Poll: Actuary is best job, newspaper reporter the worst

People looking for a career may want to avoid some of the worst jobs around -- lumberjack, oil-rig operator and meter reader.

Those are among the least promising professions, according to a new analysis.

And you almost certainly should steer clear of the worst job on the list – newspaper reporter.

Forget swashbuckling or intrepid. Endangered is more like it.

Being an ink-stained wretch beat out 190 other careers for the distinction of being named the absolute worst. Being a reporter, according to the analysis, is even less promising than being an actor, which was named the fourth-worst profession.

The analysis was put together by CareerCast, which bills itself as a “job search portal” and says it’s been compiling its list for a quarter-century. Criteria include income, stress and “relevance in today’s workforce.”

What’s the best job?

Actuary. No kidding.

Other desirable professions include biomedical engineer, financial planner and dental hygienist.

There’s a bit of good news for those in the print media.

At least being a newspaper reporter is still recognized as a profession. It hasn’t yet gone the way of bookbinders, typesetters and telephone operators, which, according to CareerCast, no longer exist.

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Follow Walter Hamilton on Twitter @LATwalter