BEST: An actuary evaluates the likelihood of events and quantifies the contingent outcomes in order to minimize losses, both emotional and financial, associated with uncertain undesirable events. Since many events, such as death, cannot be avoided, it is helpful to take measures to minimize their financial impact when they occur.
WORST: A roustabout is a laborer typically performing temporary, unskilled work. The term has traditionally been used to refer to traveling-circus workers or oil rig workers. In the American south, mid to late 19th century, roustabout was used to refer to unskilled labor working on steamboats. (See also, Roughneck.)
Ok. So that doesn’t sound so good. (It also doesn’t sound very 21st century.) But do we really believe that an actuary is the best job in America?
It is according to a newly released study from job site CareerCast.com as reported in the WSJ. They rank the 200 best and worst jobs in the U.S. based on five criteria — environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress. Here’s the top 10:
Rank | Job | Starting salary | Mid level salary | Top level salary |
1 | ACTUARY | 49000 | 85000 | 161000 |
2 | SOFTWARE ENGINEER | 54000 | 85000 | 129000 |
3 | COMPUTER SYSTEMS ANALYST | 45000 | 76000 | 118000 |
4 | BIOLOGIST | 39000 | 71000 | 148000 |
5 | HISTORIAN | 34000 | 62000 | 111000 |
6 | MATHEMATICIAN | 54000 | 95000 | 141000 |
7 | PARALEGAL ASSISTANT | 29000 | 46000 | 73000 |
8 | STATISTICIAN | 40000 | 73000 | 117000 |
9 | ACCOUNTANT | 37000 | 59000 | 102000 |
10 | DENTAL HYGIENIST | 44000 | 67000 | 91000 |
Dental Hygienist?
Read about the methodology. Too complicated for me, I’m hoping maybe Mikkel will do some digging on this one. He helpfully followed up on my Christmas week post about a study published in Science Magazine ranking the happiest places in America. (New York was last and several poor southern states were in the top 10.)
Or maybe one of our regular commenters is an actuary? A roustabout?