Looking for a recurring theme in the CareerCast.com Jobs Rated report’s best jobs of 2019? One word: data.
The collection, interpretation and implementation and even protection of data all contribute to some of the best jobs of the year, including No. 1, Data Scientist.
Demand for Data Scientists is high with a 19% growth outlook, and the skill set required to work in the field comes at a premium. Other numbers-based professions ranking among the 10 best jobs of 2019, Statistician and Mathematician, both have outstanding outlooks and great pay. However, the pay for Data Scientists is the highest among all of the best jobs of 2019 at $118,370.
That’s due to employers having a demand for data interpretation that the market isn’t quite meeting yet. Academic programs are working to train data science students with specialized focus programs; Forbes recently spotlighted some of the best, which include Carnegie Mellon, NYU and Stanford.
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Actuary, which deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty, is a mainstay on the best jobs rankings, and remains in the top 10 for yet another year. This data-driven field in risk assessment pays well and has great growth outlook. And like data science, an increasing amount of universities are allocating programs specifically for the industry’s future.
Data has many practical uses across an abundance of industries, from media to technology, and even healthcare. But data can also be used for nefarious means, as has been prevalent in the news for the last few years and that’s where the number 7 job comes in.
The importance of skilled Information Security Analysts cannot be overstated, whether it’s protecting our individual data or preventing interference in elections. With a growth outlook of 28% and an annual median salary over $98,000, Information Security Analyst scores highly in two of the Jobs Rated report’s core criteria.
Another of the core criteria, Environment, is favorable across all of the best jobs of 2019. Working in a clinic or in patients’ homes, as is the case for Occupational Therapists, makes for a positive workplace environment. The same is true of many office-based jobs like Operations Research Analyst.
University Professor scores favorably in Environmental factors, as well as outlook and pay. If one job ties all of the best of 2019 together, it’s this one. Tenured professors have relatively high job security and professional freedom, as well as intellectual stimulation. With the exception of scheduled classes, a professor’s time is largely spent on research, preparing class material, meeting with students, or however else he or she chooses. While a master’s degree may be sufficient to qualify to teach in a two-year college, a doctoral or terminal degree is required to teach in four-year colleges and universities.
The Jobs Rated report reflects the importance of obtaining higher education. It not only provides better job opportunities and a comfortable lifestyle, but every one of the best jobs of 2019 requires at least an undergraduate degree.
