The best job in America

For the second year in a row, data scientist has topped the list of the best jobs in America, based on earning potential, job satisfaction, and number of openings. According to a survey by Glassdoor, jobs in technology continue to be the best: along with data scientist, the other jobs at the top of the list are DevOps engineer, data engineer, tax manager, and analytics manager.
You might be forgiven for not knowing exactly what some of these jobs are. So: USA Today explains that a data scientist is charged with analyzing "raw data sets to extract learnings and insights," leaning on skills in machine learning, computer science, and statistics.
"If there is a commonality between these data-science tech workers," USA Today writes, "it's both a passion for figuring out what huge sets of numbers mean and a skill for distilling those conclusions in a way that ultimately helps a business, be it a shoe retailer or a media company."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Five to 10 years ago, the tech jobs were all about web and mobile development, which was largely about coding," says Glassdoor CTO Ryan Aylward. "To be successful now in these data-focused roles, you have to have an analytical mindset."
Not everyone has that mindset or skills, of course. "The supply imbalance of open jobs and the lack of skills is pretty staggering,” says Jim Deters, whose Galvanize bootcamp offers would-be data scientists a six-month engineering course for $17,000.
The median base salary for these jobs hovers around $110,000 a year, and most jobs in these fields include a sizeable benefits package as well.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off