High stress is a recurring theme among these jobs.
By Vivian Giang
Some jobs just get all the attention. Take event planner, for example: The idea of working alongside famous people and handling big money accounts may seem like an exciting job, but the reality is often a very different picture.
Job search site CareerCast used survey data that "weighed stress, physical demands, and both the current and future employment outlook" across occupations and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a list of the most overrated jobs of 2013, released on Tuesday. The list also takes into account data from the company's Jobs Rated report, where a lower score signifies a higher rating, which includes the competitiveness and growth potential of specific fields.
Topping the list are advertising account executive, surgeon, stockbroker, and public relations manager, which all require long, stressful hours. Many of these professions also made last year's list of the most overrated jobs, except economists and computer programmers, which are new this year.
"People don't realize the baggage these jobs come with," Tony Lee, publisher at CareerCast, tells Business Insider. "The perception is cool; the reality is a dog-eat-dog world."
Consider surgeons. Although they make a median salary of $311,078, they deal with high stress levels daily and have a lot of pressure on their hands. "When you're a surgeon, your life is not your own," Lee says. "You cannot go anywhere without your phone. It's also very physical demanding because you stand on your feet all day."
High turnover is also a common theme for many of the professions on CareerCast's most overrated list.
Some jobs just get all the attention. Take event planner, for example: The idea of working alongside famous people and handling big money accounts may seem like an exciting job, but the reality is often a very different picture.
Job search site CareerCast used survey data that "weighed stress, physical demands, and both the current and future employment outlook" across occupations and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a list of the most overrated jobs of 2013, released on Tuesday. The list also takes into account data from the company's Jobs Rated report, where a lower score signifies a higher rating, which includes the competitiveness and growth potential of specific fields.
Topping the list are advertising account executive, surgeon, stockbroker, and public relations manager, which all require long, stressful hours. Many of these professions also made last year's list of the most overrated jobs, except economists and computer programmers, which are new this year.
"People don't realize the baggage these jobs come with," Tony Lee, publisher at CareerCast, tells Business Insider. "The perception is cool; the reality is a dog-eat-dog world."
Consider surgeons. Although they make a median salary of $311,078, they deal with high stress levels daily and have a lot of pressure on their hands. "When you're a surgeon, your life is not your own," Lee says. "You cannot go anywhere without your phone. It's also very physical demanding because you stand on your feet all day."
High turnover is also a common theme for many of the professions on CareerCast's most overrated list.
Median Salary: $67,650
Projected Growth: 22%
Why: "Psychologists tend to work with difficult clients, and the field’s median pay scale and hiring outlook are slightly below comparable positions in the health care industry. Aspiring psychologists also face a crowded market, as The Princeton Review says psychology is one of the top three current college majors by enrollment."
Median Salary: $91,860
Projected Growth: 6%
Why: "Economist is great work – if you can get it. While the median salary is among the top 25 of all careers measured by the 2013 Jobs Rated report, the hiring outlook is low."
Median Salary: $74,280
Projected Growth: 12%
Why: "Careers in technology are typically winners, but the outlook for computer programmers lags behind other paths in the industry. The BLS reports that many American companies opt to send their computer programming work overseas at lower rates, thereby diminishing job prospects domestically."
