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What's The Best Job In America for 2019? Data Scientist

With a median base salary of $108,000, a job satisfaction rating of 4.3 out of 5, and 6,510 active job openings in the US as of Jan. 2, data scientist is the No. 1 job in America for 2019.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Considering a career change? You might want to look into becoming a data scientist.

Job and recruiting site Glassdoor just released its annual list of the 50 best jobs in America for 2019, and, for the fourth consecutive year, data scientist took the top spot. With a median base salary of $108,000, a job satisfaction rating of 4.3 out of 5, and 6,510 active job openings in the US as of Jan. 2, data scientist is the No. 1 job in America for 2019, according to Glassdoor.

Tech jobs dominate the list, accounting for 19 of the top 50. Other tech titles to make the list include: project manager (No. 5), develops engineer (No. 6), data engineer (No. 8), software engineer (No. 10), security engineer (No. 17), product designer (No. 21), Java developer (No. 22), electrical engineer (No. 24), solutions architect (No. 27), data analyst (No. 31), applications engineer (No. 33), QA manager (No. 34), systems engineer (No. 39), software engineering manager (No. 43), software developer (No. 44), UX designer (No. 46), software development manager (No. 49), and systems administrator (No. 50).

With 49,000 job openings, software engineer is the most "in-demand job," according to Glassdoor. And with a medium base salary of $153,000, software engineering manager is the highest paying.

"There's no question that emerging technologies designed to grow and scale business, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation are having an impact on the types of jobs employers are hiring for across the country," Glassdoor Economic Research Analyst Amanda Stansell said in a statement. "As a result, we're seeing a spike in demand for highly-skilled workers in 2019."

Glassdoor considers three main factors when ranking jobs: earning potential based on median annual base salary, job satisfaction, and the number of job openings. "The jobs that made this list stand out across all three categories," Glassdoor wrote.

To check out the full list, head here.

Meanwhile, Glassdoor last month ranked the best places to work in 2019 among companies with at least 1,000 employees, and 29 tech companies made the list, more than any other industry. Ranked No. 1 last year, Facebook is now the seventh best place to work. Zoom Video Communications graced the list for the first time in second place.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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