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20. Actuary
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Joeff Williams, consultant with Actuarial Management Resources
- Median Pay: $132,000
- Top Pay: $204,000
- 10-year job growth: 18%
Often found at insurance companies or financial firms, actuaries use high-level statistical analysis to calculate the financial impact of potential risks. Then they convert their findings into a digestible presentation for management and other stakeholders.
Why it's great: Actuaries are able to apply technical and mathematical findings to real-world issues. "You don't always get to take the theoretical things that you've learned and use them in the workplace," says actuary Joeff Williams.
Quality of life ratings:
Personal satisfaction: A | Benefit to society: B | Telecommuting: A | Low stress: A
Notes: All pay data from PayScale.com. Median pay is for an experienced worker (at least five or seven years in the field). Top pay represents the 90th percentile. Job growth is estimated for 2014-24, and based on people working in broader 'job family' from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For more details, see How We Picked the Best Jobs. Sources: PayScale.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CNNMoney research
- Last updated May 09 2017 02:13 PM ET
