2012's Best and Worst Jobs; Does Your Job Make the Cut?

Back in November, Wealth Wire detailed an interview that Equity Group Investments' chairman Sam Zell had with CNBC about the Occupy Wall Street movement. Zell, ranked 63rd richest American by Forbes, was tired of hearing from the Occupy protesters that they couldn't find jobs.

He didn't care to hear it the protesters plight and their arguments over the biggest problem in the U.S. being that there isn't income inequality. Zell feels that rather than inequality, it's actually an educational problem.

“The main maxim to take from his argument: When you're young, don't pursue your dreams, pursue an engineering degree.”

Well it looks like Zell hit this one right on the head. Although his way of sending the message forward was brash, his point was loud and clear, “As far as I'm concerned, I don't know of too many engineers who are unemployed.”

Zell could have added to that sentence: “… or unhappy with their job.” Because in the long and short of it, engineers are topping the charts.

Each year CareerCast.com ranks the top 200 best and worst jobs by gathering data and sorting through five particular categories: Physcial Demands, Income, Stress, Hiring Outlook, and Work Environment. From all of that data, they rank the best of the best.

This year's winner -- to the satisfaction of Mr. Zell -- was a Software Engineer.

A software engineer endures very little physical demands as he/she is mostly at a desk, in the safety of a cubicle. Their job is incredibly well paid and it is in high demand.

The worst job you can have is a lumberjack. Yes, they still exist aside from the Brawny Man, but quite rarely, as the risk for injury is dangerously high and the physical labor is intense while the hiring outlook is not good at all. And for a job that risks your life, pays you $32,000, and doesn't have much demand, it doesn't get much worse.

So it can either be the glass half empty and wish you were enjoying your life as a software engineer or the half glass full and you aren't barreling through the forest chopping down (and then dodgingt) massive Evergreens for very little pay.

To give you some better perspective, here are the top 10 Best Jobs in 2012:

1. Software Engineer ($88,142)

2. Actuary ($88,202)

3. Human Resources Manager ($99,102)

4. Dental Hygienist ($68,109)

5. Financial Planner ($104,161)

6. Audiologist ($67,137)

7. Occupational Therapist ($72,110)

8. Online Advertising Manager ($87,255)

9. Computer Systems Analyst ($78,148)

10. Mathematician ($99,191)

And the Worst Jobs in 2012:

190. Shoe Maker/Repairer ($23,112)

191. Broadcaster ($27,324)

192. Butcher ($29,156)

193. Dishwasher ($18,044)

194. Meter Reader ($35,171)

195. Waiter/Waitress ($18,088)

196. Reporter (Newspaper) ($35,275)

197. Oil Rig Worker ($32,132)

198. Enlisted Military Soldier ($36,261)

199. Dairy Farmer ($33,119)

200. Lumberjack ($32,114)

For the entire list of 200 jobs and to see if your job has made the cut, go to CareerCast's Top 200 Jobs.

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