Looking for a six-figure job that makes you happy in 2020, but is also increasing in demand?
Front-end engineers had an average overall job satisfaction score of 3.9 on Glassdoor, making theirs the No. 1 profession for 2020 in terms of job satisfaction, salary and job openings, according to a new ranking, knocking data scientists off the No 1 spot. Front-end engineers develop the code that enhances a customer’s or user’s experience, and essentially create, install and test the user interface elements of a website.
As unemployment hovers at a 50-year low, there are more available professions that give people meaningful, in-demand work that pays well and offers opportunity for advancement. The job market may be less robust in 2020: The U.S. created 145,000 jobs in December as hiring slows and wage growth softens.
So why did front-end engineers top the list? Amanda Stansell, senior economic research analyst at Glassdoor, said there’s more competition between tech and non-tech companies for these roles. Google GOOG, +1.98%, Aetna US:AET and Microsoft MSFT, +0.56% typically hire front-end engineers, but they are also increasingly in demand by any company that relies on a website for its business.
The “Best Jobs in America in 2020” ranking listed java developer at No. 2, followed by data scientist (which previously held the No. 1 spot), product manager, devops engineer (which oversees code releases and the testing of new programs), data engineer, software engineer, speech language pathologist, strategy manager and business development manager.
“Because of the stiff competition to recruit and retain this talent, more companies are investing in their employees’ experiences at work,” Stansell said. “As these companies look to develop and maintain their online experience for customers, they’re willing to offer competitive benefits and perks to keep tech workers, including front-end engineers, happy in their day-to-day jobs.”
A separate report by U.S. News & World Report that looked at work-life balance, salary and career development lists software developer as the No. 1 job, which has a median annual salary of $103,620. It was followed by a slew of jobs in the medical profession, including dentist and physician assistant, orthodontist and nurse practitioner.
Wages and salary now make up less than three-quarters of employees’ total compensation, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Bank of America BAC, -0.03% Merrill Lynch. Meanwhile, more companies are offering “wellness programs” to help workers improve their fitness and health.
In its own research, Glassdoor previously looked at perks that lead to an increase in employee satisfaction. The analysis concluded that workplace health insurance was the No. 1 perk, followed by generous paid vacation time and paid time off, pension plans, 401(k) plans, retirement plans, dental insurance and maternity and paternity leave.
Access to career-momentum opportunities in the workplace is one of the strongest predictors of employee satisfaction, based on millions of reviews left on Glassdoor, in addition to culture and values and quality senior leadership, according to Glassdoor. Tech, finance, health-care and marketing roles all have strong career paths, the site said.
For those seeking a six-figure job with no experience necessary, Jeff Gillis and Mike Simpson, who operate the career and resume advice site TheInterviewGuys.com, said pharmacists came out at No. 1. They analyzed the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Requirements Survey, which gives information on factors including physical demands and cognitive requirements.
Approximately 64% of pharmacist jobs require no previous work experience in that field, and have a median salary of $126,000 per year, more than twice the national average. Some 60% of nurse practitioners, who have a median salary of $114,000 per year, also require no work experience, according to the analysis by Gillis and Simpson and the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. (Some such jobs could still come with educational requirements, they added.)
Here are the top 5 jobs on Glassdoor’s list:
1. Front-end engineer
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.9/5
Number of job openings: 13,122
Median base salary: $105,240
2. Java developer
Job satisfaction rating: 3.9/5
Number of job openings: 16,136
Median base salary: $83,589
3. Data scientist
Job satisfaction rating: 4/5
Number of job openings: 6,542
Median base salary: $107,801
4. Product manager
Job satisfaction rating: 3.8/5
Number of Job Openings: 12,173
Median base salary: $117,713
5. Devops engineer
Job satisfaction rating: 3.9/5
Number of job openings: 6,603
Median base salary: $107,310
A decade-long bull market and continued economic growth have contributed to a tighter labor market in 2019. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.17% is up 20% over the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.39% is up 25.8%. A recession is more of a risk in 2021 than next year, according to a recent survey of the National Association for Business Economics.
Software developers, physical therapists and physician assistants crop up frequently among the highest-paid and fastest-growing jobs in every U.S. state, according to a separate analysis by CareerBuilder, a jobs and careers site. The site analyzed government data to project the careers most likely to be lucrative and in demand. Most of these jobs require some level of college education.
Home-health and personal-care aides were among the lowest paid, fastest-growing in every U.S. state and Washington, D.C. Only one state (Michigan) didn’t list home-health aide or personal-care aide as among the lowest paid, most in-demand jobs. (It did, however, list physical-therapy aides, in addition to nonfarm animal caretakers, and meat, poultry and fish cutters and trimmers.)