Finding and obtaining any job with the federal government can be a tough task, but how do you know which are the most promising positions to seek? Laurence Shatkin’s new book, 150 Best Federal Jobs, breaks down the top federal jobs into several categories, including demographics, career clusters, geography and personality type.
Shatkin also offers the top federal jobs overall, based on a score calculated by pay, growth and number of openings. “This means,” Shatkin explains in the book, “that some jobs with low pay and modest growth but a high number of openings appear higher on the list than some jobs with higher pay and modest growth but a low number of openings. A ‘right’ job for you could be anywhere on this list.”
The federal government has a projected 10 percent increase in employment through 2018 and offers good salaries and benefits, job security and flexible work schedules throughout the country. See which positions Shatkin ranked in the list of top 10 overall best federal jobs:
1. Financial Examiners
Annual Earnings: $101,770
Percent Growth: 41.5 percent
Annual Openings: 260
2. Air Traffic Controllers
Annual Earnings: $113,840
Percent Growth: 10.7 percent
Annual Openings: 780
3. Lawyers
Annual Earnings: $131,410
Percent Growth: 8.4 percent
Annual Openings: 960
4. Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Annual Earnings: $73,320
Percent Growth: 29.8 percent
Annual Openings: 1,160
5. Computer and Information Research Scientists
Annual Earnings: $99,730
Percent Growth: 19.5 percent
Annual Openings: 200
6. Social Scientists and Related Workers
Annual Earnings: $75,540
Percent Growth: 19.3 percent
Annual Openings: 800
7. Accountants and Auditors
Annual Earnings: $87,730
Percent Growth: 11.1 percent
Annual Openings: 740
8. Aerospace Engineers
Annual Earnings: $109,190
Percent Growth: 12 percent
Annual Openings: 200
9. Logisticians
Annual Earnings: $76,000
Percent Growth: 17.8 percent
Annual Openings: 730
10. Political Scientists
Annual Earnings: $113,050
Percent Growth: 18.4 percent
Annual Openings: 120
150 Best Federal Jobs is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and jist.com.
Source: JIST Publishing
