New York, Jan 10 (IANS) Perhaps S. Ramanujan, modern India's best known mathematician who worked as a clerk, should have been born in present-day United States, where number-crunching has emerged as the top career choice, as shown by a study.
"Compiling research on 200 different positions, this year's JobsRated.com report ranks mathematician as the country's best job, followed by actuary and statistician -- three jobs for which a calculator and solitude are prerequisites," the career and job website CareerCast.com has found.

The study evaluated 200 professions on five criteria: environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress.

"Remember that kid in elementary school who always had a pencil and calculator nearby, and while the rest of us drew pictures, read comic books or played cards, that kid was happily crunching numbers -- for fun. Fast forward 20 years or so, and it turns out that the kid probably has one of best careers around today," said the website run by Adicio Inc., a "developer of web-based classified advertising solutions".

On the other hand, lumberjack was found to be the worst job in the US. Also, the most satisfying career was found to be that of a clergyman.

"On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Monty Python troupe made famous the song, 'I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK.' Unfortunately, our study finds that lumberjacks have the nation's worst job, followed by dairy farmers and taxi drivers, which seems to bear out the old grade-school adage that 'it's better to earn a living with your head rather than with your hands.'," the study report noted.

Among others, a publication editor ranks much higher (31) than a radio and TV newscaster (75), while a newspaper reporter ranks 140th in the list.

Becoming a choreographer (161) is a better job than being a chauffeur (162), a bartender (163) or an undertaker (164).

The best 10 best jobs in the US with job descriptions by the website are:

1. Mathematician: Applies mathematical theories and formulas to teach or solve problems in a business, educational, or industrial climate.

2. Actuary: Interprets statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, and death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters.

3. Statistician: Tabulates, analyzes, and interprets the numeric results of experiments and surveys.

4. Biologist: Studies the relationship of plants and animals to their environment.

5. Software engineer: Researches, designs, develops and maintains software systems along with hardware development for medical, scientific, and industrial purposes.

6. Computer systems analyst: Plans and develops computer systems for businesses and scientific institutions.

7. Historian: Analyzes and records historical information from a specific era or according to a particular area of expertise.

8. Sociologist: Studies human behaviour by examining the interaction of social groups and institutions.

9. Industrial designer: Designs and develops manufactured products.

10. Accountant: Prepares and analyzes financial reports to assist managers in business, industry and government.

The worst 10 jobs in the US:

1. Lumberjack: Fells, cuts and transports timber to be processed into lumber, paper, and other wood products.

2. Dairy farmer: Directs and takes part in activities involved in the raising of cattle for milk production.

3. Taxi driver: Operates a taxi cab over the streets and roads of a municipality, picking up and dropping off passengers by request.

4. Seaman: May perform any number of tasks involved in the operation of ships, boats, barges, or dredges.

5. Emergency medical technician: Attends to situations which demand immediate medical attention, such as automobile accidents, heart attacks, and gunshot wounds.

6. Roofer: Installs roofs on new buildings, performs repairs on old roofs, and re-roofs old buildings.

7. Garbage collector: Collects refuse on a designated municipal route, and transports trash to disposal plants or landfill areas.

8. Welder: Joins or repairs metal surfaces through the application of heat.

9. Roustabout: Performs routine physical labor and maintenance on oil rigs and pipelines, both on and off shore.

10. Ironworker: Raises the steel framework of buildings, bridges, and other structures.

Ten most satisfying careers in the US (Criteria here differ from those for the best and worst jobs):

1. Clergy: Leads a congregation in worship and other spiritual services, provides moral guidance to members, and participates in community outreach.

2. Physical therapist: Plans and directs treatment to improve mobility and alleviate pain in persons disabled by injury or disease.

3. Firefighter: Protects individuals and saves lives and property from the ravages of fire.

4. School principal: Supervises the educational curricula and day-to-day activities in elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities.

5. Artist (fine art): Creates artwork independently, usually in the form of painting, drawing, sculpture, or other visual mediums.

6. Teacher: Introduces children to the basics of mathematics, language, science and social studies, and assists other aspects of child development.

7. Author: Creates fiction and non-fiction books, either on assignment from editors, or independently.

8. Psychologist: Studies human behaviour, emotion and mental processes, and provides counselling and therapy for individuals.

9. Special education teacher: Teaches elementary and preschool to physically challenged students, including those who are audibly or visually handicapped, and the mentally impaired.

10. Construction machinery operator: Operates one or more machines used in extractive or construction work.  




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