Only software engineer was placed above the actuarial profession in the careers advice service's ranking of the 200 best and worst jobs out there this year. The ranking was based on physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook and used data from sources such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CareerCast said an actuary 'interprets statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, and death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters'. The occupation scored well for its hiring outlook, with very low levels of stress and physical demands.

Other financial services-related roles also ranked well in the list, with financial planner (ranked fifth) and mathematician (ranked tenth) both also figuring in the top 10 best jobs in 2012.

However, accountants ranked only 47th in the list, with a noticeably less rosy hiring outlook than their actuarial colleagues.