• Median pay: $96,400
• Top pay: $126,000
• 10-year job growth: 37%

It's more apparent than ever that our personal information -- from emails to what we store on the "cloud" -- can be exposed. Information assurance analysts try to prevent that from happening. They determine how to make information easily available to those who need it, while keeping it out of the wrong hands.

What's great: There's a lot on the line when it comes to privacy, so it's a 24/7 kind of problem. With so many companies thinking about how to stay secure, demand is growing. "The fun part for me is taking a complex problem where there's no right answer and working my way through it," said Mike Papay of Northrop Grumman. --E.F.

Quality of life ratings:
Personal satisfaction: B | Benefit to society: B | Low stress: A

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