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 Group | 1 to 3 Scale | Average Result |
Management | 2.89 | Very High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Architecture and Engineering | 2.87 | Very High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Computer and Information Technology | 2.75 | High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Life, Physical, and Social Science | 2.68 | High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Math | 2.60 | High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Business and Financial | 2.56 | High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Legal | 2.50 | High Chance of Good Living Wage |
Education, Training, and Library | 2.35 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Healthcare | 2.29 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Community and Social Service | 2.20 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Transportation and Material Moving | 2.14 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 2.03 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Construction and Extraction | 2.03 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Military | 2.00 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Protective Service | 2.00 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Arts and Design | 1.90 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Media and Communications | 1.90 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Sales | 1.76 | Medium Chance of Good Living Wage |
Entertainment and Sports | 1.38 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Building and Grounds Cleaning | 1.33 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Production | 1.32 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Personal Care and Service | 1.32 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 1.29 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Office and Administrative Support | 1.22 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Food Preparation and Serving | 1.13 | Low Chance of Good Living Wage |
Overall Average | 2.21 | Medium 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 Group | 1 to 3 Scale | Average Result |
Architecture and Engineering | 3.00 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Computer and Information Technology | 3.00 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Education, Training, and Library | 3.00 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Legal | 3.00 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Math | 3.00 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Media and Communications | 3.00 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Business and Financial | 2.96 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Life, Physical, and Social Science | 2.94 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Arts and Design | 2.90 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Community and Social Service | 2.90 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Management | 2.89 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Healthcare | 2.85 | Very High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Office and Administrative Support | 2.78 | High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Entertainment and Sports | 2.75 | High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Personal Care and Service | 2.72 | High Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Transportation and Material Moving | 2.41 | Good Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Sales | 2.41 | Good Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 2.35 | Good Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Protective Service | 2.14 | Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Production | 2.05 | Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Food Preparation and Serving | 2.00 | Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Building and Grounds Cleaning | 1.83 | Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Construction and Extraction | 1.75 | Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 1.71 | Fair Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Military | 1.00 | Poor Median Quality of Work Conditions |
Overall Average | 2.56 | Good 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 Group | 1 to 3 Scale | Average Result |
Building and Grounds Cleaning | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Community and Social Service | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Computer and Information Technology | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Education, Training, and Library | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Food Preparation and Serving | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Math | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Office and Administrative Support | 3.00 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Production | 2.98 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Healthcare | 2.98 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Construction and Extraction | 2.95 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Arts and Design | 2.90 | Excellent Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Life, Physical, and Social Science | 2.84 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Media and Communications | 2.80 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Management | 2.79 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Protective Service | 2.79 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Personal Care and Service | 2.76 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 2.70 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Sales | 2.65 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Business and Financial | 2.64 | Very Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 2.57 | Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Architecture and Engineering | 2.53 | Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Legal | 2.50 | Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Transportation and Material Moving | 2.45 | Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Entertainment and Sports | 2.25 | Fair Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Military | 1.00 | Poor Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
Overall Average | 2.81 | Good Compatibility with Family Life and Outside Activities |
So which careers offer the most overall creature comforts? Here is the overall comparison.
Occupation Group | Chance for Good Living Wage | Quality of Work Condi-tions | Compati-bility with Family and Outside Activi-ties | All 3 CC Factors |
Computer and Information Technology | 2.75 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 8.75 |
Math | 2.60 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 8.60 |
Management | 2.89 | 2.89 | 2.79 | 8.57 |
Life, Physical, and Social Science | 2.68 | 2.94 | 2.84 | 8.45 |
Architecture and Engineering | 2.87 | 3.00 | 2.53 | 8.40 |
Education, Training, and Library | 2.35 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 8.35 |
Business and Financial | 2.56 | 2.96 | 2.64 | 8.16 |
Healthcare | 2.29 | 2.85 | 2.98 | 8.13 |
Community and Social Service | 2.20 | 2.90 | 3.00 | 8.10 |
Legal | 2.50 | 3.00 | 2.50 | 8.00 |
Media and Communications | 1.90 | 3.00 | 2.80 | 7.70 |
Arts and Design | 1.90 | 2.90 | 2.90 | 7.70 |
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 2.03 | 2.35 | 2.70 | 7.08 |
Office and Administrative Support | 1.22 | 2.78 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Transportation and Material Moving | 2.14 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 7.00 |
Protective Service | 2.00 | 2.14 | 2.79 | 6.93 |
Sales | 1.76 | 2.41 | 2.65 | 6.82 |
Personal Care and Service | 1.32 | 2.72 | 2.76 | 6.80 |
Construction and Extraction | 2.03 | 1.75 | 2.95 | 6.73 |
Entertainment and Sports | 1.38 | 2.75 | 2.25 | 6.38 |
Production | 1.32 | 2.05 | 2.98 | 6.36 |
Building and Grounds Cleaning | 1.33 | 1.83 | 3.00 | 6.17 |
Food Preparation and Serving | 1.13 | 2.00 | 3.00 | 6.13 |
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 1.29 | 1.71 | 2.57 | 5.57 |
Military | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 4.00 |
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.