Jobs 2011: Ranking 200 Jobs From Best Job to Worst

When searching for a new job, how do you decide which opportunities are worth the time it takes to complete an application? Do you only apply to jobs within a certain salary range, with a certain number of hours per week or with responsibilities you know you can handle easily? Or do you apply for every opening that seems to match your skill set? Perhaps you search for positions that "sound cool" or "feel right" or are in industries that get a lot of positive coverage in the media?

Using any of these criteria to search for a job can lead to disaster in today's employment market. Jobs that promise a 40-hour week often require 60 or more, and positions that advertise a six-figure salary may achieve that level only if unreachable conditions are met. Company recruiters say it’s a buyer’s market, and they treat desperate job seekers accordingly. After all, even if your supposed dream job turns out to be more of a nightmare, there's no shortage of job seekers who would be happy to take your place.

While the "buyer beware" atmosphere of the current job market can be challenging, you do have ways to protect yourself. Want to know if a job's work environment, hours per week and salary are really as advertised? Or whether that supposedly "hot" field actually has any available job openings? The 2011 Jobs Rated report can help you look beyond hype and uncover the facts about different professions – everything from typical salaries to average worker stress.

Each year Jobs Rated researchers survey 200 jobs – from Accountant to Zoologist – scoring them according to five key criteria: Physical Demands, Work Environment, Income, Outlook and Stress. Some factors remain relatively constant from year to year, but others fluctuate greatly due to changes in the job market, technological innovations or current events. Using data from government sources, trade groups and private organizations, every job receives a score and rank in each category, and these ratings are then combined to form a complete ranking of 200 jobs for 2011, from best to worst.

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