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25 best jobs of 2018

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25. Mathematician Industry: BusinessMedian Salary: $105,810
Unemployment rate: 1.4 percent Standing on the shoulders of giants like Newton, Ramanujan and Lovelace, modern mathematicians analyze data and use statistical theories to help businesses and governments make decisions. The insights of mathematicians who conduct research in academic settings reveal new information about how the universe works. People in the field may have many different job titles, including systems or quantitative analyst, programmer or data scientist. Most people with this career have master’s or doctoral degrees. Demand for mathematicians is expected to grow 29.4 percent by 2026, adding 900 jobs. Learn more about mathematicians. (Thinkstock)
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Close-up image of male hand writing math equations on the board
There are several factors to consider when selecting a financial adviser, such as certifications and compensation. (Thinkstock)
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Top jobs

Thanks to high salaries and increased demand for their services, health care professions dominate the Best Jobs of 2018 list. But even though they account for 20 of the 25 top careers, no doctor or nurse position beat the best profession of the year: software developer. The ubiquity of digital technology has made these career coders critical to modern life.

Data for this list comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an arm of the federal Department of Labor. The highest median salary the agency records is $208,000, so some of the following professions may actually offer median annual incomes higher than that amount. Click here for more information about the methodology behind the list.

Click through to see a countdown of the best careers and learn about each profession.

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The 25 Best Jobs of 2018 originally appeared on usnews.com

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