Data scientists have the best jobs, reporters and sales people the worst

Software engineering is among the best jobs to have (file photo) JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP/Getty Images

One of the perks of having a job is that you get to grumble about just how bad it is. From bad pay to leave allowances to how fast you're losing hair because of all that work stress. So, do you think you have the worst job?

Following a survey of 200 jobs with data provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerCast has released its list of 2016's best and worst jobs. The ranking was done based on four factors or "core criteria" like income, environment, stress and outlook in relation to each occupation.

While garbage collector, waiter or undertaker may have been top on the minds of many, these jobs aren't on the "worst list". Instead, topping the charts for 2016 is the job of a newspaper reporter, a ranking the profession has held for three straight years and continues to show a negative growth outlook of -9%.

"The news business has changed drastically over the years, and not in a good way," former Broadcaster Ann Baldwin, president of Baldwin Media PR in New Britain, Connecticut told CareerCast. "When people ask me if I miss it, I tell them 'I feel as if I jumped off of a sinking ship.'"

Thanks to the move from paper to digital and extreme stress and danger of their jobs, loggers rank second on the worst occupations list, followed by broadcasters in the third place.

While most people presume being a disc jockey (radio) will entail a lot of fun, music and meeting famous artists, the recent study shows that decline of audiences, who prefer to listen to podcasts and streaming services, means little job security for these men and women in the studios.

Other bad jobs include military service personnel, pest controllers, retail and advertising sales people and taxi drivers.

2016's worst jobs

Newspaper reporter
Logger
Broadcaster
Disc jockey
Enlisted military service personnel
Pest control worker
Retail salesperson
Advertising salesperson
Taxi driver
Firefighter

On the other end of the spectrum, people in the fields of science and mathematics seem to have some of the best jobs. Data scientists, statisticians and information security analysts make up the top three professions.

"The high demand for data scientists and statisticians comes from a growing emphasis on collecting and evaluating massive quantities of data. The opportunities for professionals trained in these fields are tremendous, as the IT sector, healthcare, business – and any sector that collects consumer information can put these numbers to use," the study explains.

Audiologists, software engineers and speech pathologists also rank among the top 10 jobs of this year.

2016's best jobs