Appraiser? Human Resources Manager? Man, I want to outdoors sometime.

Real estate appraiser is out doors nearly all the time. 70% of their job is driving to the property and inspecting it, then writing it up once they get back to the office.

The real smart ones have a laptop with them and write them up on the spot.

I guess I come in at 23. Property Manager, except that I also own all the properties that I manage so that changes the income level

[RichW5]

OK...

Where the hell did they get these numbers?

I'm a software engineer, and I know many people in the industry. None of them make anywhere near $80k, even the ones near retirement. Average salary my a--.

One of my friends, from the old Western Electric (where he was an AutoCAD drafter), became a software engineer. He started at $90K about 6 years ago. He had a Vette roadster (C4) and a Z06 (not sure what year). He hoped to get one Vette from each generation.

We'd been out of touch for 2 years, when I e-mailed him about a month ago. He was out of work and considering selling the Z06.

I guess it's easy come, easy go at that pay level.

[knightfan26917]

Real estate appraiser is out doors nearly all the time. 70% of their job is driving to the property and inspecting it, then writing it up once they get back to the office.

*raises eyebrow*

Hmmm...that sounds about perfect for me ... gotta figure out how to check that out .

[trinacriabob]

I think the reason that architects, pro sports players, etc aren't on there is because there isn't expected to be huge job growth for them.  The stats are comparing annual salaries to the job growth, and apparently a software engineer has the best chance to find a job at a good pay.

Hey reg, out of curiosity, what is the average annual salary for an architect anyway?  Back in high school, I thought I read $56k, but I can't remember.

I think it's more than that....some time has passed and the economy is stronger, with a lot of projects going on....especially in California or the Northeast. I would say 10 years of experience with a degree, license and some people under you as you manage a project should bring in about $ 75 K to $ 85 K. It's all over the map. Some firms are more corporate and do the decent pay/benefit thing and others are more bohemian who can't afford to pay well. Stay the hell away from the latter.

I don't know about growth, but good God, in growing areas everybody's looking. In places like LV, if you have a heartbeat, you'll have a job. But then, how many people want to live in Vegas? I don't handle triple digit heat well.

Edited April 14, 2006 by trinacriabob

[trinacriabob]

architects.... someone get me a razor blade now please. 

Can we share one?

[trinacriabob]

Some are real surprises.

Really, a doctor makes a quarter million a year? No wonder doctors are such pricks. Anybody I know from college that's a doctor doesn't even associate with college friends who aren't in the health professions. I just notice that pattern and I didn't know anybody over in biology, but it's pretty obvious with some who live near my Mom up north (they are slumming to be in my Mom's neighborhood, having bought a house that in 1989 cost $ 229,000 and driving a Taurus/Camry).

Lawyer making more than a dentist? Look how many lawyers are out there.

A veterinarian only makes 79 K in the new millenium? Nah...can't be. They should be in the doctor/dentist range.

Landscape architects make more than what they say there.

Social service manager - wouldn't that be depressing? Couldn't deal with it.

Every 10 or so years you get the lady or man who bilks the welfare system with 12 different identities.

One of my childhood friends and I howl over this black lady in LA who pulled this off and lived in Ladera Heights (very nice area that's mostly Jewish and black professionals). She drove several Cadillacs and her names were off the Richter scale hilarious. Our favorite was Althenya Evans.

Edited April 14, 2006 by trinacriabob

[regfootball]

I think the reason that architects, pro sports players, etc aren't on there is because there isn't expected to be huge job growth for them.  The stats are comparing annual salaries to the job growth, and apparently a software engineer has the best chance to find a job at a good pay.

Hey reg, out of curiosity, what is the average annual salary for an architect anyway?  Back in high school, I thought I read $56k, but I can't remember.

it varies. the other link on the page for that story maybe has some info.

i do know that many of my friends make about 20 grand more than me in other fields, friends who either did flunk out of one college or almost did, yet picked other fields and now make quite well. 80+, 90+

oddly, i just got a raise and a job reclassification. 6% raise. WOO HOO. my cube neighbor got a promotion last fall but they got him back now with a lovely 2% raise.! not even cost of living!

hate to say it, but if its money you are after....

Edited April 14, 2006 by regfootball

[trinacriabob]

it varies.  the other link on the page for that story maybe has some info.

i do know that many of my friends make about 20 grand more than me, friends who either did flunk out of one college or almost did, yet picked other fields and now make quite well.

oddly, i just got a raise and a job reclassification.  6% raise.  WOO HOO.  my cube neighbor got a promotion last fall but they got him back now with a lovely 2% raise.!  not even cost of living!

hate to say it, but if its money you are after....

Reg, does my range sound about right for the experience level I cite?

[regfootball]

Real estate appraiser is out doors nearly all the time. 70% of their job is driving to the property and inspecting it, then writing it up once they get back to the office.

The real smart ones have a laptop with them and write them up on the spot.

I guess I come in at 23. Property Manager, except that I also own all the properties that I manage so that changes the income level

they should dictate into a digital voice recorder and then download the voice and run a text translation on it. THAT'd save time!

[trinacriabob]

they should dictate into a digital voice recorder and then download the voice and run a text translation on it.  THAT'd save time!

Reg, go to bed dammit!