Americans have rated software engineer as the nation’s top job, according to research from CareerCast.com.

Meanwhile, the worst rated job, according to the survey, is an oil rig labourer.

The rest of the top five best jobs include mathematician, actuary, statistician and computer systems analyst, while ironworker, lumberjack, roofer and taxi driver complete the five worst jobs.

Tony Lee, publisher of the report, says: “A college education played a large role in this year’s rankings.

“Not only do the top five jobs pay more than twice as much when comparing mid-level incomes as the bottom five jobs ($83,777 (£53,500) per year vs $30,735 per year), they all benefit from a college degree and maths skills.

“Jobseekers who want to compete for the nation’s best jobs will gain a competitive edge by expanding their knowledge and skill set through higher education.

“Conversely, the majority of the nation’s worst jobs do not require a high school diploma.”