Ranked: The UK’s 25 best jobs to apply for in 2019
While Londoners may dream of becoming high-flying chief executives, or even solitude-seeking novelists after years of commuting, the best job going is actually that of a humble audit manager, according to new data released today.
The back office role topped recruitment site Glassdoor's list of the UK's 25 best jobs in 2019 based on its salary, how in demand it is, and – yes – job satisfaction, based on reviews by people already in the roles.
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Audit managers can expect to command a wage of £52,000 and a job satisfaction score of 4.5 out of five, according to Glassdoor, helping the role climb from third spot last year to the top of this year's list.
Tech roles accounted for six jobs on the list of 25, Glassdoor revealed.
Data scientist moved up ten spots to number seven on the latest list, while it has held the top spot for the past four years in the US.
Amanda Stansell, an economic research analyst with Glassdoor, said the rise of AI and automation had influenced the type of roles employers are now recruiting for.
“There's no question that emerging technologies designed to grow and scale business, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation are having an impact on the types of jobs employers are hiring for across the country,” she said.
“As a result, we're seeing a spike in demand for highly-skilled workers in 2019.”
Here are the top five jobs in the UK, according to Glassdoor:
| Role | Salary | Job satisfaction | Vacancies | Job score |
| 1. Audit manager | £52,000 | 4.5/5 | 1,124 | 4.6/5 |
| 2. Finance manager | £60,000 | 3.8/5 | 2,001 | 4.5/5 |
| 3. Marketing manager | £42,500 | 3.9/5 | 1,966 | 4.4/5 |
| 4. Product manager | £52,500 | 3.8/5 | 1,697 | 4.4/5 |
| 5. Sales manager | £42,000 | 3.8/5 | 2,795 | 4.4/5 |
The job with the most openings this year is project manager with a total of 7,320 openings on Glassdoor. With only 405 positions listed on Glassdoor, engagement manager is the least in-demand job on the list.
For those looking to capitalise on what economists term a “new dawn” in pay growth, a solutions architect is the highest paying job with a base median salary of £70,000 on the list, but it is also the least satisfying.
Finance manager and risk manager roles, which offer £10,000 less than a solutions architect, are the next highest paying jobs and have much higher satisfaction rates at 3.8 out of five.
Those seeking a more fulfilling job must be prepared to sacrifice a higher salary. Audit managers, recruiters, and engagement managers report being the most satisfied with their roles, and make £52,000, £25,000 and £48,000 respectively.
Read more: Bank of England economist hails 'new dawn' in wage growth
Regardless of what people were looking for in a job, Stansell remained optimistic that the market will be accommodating.
“With such a healthy job market kicking off 2019, we're seeing many of these best jobs open for people to apply to and get hired at employers across all industries and in all areas of the country,” she said.