March 28, 2024
The 10 best, and worst, jobs of 2014
Another day, another reason to get better at math.

It’s no secret that quantitative skills are in high demand on the job market—one analytics recruiter recently told The Journal that workers who can’t crunch numbers may ultimately face a “permanent pink slip.”

Now, a new ranking from the job-search website CareerCast.com names mathematician as the best occupation of 2014. “Math skills unlock a world of career opportunities,” publisher Tony Lee said.

Data whizzes of all stripes fared well in the annual list: Statisticians (No. 3), actuaries (No. 4) and computer systems analysts (No. 8) all landed near the top.

Mathematicians pull in a midlevel income of $101,360, according to CareerCast.com, and the field is expected to grow 23% in the next eight years. Other high earners include actuaries and software engineers, who can expect to earn about a midlevel income of $93,000 per year.

Speaking of math, the list is tallied by scoring 200 types of jobs according to four categories: environment, which rates things like competitiveness; income at low, middle, and high career positions; the outlook for income and employment growth; and stress factors such as travel and deadlines.

Jockeying for last place on the list are–again–ink-stained wretches and wielders of axes, as journalists and lumberjacks get squeezed out by new technologies, the report notes. Lumberjacks fare worse in dollar terms, registering just $24,340 in midlevel income.

The outlook for some jobs are so bleak that they weren’t included on this year’s list. Among the occupations consigned to the dustbin are bricklayer, typist/word processor, and stationary engineer automobile assembler.

Below are the best and worst jobs of 2014, according to CareerCast.com.

Best Jobs of 2014 / Midlevel Income
1. Mathematician / $101,360
2. Tenured University Professor / $68,970
3. Statistician /$75,560
4. Actuary / $93,680
5. Audiologist / $69,720
6. Dental Hygienist / $70,210
7. Software Engineer / $93,350
8. Computer Systems Analyst / $79,680
9. Occupational Therapist /$75,400
10.Speech Pathologist / $69,870

Worst Jobs of 2014 / Midlevel Income
200. Lumberjack/ $24,340
199. Newspaper Reporter / $37,090
198. Enlisted Military Personnel / $28,840
197. Taxi Driver / $22,820
196. Broadcaster / $55,380
195. Head Cook / $42,480
194. Flight Attendant $37,240
193. Garbage Collector / $22,970
192. Firefighter / $45,250
191. Corrections Officer / $38,970
Story Date: April 20, 2014
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