'Accountant' Makes Jobs Rated Almanac's Top 10 List

The editors of The Wall Street Journal's CareerJournal Web site have published their sixth annual edition of the Jobs Rated Almanac, listing Accountant as the fifth best job to have in the country. The book ranks 250 jobs based on more than a dozen criteria including environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands, security, stress, job perks, and travel.

The top 10 jobs for 2002 are:

1. Biologist
   
2. Actuary
   
3. Financial planner
   
4. Computer-systems analyst
   
5. Accountant
   
6. Software engineer
   
7. Meteorologist
   
8. Paralegal assistant
   
9. Statistician
   
10. Astronomer

Biologist has risen to the top of the list due, in part, to anthrax and other chemical weapon fears as well as developments such as the recent completion of the human genetic map and genetically altered agriculture.

The book provides detailed descriptions and analyses of all ranked jobs.

At the end of the spectrum, the bottom ranked jobs include:

241. Lumberjack
     
242. Fisherman
     
243. Cowboy
     
244. Ironworker
     
245. Seaman
     
246. Taxi driver
     
247. Construction worker
     
248. Farmer
     
249. Roofer
     
250. Stevedore

The list is compiled from information obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, trade association studies, industry groups, and telephone interviews.