Job database website CareerCast provided 24/7 Wall St. with its 2017 list of the 10 worst and 10 best jobs in the country. Employment opportunities for occupational therapists are projected to increase by 27% between 2014 and 2024 — more than triple the projected 7% employment growth rate across all occupations. Software engineer 
 
 > Annual median wage: $100,690 
 
 > Projected job growth, 2014-2024: 17% 
 
 > Total employment: 1,604,570 
 
 Software engineers have been among the best jobs in the country for years, and the occupation will likely remain in high demand in the future. CareerCast provided the top and bottom 10 jobs, as well as the annual median salary and projected growth outlook from 2014 to 2024 for these professions. As is the case with many of the best jobs identified by CareerCast, speech pathologist positions are not especially easy to get as they often require a master’s degree.
– It's hard to pinpoint what the absolute "best" job is: Whether a person's time in front of a computer screen, on the floor, or in the field is heaven or hell depends on one's particular interests and talents, and that assessment can be clouded by other factors like how long it takes to get to work or even how much someone likes their co-workers. So 24/7 Wall St. ran through CareerCast's data on various occupations, which pays attention to more objective qualifiers such as salary, environment and safety, stress levels, and industry outlook. You'll need to have an aptitude for data and stats for many of the top jobs on this list, but you'll be paid well for your efforts. Here, the best prospects, along with median annual wages: Statistician, $80,110 Medical services manager, $94,500 Operations research analyst, $78,630 Information security analyst, $90,120 Data scientist, $111,267 Check out the entire list. (If you're just going by pay, see the 10 best US jobs here.)