There are many paths to success in the civilian world, but choosing the right one for you may be difficult. If you're feeling lost about career options, look at some of the top 10 best jobs in 2015.
CNN composed a list of 100 candidates that we've whittled down for you below. These jobs all feature high salaries and high job satisfaction, but CNN composed the initial 100 by gauging other factors, including job growth, stress, difficulty to enter the field, ability to telecommute and others.
Software Architect
Software architects lead teams of developers and engineers to ensure that a program will work from design to ship. Since technology is developing so rapidly and so fundamental to modern living, this job enjoys high pay grades and good job security. This job not only requires strong leadership skills, but a thorough understanding of software development.
- Median pay: $124,000
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Becoming a registered nurse (RN) is not the end of the line for many in the health-care industry. Clinical nurse specialists are RNs who specialize in one aspect of care and handle patients who are at high risk or have complicated conditions. This role typically requires a master's or doctorate.
- Median pay: $89,300
Database Developer
Databases are critical to a company's functioning. Accessing accurate data quickly and easily isn't just a bonus; sometimes it's an absolute necessity. Database developers must refine and optimize those systems. While this job has high pay and solid projected career growth, it requires enough knowledge to keep up with evolving trends.
- Median pay: $88,200
Physical Therapy Director
Physical therapy offices tend to work with a large number of clients, and it's up to the physical therapy director to oversee treatment plans. Furthermore, they are responsible for ensuring that treatment standards and requirements are met. The job comes with a great deal of responsibility and requires deep knowledge of physical therapy, as well as effective administration.
- Median pay: $87,900
Software QA Manager
Software isn't infallible, and it's up to software quality assurance (QA) teams to ensure they're as polished and glitch free as possible. Such teams are led by software QA managers. Effective and efficient testing requires building automated programs to check the numerous variables that compose a program.
- Median pay: $110,000
IT Security Consultant
Concerned homeowners don't use cheap locks, and savvy companies should invest in quality digital security. Information technology (IT) security consultants are freelancers who check a company's systems and networks to ensure that they are easily defended against digital attacks.
- Median pay: $110,000
Customer Service Director
Working in customer service can be rewarding in a few ways, and one of them is earning enough experience to work as a customer service director. Rather than fielding calls themselves, these professionals manage teams of customer service representatives and provide them with protocols and procedures to work all types of customer calls.
- Median pay: $103,000
Risk Management Director
Risk management directors are part of a company's first line of defense against, well, risk. They work with a wide array of variables to draw up risk assessments and propose plans to handle them. If a problem can be foreseen, hopefully it can be avoided.
- Median pay: $121,000
Content Strategist
Content strategy is the art of understanding what type of media will be most readily accepted by a company's audience. A content strategist's job is to plan which types of content will be most effective, then communicate those findings to a broader team.
- Median pay: $80,000
Transportation Engineer
Transportation in a first-world country is not simple. The vast, complex network of roads that span the United States requires careful, dedicated attention from specialists. Transportation engineers are experts on how people and their cars interact with the road, and they are involved in designing, planning and overseeing the construction and maintenance of these networks.
- Median pay: $78,100
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