Most underrated/overrated jobs of 2012
Find out what jobs are the most underrated in 2012. And which ones aren't all that.
Job listing and advice site CareerCast.com has come out with its annual list of the most overrated jobs -- and the most underrated. Find out if yours is among them.
Job listing and advice site CareerCast.com has come out with its annual list of the most overrated jobs -- and the most underrated. Find out if yours is among them.
(Underrated) 12. Auto Mechanic (Median Salary: $36,200) -- No college degree is required. And with cars increasingly becoming technologically advanced, demand for those who understand how it all works -- and know how to fix it when it breaks -- is high.
11. Electrician (Median Salary: $48,179) -- The pay can be low if you work for a firm and get paid a flat rate, but when you become an independent contractor your earnings potential and autonomy jumps.
10. Plumber (Median Salary: $47,186) -- There's no college degree required for this job and a ton of baby boomer plumbers are retiring, making for a sweet outlook for the plumbing profession.
9. School Principal (Median Salary: $87,122) -- Principals manage and lead, but don’t have the same stresses as teachers do in a classroom. They have a higher level position, more authority and more power.
8. Economist (Median Salary: $89,223) -- This is one industry where the recession had a positive impact. Many companies are now employing economists to forecast sales and other data.
7. Legal Assistant (Median Salary: $47,159) -- Legal assistants have a variety of job options -- be it at a law firm or in the legal department of a corporation. And the profession doesn't require a law degree.
6. Accountant (Median Salary: $62,174) -- Accountants are needed whether the economy is good or bad, so this is a very solid, secure profession.
5. Market Research Analyst (Median Salary: $61,236) -- America has become such a consumer nation that aren't many products or services that don't require market research.
4. Biologist (Median Salary: $73,285) -- The need for biologists is great, particularly in the military with biological weapons and in science and health care.
3. Veterinarian (Median Salary: $82,190) -- There's currently a shortage of veterinarians, who often get to set their own schedules and don't have to worry about health care regulations.
2. Civil Engineer (Median Salary: $78,133) -- Right now there is huge demand for rebuilding bridges, roads and other infrastructure, all of which require civil engineers.
1. Computer Systems Analyst (Median Salary: $78,148) -- This profession is expected to grow 22 percent in the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(Overrated) 12. Psychologist (Median Salary: $67,179) -- Being a psychologist means long hours -- and often nights and weekends, given that many clients work until 5.And unless you work for a hospital or clinic, you have to do your own marketing and deal with changes in patient health care plans.
11. Event Coordinator (Median Salary: $45,260) -- It might sound like nonstop fun, tasting cake and what not, but being an event coordinator is pretty grueling and stressful. Also, one word: Bridezillas.
10. Architect (Median Salary: $73,179) -- Being an architect has always been grueling work, full of long hours, but the profession took a huge hit when the housing bubble burst.
9. Photojournalists (Median Salary: $40,209) -- It may sound glamorous, but many photojournalists are expected to be on the front lines, with a job description that requires them to enter some of the most volatile places on earth. Many are on call 24 hours a day.
8. Flight Attendant (Median Salary: $38,156) -- With fuel prices high and cutbacks at many airlines, flight attendants face weak job security and have to do the same amount of work with fewer attendants than there were a few years ago.
7. Public Relations Manager (Median Salary: $92,156) -- Now one of the most popular college majors, public relations is very stressful and you're often at the mercy of clients and the media. Turnover is also high and hours are long.
6. Attorney (Median Salary: $112,760) -- The legal profession took a huge hit from the recession. Turnover is also high and the work is grueling.
5. Surgeon (Median Salary: $305,078) -- Surgery has always been stressful -- it’s long hours on your feet, patients’ lives are in your hands and you’re on call 24/7. But with increased health care regulations, surgeons now often spend most of their time on administrative work.
4. Stockbroker (Median Salary: $70,474) -- If there's one thing America learned from the financial crisis, it’s that the stock market is a high stress, highly competitive, highly stomach-churning job. Sure, you could make millions, but you could also lose millions.
3. Commercial Airline Pilot (Median Salary: $103,158) -- The airline industry has been devastated by cost-cutting efforts, which means on top of passenger safety, terrorism, and bad weather, many pilots now face lower salaries and budget pressures.
2. Senior Corporate Executive (Median Salary: $166,141) -- Executives are responsible for the careers and lives of everyone who works for the company. Any wrong decision is on your head. And if the company is publicly-traded, you’re responsible to shareholders, too.
1. Advertising Agency Executive (Median Salary: $64,107) -- Jon Hamm might make it look easy and so glamorous on "Mad Men," but the truth is, advertising is a very stressful, high-turnover business that is pretty overrated.
