The Best Jobs In America

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You might think that determining what makes a job "great" is pretty easy, but the truth is there are so many factors that could play a role - from exceptional rates of pay, to superior growth prospects, to employee perks and benefits - that finding one definition often isn't as easy as it might first appear.

In fact, while for many workers the paycheck is the be all and end all, for others a sense that the work they are doing is more "meaningful" holds the key to job satisfaction.

And that's before you factor in issues pertaining to how organizations can match the needs of different generations of employees, a common challenge for HR managers.

Take a look at Fortune magazine's 100 Best Companies To Work For list for 2009, for instance, which demonstrates how, even in this economy, some companies are going out of their way to please employees:
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Internet giant Google, for example, once revered as way out in front in terms of employee satisfaction, has now slipped considerably to fourth place this year - despite still attracting over 777,000 applications each year. Meanwhile, in its place, data management firm NatApp has been catapulted to the top spot, offering such benefits as five paid days for volunteer work, $11,390 adoption aid, and autism coverage - used by 43 employees since 2006 ,at a cost of $242,452.

But aside from individual companies looking to bolster their satisfaction credentials, there are some jobs that simply far outpace others in terms of "greatness." Some because of the paychecks they offer, others because of the long-term prospects they bring to workers, but all of them noteworthy.

And now, with the help of Payscale.com, CNN Money has rated and compiled a list of the Top 50 Jobs in the US - and you've guessed it, they all offer great pay and even better prospects.

The top end of the list is largely populated by roles in both the information technology (IT) and healthcare sectors, which are obviously determined after considerable investment from workers in terms of training and experience; but other roles, both in the financial services and government sectors also feature prominently, highlighting that there is room for true satisfaction in a plethora of fields.

At the top of the list the authors place the role of System Engineer - defined by CNN as the "big think managers on large, complex projects." According to the findings behind the list, demand is soaring for systems engineers, as what was once a niche job in the aerospace and defense industries has now become (or is becoming) commonplace among a diverse and expanding universe of employers.

The good news? Pay can easily reach six figures for top performers, and CNN highlights how there - even in this economy - remains ample opportunity for advancement.

Something else to make readers smile is that fact that, ranking pretty highly at twentieth on the list, is the role of Human Resources Manager, suggesting that HR's diversified role and transformation from a largely administrative role to a more strategic business player hasn't gone unnoticed. As CNN themselves put it, do HR Managers have great jobs or what?

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