If you want to land one of the country's best jobs, check out the education and training that can get you there.
By Tony Moton
If you're in the market for a new career - and willing to do a little training to get there - you might want to look to Money and PayScale's 2010 "Best Jobs in America" list.
The annual list features 100 top careers that score high in areas such as earning potential, employment outlook, and flexibility.
But what does it take to actually qualify for one of these jobs?
We took a look at the top 100 and spotlighted seven jobs that almost anyone can work toward. To help you figure out which - if any - of these "Best Jobs" is right for you, check out the list below...
SALES DIRECTOR
Best Jobs Rank: No. 8
Average Salary: $142,000
Sales Directors scored their jobs high for flexibility and personal satisfaction in the "Best Jobs" survey. While Sales Directors are at the top of the heap, starting out in sales is a great way to work toward this top job.
The Job: Good sales skills can be used in almost any industry - from tech to manufacturing to biomedical to consumer products. Many sales jobs are paid partially on commission, so your performance directly affects your pay. This can mean pressure, but also big rewards in a relatively short period of time.
Education and Training: A bachelor's degree in business administration is a great way to get a firm grounding in business principles. Studying marketing can also give you the tools you need to understand customers and how to talk to them.
Related Degrees:
Associate's degree in business
Master's degree in business administration (MBA)
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (CPA)
Best Jobs Rank: No. 9
Average Salary: $73,000
Job flexibility and job growth scored big with CPAs who responded to questions about the quality-of-life aspects of their job for the "Best Jobs in America" list. [Train for your Accounting career at a top school]
The Job: CPAs can work for accounting firms or branch out on their own and work independently. One of the hottest careers in this field is forensic accounting, which involves uncovering and tracking white-collar crimes in today's high-tech world. A very cool job if you're into number crunching.
Education and Training: Start by earning your bachelor's degree in accounting. From there, you will need to pass a national exam and meet the standards of the state where you practice in order to qualify as a full-fledged CPA. Others with two-year degrees and proven experience have opportunities to land junior accounting positions.
Related Degrees:
Associate's degree in accounting
Bachelor's degree in finance
HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR
Best Jobs Rank: No. 36
Average Salary: $98,000
This job ranked high due to a combination of high pay, future job growth, and personal satisfaction.
The Job: Hospital administrators play a big role in directing health care and medical services. They can work in hospitals, nursing care facilities, managed care facilities, or other related organizations.
Education and Training: Running a health care facility requires you to have expertise in both the medical and business fields. To enter this worthwhile career as an entry-level or assistant administrator, consider earning a bachelor's degree in health administration. On-the-job experience and a master's degree in health administration can help you move up the ranks.
Related Degrees:
Bachelor's degree in business administration
Master's degree in business administration (MBA)
HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT
Best Jobs Rank: No. 43
Average Salary: $92,000
Personal satisfaction topped the quality-of-life ratings among human resources (HR) consultants surveyed for the "Best Jobs in America."
The Job: HR consultants do everything from training employees to managing labor relations, making them extremely important to the financial success and well-being of their clients.
Education and Training: Plenty of educational options can prepare you for consulting work in this field, including a bachelor's degree in business. In this case, you can take courses covering human resources or get a concentration to augment your degree work.
Related Degrees:
Bachelor's degree in human resources
Master's in business administration (MBA)
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE
Best Jobs Rank: No. 59
Average Salary: $77,000
Nurses polled for the "Best Jobs in America" list rated personal satisfaction as one of the more appealing aspects of this career.
The Job: Registered nurses (RNs) who work in the area of critical care provide crucial services for patients afflicted with serious or acute injuries. These services include the close monitoring of patients who require extensive medication and therapy.
Education and Training: An associate's degree in nursing takes two to three years to complete, and it sets you up for a career with many options. Most RNs start out as staff nurses before choosing to work in specialized areas such as intensive care.
Related Degrees:
Diploma in nursing
Bachelor's degree in nursing
WEB DEVELOPER
Best Jobs Rank: No. 67
Average Salary: $76,000
Our reliance on the Internet means web developers are likely to be in demand for the long haul. In fact, web developers rated job growth as one of the most attractive quality-of-life aspects of this job in the "Best Jobs" survey.
The Job: Skilled web developers fuse information and technology as they supply the code for Web sites. It's a demanding but rewarding occupation that also got good marks for personal satisfaction and job flexibility.
Education and Training: An associate's degree in computer science is a great way to prepare for entry level work as a web developer. Combined with practical experience, a degree can further elevate your chances of landing job opportunities.
Related Degrees:
Associate's degree in IT & information systems
Associate's degree in graphic design
Bachelor's degree in computer programming
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Best Jobs Rank: No. 84
Average Salary: $85,000
Are you a good communicator and leader with a creative side? Well, listen up. A supervisory job in public relations (PR) gives you a chance put your persona to work every day. That's the reason PR directors gave their job excellent marks for personal satisfaction in the "Best Jobs" survey.
The Job: PR directors - who are responsible for everything from press releases to full-blown campaigns - ultimately determine what kind of impression their employers project to the world.
Education and Training: Earning a bachelor's degree in communications puts you right in line for openings in this high-energy field. As marketing and promotions increasingly rely on online savvy, you'll be helped by an ability to work in an Internet environment.
Related Degrees:
Bachelor's degree in marketing
Bachelor's degree in business
Bachelor's degree in finance
*Average salary represents median pay for experienced worker with at least two to seven years in the field. All salary data is from PayScale.com.
