Dentists have the best job in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report's rankings, which were released on Tuesday.
The jobs selected are based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' predictions on which 100 jobs will grow the most between 2012 and 2022, the report said. "Those top 100 jobs, from the industries of business, creative, construction, health care, social services and technology, are then ranked based on projected openings, rate of growth, job prospects, unemployment rates, salary and job satisfaction," the report said.
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Dentists have the best job in the U.S. for four reasons, the report said. "One, a low unemployment rate of 0.9 percent. Two, decent work-life balance, especially compared to other health-care jobs. Three, the take-home pay is simply phenomenal," according to the report. Dentists earned an average wage of $168,870 and a median hourly wage of $72.74 in 2013, according to the BLS.
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The fourth reason dentists took the top prize is because of their employment outlook, the report said. The BLS projects employment for dentists will grow 16 percent between 2012 and 2022, adding 23,300 jobs.
Other occupations that rounded out the top five include:- Nurse practitioner
- Software developer
- Physician
- Dental Hygienist
Read the full report here.