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Best job in the U.S.? It's how you figure
Jan 25, 2009 (The Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Think back to math class.
When it came time for the teacher to introduce a new concept, one pugnacious student would always ask, "When am I ever going to need this?"
As it turns out, math skills come in handy if you want to land a great job. According to a new study of the nation's best and worst jobs, number crunching is a requirement for the careers with the most pay and least stress.
CareerCast.com, a new job site, ranks mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians as having the best careers in the country. Lumberjacks have the nation's worst job, the study finds, followed by dairy farmers and taxi drivers.
Steve Pinnell became a mathematician nearly 30 years ago more for his love of numbers and problem-solving than the hours and pay. Pinnell, who chairs the mathematics department at UMass Lowell, said he was "surprised" to find his profession is considered the best in the country.
But throughout the years, Pinnell has seen plenty of students come through his department and land plum jobs right out of college. He says being good with numbers gives you flexibility in a tough job market.
"Someone who has a background in math can go on and do many different things," said Pinnell. "You don't have to follow a predictable path. Some mathematicians may go to law school, some get hired at companies like Raytheon, some become statisticians or actuaries. Others go into teaching."
If those with the best jobs spend their days in air-conditioned
offices working with calculators and pencils, those at the other end of the spectrum get their hands dirty from 9 to 5.
Wally Biedron is a dairy farmer at Shaw Farm in Dracut. While he thinks his job deserves to be higher on the list, he admits the schedule can be grueling.
"The hardest part is no matter what day it is, the cows have to be tended to whether it's Christmas or New Year's Day," said Biedron, 51, of Dracut. "And the older you get, the tougher it gets."
The study evaluated 200 professions according to environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress. It was compiled by Les Krantz, author of Jobs Related Almanac, and is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, as well as studies from trade associations.
In today's economy, practically no career is safe from layoffs, according to career counselors at the Career Center of Lowell. But there are some fields that have better outlooks than others.
Jobs in high demand include almost anything in the medical field, including certified nursing assistants and pharmacists. Skilled machinists are also doing well.
"A good machinist can pretty much write his own ticket," said Bob McLeod, an employer service specialist at the Career Center. "What they're looking for are computer numerical controllers, people who can program machines."
Thomas Tierney of Framingham, who has consulted as an actuary since 1977, wasn't surprised to hear his profession was ranked number two on the list. He said actuaries are well paid and can set their own hours.
"The best parts are the independence, the pay and never having to be worried about job security," said Tierney, 65. "And if I wanted to take six months off and run for Congress, I'm able to do it."
Tierney has run unsuccessfully for Congress four times in the Fifth Congressional District: In 2000 as a Democrat, and again in 2002, 2004 and in 2007 as a Republican.
Taxi drivers are on the bottom of the list mostly because the pay is unreliable and the job is stressful. Lowell's Gary Maker has driven a cab for eight years and says it can be difficult dealing with the public.
"You deal with people from all walks of life -- from millionaires to crack heads," said Maker.
Maker also knows firsthand how dangerous the job can be. Once he was robbed at gunpoint.
"The guy in the back seat put a gun to my head, and there was another guy outside the car who did the same thing," Maker recalls. "I handed over a couple of hundred bucks. What am I going to do, fight back?"
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