Journalist Edges Out Lumberjack as Worst Job in U.S.

Image via CrunchBase

A survey released today of  200 occupations by career Web site Careercast.com found reporters have the dubious honor of holding the worst job in the United States, according to a post by a Wall St. Journal blog (Blogs.wsj.com).

Careercast.com, which is owned by Carlsbad, Calif.-based Adicio, Inc., uses data from government agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and bases its rankings on five criteria:

• work environment
• physical demands
• stress
• income
• hiring outlook.

Given bleak job prospects, long work days and paltry pay, it's not too surprising that journalists would find themselves 200th among the survey of 200 careers. Reporters edged out enlisted military personnel and lumberjacks to capture the basement spot. At least lumberjacks get to wield an axe, though "TUOL" has seen newspaper newspapers lethally wield a blue pen.

At the top of the Careercast.com list are actuaries, followed by biomedical engineers and software engineers, all of whom any self-respecting journalist could drink under the table. "TUOL" found little solace in the survey, in that attorneys ranked a meager 117.

Actuaries assign a financial value to risk, so journalism students may want to consult with one before it's too late.