In case you’ve ever wondered what the best job in the world is, now you know. It’s being an accountant.
This may come as a surprise to some given the profession’s staid image. But accountancy ranks high in terms of offering the advantages that British workers value most in a career: namely job security, a decent pay package, a manageable work-life balance and low stress.
Research by income protection specialist LV= found that in these lean times, having a ‘sexy’ job that’s exciting falls by the wayside in comparison with security, salary and benefits. Indeed, just 4% of the working nation now sees excitement in a career as a must-have feature.
Other jobs that ranked highly in the research are IT professional, charity worker, teacher and engineer.
What’s more, in terms of pay that’s in line with responsibility, accountants are handsomely remunerated. Their average salary is £38,283, according to the Office for National Statistics, putting their pay packet 44% higher than the UK average of £26,464.
Over the past 10 years, employment levels among accountants have increased by a third, rising from 145,000 in 2003 to 180,000 in 2013. Additionally, the profession has grown steadily, with the only slight drop in employment levels occurring in 2012, making it a desirable career overall for those who rate job stability highly.
Commenting on the research, Mark Jones, head of LV= Protection, said: “It’s clearly a reflection of the turbulent times we continue to live in that job security was voted by Britons as the single most important feature of a job.”
Sally Percy is editor of The Treasurer