And the best job in America is…

Can you guess which job ranks as the best in America for 2014?
This is according to the News & World Report, which has released a list of 100 jobs divided into specific categories, including best overall jobs.
It shouldn’t be too hard to guess. It involves computers (I know. What job doesn’t?). There’s no singing, dancing or signing autographs (so, it’s not pop star). And it doesn’t involve cleaning people’s teeth, unlike last year’s best job, which was dentist.
OK, I’ll tell you: software developer.
The report says:
“These professionals are the brains behind your Candy Crush obsession and Android phone dependency. They might be applications developers, who design computer software, databases and games, or they could be systems-focused developers, who are responsible for building operating systems. Growth for both types of IT professionals should balloon: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be nearly 140,000 brand new positions created before 2022.”
The second greatest job is computer systems analyst. Dentist falls two spots to No. 3 — and still tops the Best Health Care jobs — and nurse practitioner and pharmacist round out the top five. Apparently, this is the first time the top job on the list isn’t in health care.
Topping the other lists are market research analyst as the No. 1 Business Job; school psychologist as the No. 1 Social Services Job; public relations specialist is the No. 1 Creative Job; construction manager as the Best Construction Job; and software developer as the Best Technology Job (obviously).
There are 18 new jobs on the list, including nurse practitioner, operations research analyst, and nail technician. This last, incidentally, is a manicurist. As nail art is becoming increasingly popular, it seems the status rank of the nail technician is on the rise.
The report says, “Nails Magazine reports revenues of $7.4 billion for nail services in 2012, and those who work in this profession are poised to reap the rewards of this thriving industry. There should be 13,500 new nail technician positions across the U.S. before 2022.”
The list was compiled using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics and the jobs were scored on 10-year growth volume, 10-year growth percentage, median salary, employment rate, future job prospects, stress level and work-life balance.
Check out some of the jobs below and see the full list and profiles at News & World Report. Then see how they compare with Canada’s top 10 jobs of 2013, which are listed below.
News & World Report Best Jobs 2014 Rankings
- Best Overall Jobs
Software Developer
Computer Systems Analyst
Dentist
Nurse Practitioner
Pharmacist
Best Business Jobs
Market Research Analyst
Operations Research Analyst
Accountant
Financial Advisor
Business Operations Manager
Best Technology Jobs
Software Developer
Computer Systems Analyst
Web Developer
Information Security Analyst
Database Administrator
Best Health Care Jobs
Dentist
Nurse Practitioner
Pharmacist
Registered Nurse
Physical Therapist
Best Social Service Jobs
School Psychologist
Maintenance and Repair Worker
Speech-Language Pathologist
High School Teacher
Nail Technician
Canada’s Top Ten Jobs for 2013 (not ranked in any particular order)
Aerospace engineer
Chemical engineer
Senior government manager
Real estate & financial manager
Lawyer
School principal & administrator
Electrical & telecommunications contractor
Petroleum engineer
Head nurse & health-care manager
Oil & gas drilling supervisor
Source: Canadian Business, The Top Ten Best Jobs in Canada