Lumberjack, newspaper reporter and enlisted military personnel round out the bottom of the list
CARLSBAD, Calif., April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — This year's best job – mathematician – outscored all other professions on CareerCast's 2014 Jobs Rated Report (http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/best-jobs-2014), with robust hiring demand among a huge range of employers the primary reason. Public and private companies, government agencies, educational institutions and the non-profit sector all seek to hire mathematicians, in part because of the growing popularity of mathematical principles and concepts in almost every area of work, especially statistical analysis. In 2013, the median annual pay scale for mathematicians was $101,360. And at a projected growth rate of 23% by 2022, the field's outlook is very bright.
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"In today's data-driven economy, math skills unlock a world of career opportunities," says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast. "In fact, the outlook for all STEM careers is very positive, as evidenced by many of this year's best jobs — Mathematician, Statistician, Actuary, Software Engineer and Computer Systems Analyst."
Healthcare careers are also strong, with Audiologist, Dental Hygienist, Occupational Therapist and Speech Pathologist ranking among CareerCast's best jobs in 2014. In the coming decade, the BLS projects five million new healthcare jobs added by U.S. employers.
For those in the logging industry or in traditional newspaper reporting, the outlook is not so bright. Newspaper reporter and lumberjack rank No. 199 and No. 200 in the 2014 Jobs Rated report, in part due to dwindling hiring prospects and falling pay. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 9% drop in logging positions by 2022, and a 13% decline in reporter jobs.
Coincidentally, there is a direct correlation between the two fields' tumbling employment numbers, as the paper on which newspapers are printed is produced from the wood pulp logging companies provide. The newspaper industry is moving to more of a digital model, while the lumberjack's job is increasingly modernized through technology, which makes for a safer work environment but fewer jobs.
| Best Jobs of 2014 vs. How They Fared in 2013 | Midlevel Income | |
| 1. | Mathematician (+17) | $101,360 |
| 2. | Tenured University Professor (+12) | $68,970 |
| 3. | Statistician (+17) | $75,560 |
| 4. | Actuary (-3) | $93,680 |
| 5. | Audiologist (-1) | $69,720 |
| 6. | Dental Hygienist (no change) | $70,210 |
| 7. | Software Engineer (-4) | $93,350 |
| 8. | Computer Systems Analyst (+2) | $79,680 |
| 9. | Occupational Therapist (-2) | $75,400 |
| 10. | Speech Pathologist (+2) | $69,870 |
| Worst Jobs of 2014 vs. How They Fared in 2013 | Midlevel Income | |
| 200. | Lumberjack (-1) | $24,340 |
| 199. | Newspaper Reporter (+1) | $37,090 |
| 198. | Enlisted Military Personnel (no change) | $28,840 |
| 197. | Taxi Driver (-51) | $22,820 |
| 196. | Broadcaster (-12) | $55,380 |
| 195. | Head Cook (new addition) | $42,480 |
| 194. | Flight Attendant (-3) | $37,240 |
| 193. | Garbage Collector (-32) | $22,970 |
| 192. | Firefighter (-25) | $45,250 |
| 191. | Corrections Officer (-2) | $38,970 |
CareerCast.com's Jobs Rated Report has been published since 1988. The report utilizes a wide range of criteria such as income, outlook, environmental factors, stress and physical demands to rank 200 U.S. jobs annually. Each year the 200 professions included in the report are evaluated for relevance in today's workforce, and outdated job titles are eliminated, such as Bricklayer, Typist/Word Processor and Stationary Engineer Automobile Assembler.
To see the full rankings of all 200 jobs and the report's methodology, go to http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/best-jobs-2014.
About CareerCast.com
CareerCast.com, created by Adicio, is a job search portal that offers extensive local, niche and national job listings from across North America; job-hunting, career-management and HR-focused editorial content; and videos and blogs; and provides recruiters with the ability to post jobs directly to more than 800 niche career sites. CareerCast.com also compiles the Jobs Rated Report (www.jobsrated.com), where 200 jobs across North America are ranked based on detailed analysis of specific careers factors.
Editor's Note: This material may be published with a link to http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/best-jobs-2014
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