Friday, November 30, 2012

What Careers Have the Best Creature Comforts?

Careers can be compared on many different standards.  Three I have developed can be called 'creature comforts,' or things that might make them contribute to, instead of detract from, a lifestyle.  They are the overall chance for earning enough for what most people would consider a good living, quality of work conditions, and compatibility with other involvements.  The occupation groups, or careers, are the 25 tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics - the ratings on each job within them are from my own research.  I weighted each job within each group equally, using ratings of 1 for low, 2 for medium, and 3 for high, and averaged the numbers.  

For prospects for a good living wage, or the chance of a job to pay the equivalent of at least $40,000 per year in a small city, adjusted for benefits higher or lower than typical at that level, the careers rate as follows: 

 
Occupation Group1 to 3 ScaleAverage Result
Management      2.89Very High Chance of Good Living Wage
Architecture and Engineering      2.87Very High Chance of Good Living Wage
Computer and Information Technology      2.75High Chance of Good Living Wage
Life, Physical, and Social Science      2.68High Chance of Good Living Wage
Math      2.60High Chance of Good Living Wage
Business and Financial      2.56High Chance of Good Living Wage
Legal      2.50High Chance of Good Living Wage
Education, Training, and Library      2.35Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Healthcare      2.29Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Community and Social Service      2.20Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Transportation and Material Moving      2.14Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair      2.03Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Construction and Extraction      2.03Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Military      2.00Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Protective Service      2.00Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Arts and Design      1.90Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Media and Communications      1.90Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Sales      1.76Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Entertainment and Sports      1.38Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Building and Grounds Cleaning      1.33Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Production      1.32Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Personal Care and Service      1.32Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry      1.29Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Office and Administrative Support      1.22Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Food Preparation and Serving      1.13Low Chance of Good Living Wage
Overall Average2.21Medium Chance of Good Living Wage
Next, we have working environments, both physical and emotional, with the highest ranking for settings most people would consider good, the middle having moderate problems, and the low having severe ones:

Occupation Group1 to 3 ScaleAverage Result
Architecture and Engineering      3.00Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Computer and Information Technology      3.00Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Education, Training, and Library      3.00Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Legal      3.00Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Math      3.00Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Media and Communications      3.00Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Business and Financial      2.96Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Life, Physical, and Social Science      2.94Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Arts and Design      2.90Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Community and Social Service      2.90Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Management      2.89Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Healthcare      2.85Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Office and Administrative Support      2.78High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Entertainment and Sports      2.75High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Personal Care and Service      2.72High Median Quality of Work Conditions
Transportation and Material Moving      2.41Good Median Quality of Work Conditions
Sales      2.41Good Median Quality of Work Conditions
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair      2.35Good Median Quality of Work Conditions
Protective Service      2.14Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions
Production      2.05Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions
Food Preparation and Serving      2.00Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions
Building and Grounds Cleaning      1.83Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions
Construction and Extraction      1.75Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry      1.71Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions
Military      1.00Poor Median Quality of Work Conditions
Overall Average2.56Good Median Quality of Work Conditions

The third is suitability with families and projects.  For the highest rating, a job is typically limited in hours, regular in scheduling, and limited enough in overnight travel to allow for a commonly regular family life and extensive work on unrelated projects and efforts.  The middle and lowest indicate, as before, significant and serious problems respectively.

 
Occupation Group1 to 3 ScaleAverage Result
Building and Grounds Cleaning      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Community and Social Service      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Computer and Information Technology      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Education, Training, and Library      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Food Preparation and Serving      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Math      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Office and Administrative Support      3.00Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Production      2.98Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Healthcare      2.98Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Construction and Extraction      2.95Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Arts and Design      2.90Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Life, Physical, and Social Science      2.84Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Media and Communications      2.80Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Management      2.79Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Protective Service      2.79Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Personal Care and Service      2.76Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair      2.70Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Sales      2.65Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Business and Financial      2.64Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry      2.57Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Architecture and Engineering      2.53Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Legal      2.50Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Transportation and Material Moving      2.45Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Entertainment and Sports      2.25Fair Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Military      1.00Poor Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities
Overall Average2.81Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities


So which careers offer the most overall creature comforts?  Here is the overall comparison.
Occupation GroupChance for Good Living WageQuality of Work Condi-tionsCompati-bility with Family and Outside Activi-tiesAll 3 CC Factors
Computer and Information Technology      2.753.003.008.75
Math      2.603.003.008.60
Management      2.892.892.798.57
Life, Physical, and Social Science      2.682.942.848.45
Architecture and Engineering      2.873.002.538.40
Education, Training, and Library      2.353.003.008.35
Business and Financial      2.562.962.648.16
Healthcare      2.292.852.988.13
Community and Social Service      2.202.903.008.10
Legal      2.503.002.508.00
Media and Communications      1.903.002.807.70
Arts and Design      1.902.902.907.70
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair      2.032.352.707.08
Office and Administrative Support      1.222.783.007.00
Transportation and Material Moving      2.142.412.457.00
Protective Service      2.002.142.796.93
Sales      1.762.412.656.82
Personal Care and Service      1.322.722.766.80
Construction and Extraction      2.031.752.956.73
Entertainment and Sports      1.382.752.256.38
Production      1.322.052.986.36
Building and Grounds Cleaning      1.331.833.006.17
Food Preparation and Serving      1.132.003.006.13
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry      1.291.712.575.57
Military      2.001.001.004.00

But before you go into the computer field - watch out!  The job may not last.  Much more to come on what is most important when you choose a job or career for the long term.  For now, a clue - none of the three factors above, not even the chance for a good living, will mean the most.