Topping the list of plum careers for 2009 are a few occupations that you probably never considered - audiologist, biomedical equipment technician, genetic counselor, for example. This annual list of 30 best careers from U.S. News and World Report combines the expected (engineer, registered nurse, physical therapist) with a few surprises. All careers on the list were selected because they ranked high on five criteria: A good outlook in today’s recessionary economy, a high rate of job satisfaction, a low rate of difficulty in training,  good prestige, and high pay.

The 30 Best Careers for 2009