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The best jobs in America for 2019

Posted at 10:41 AM, Jan 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-23 12:41:38-05

Work is plentiful, with the number of job openings recently hitting a record, yet one-third of Americans say their jobs are just a way to get by. Still, there are careers that hit the sweet spot of high pay, career satisfaction and plenty of job openings — with the caveat that many of them require a college degree or specialized training.

The top jobs for 2019 tend to be clustered in two industries: technology and healthcare, according to a new analysis from employment site Glassdoor. For a fourth year in a row, the top career in the nation is data scientist, a relatively new job that’s sprung out of the massive amounts of data now collected by companies.

Tech jobs are booming because of the demand for workers who have the skills to analyze data, code or design software and hardware, while healthcare jobs are growing because of the country’s demographic shift to an older population. As the baby boomers age, that’s driving demand for everything from nursing managers to physical therapists.

“People spend a large amount of their days in their jobs, so it’s important to find jobs where people want to be, long term,” said Glassdoor Economic Research Analyst Amanda Stansell.

Job listings for data scientists actually grew from last year, signaling demand for this type of worker is growing, Stansell said. It’s likely to continue, given the demand from almost every industry for experts who can analyze their data.

Even though data scientists require training in computer languages like Python and the skills to manipulate data, it’s not necessary to have earned a degree in the subject. While more universities are adding data science as a major, would-be data jockeys can also attend boot camps to teach them those skills or even learn themselves, Stansell added.

Most of the careers on the list require some type of higher education, although there are a few that are open to workers with high school diplomas, like executive assistant, a job that pays about $60,000 per year.

Below are the 9 top jobs for 2019, as forecast by Glassdoor.

  1. Data scientist: $108,000. This career has a job satisfaction of 4.3 points out of 5, and there are currently more than 6,500 openings at workplaces in the U.S.
  2. Nursing manager: $83,000. This job describes healthcare professionals who manage other nurses, and it typically requires strong nursing and business skills. It has a job satisfaction rating of 4 points, while employers have almost 14,000 openings.
  3. Marketing manager: $82,000. These professionals handle communications between a company and its customers. It has a job satisfaction rating of 4.2, while there are almost 7,400 current openings.
  4. Occupational therapist: $74,000. These healthcare professionals help others regain skills they need to do their jobs or lead independent lives. It’s a profession that’s expected to grow as the population ages. Currently, there are about 17,700 job openings, and the career has a satisfaction rating of 4.
  5. Product manager: $115,000. These workers help companies create a product vision and strategy, a skill that’s used across a number of industries. The job satisfaction is 3.8, while there are almost 12,000 openings.
  6. Devops engineer: $106,000. These professionals work with coders, engineers and other tech workers to oversee code releases. They have a job satisfaction of 4.1, while there are more than 4,600 openings.
  7. Program manager: $87,000. This job is about overseeing a series of projects within a business. The job satisfaction stands at 4.5, while there are more than 14,700 openings.
  8. Data engineer: $100,000. Data engineers work with data scientists, but they are responsible for collecting and maintaining data rather than analyzing it. The job has a satisfaction rating of 4.4, and there are about 4,700 openings.
  9. HR manager: $85,000. The growth of this job speaks to the demand at companies for hiring and personnel management, Glassdoor says. The job satisfaction is 4.2, while there are almost 4,000 openings.

Best of the rest — below are the remaining jobs on Glassdoor’s analysis of the 50 best jobs for 2019.

  1. Software engineer: $104,000
  2. Mechanical engineer: $75,000
  3.  Physician assistant: $105,000
  4. Sales manager: $65,000
  5. Sales engineer: $90,000
  6. Operations manager: $68,000
  7. Strategy manager: $140,000
  8. Security engineer: $102,000
  9. Construction manager: $75,000
  10. Speech language pathologist: $72,000
  11. Project manager: $75,000
  12. Product designer: $100,000
  13. Java developer: $85,000
  14. Executive assistant: $60,000
  15. Electrical engineer: $77,000
  16. Finance manager: $118,000
  17. Business analyst: $72,000
  18. Solutions architect: $127,000
  19. Recruiter: $48,000
  20. Business development manager: $80,000
  21. Dental hygienist: $67,250
  22. Data analyst:: $60,000
  23. Nurse practitioner: $102,000
  24. Applications engineer: $77,000
  25. QA manager: $91,250
  26. Risk manager: $100,500
  27. Communications manager: $80,000
  28. Physical therapist: $70,000
  29. Facilities manager: $65,000
  30. Systems engineer: $90,000
  31. Customer success manager: $65,000
  32. Radiologic technologist: $48,000
  33. Restaurant manager: $49,000
  34. Software engineering manager: $153,000
  35. Software developer: $80,000
  36. Safety manager: $71,000
  37. UX designer: $89,000
  38. Office manager:: $42,000
  39. Brand manager: $85,000
  40. Software development manager: $140,000
  41. Systems administrator: $68,000