Young people who are just starting their working lives might be the happiest working as a web developer, dental hygienist, or software engineer. Those three professions topped the list when U.S. News and World Report surveyed millennials about the things that matter most to them in a career. According to the data, millennials first consider salary when evaluating a career, then look for a balance between work and personal life. The U.S. News editors said web developer is attractive because that career offers a strong work-life balance and below average job stress. Millennials favor dental hygienist work because it provides a highly flexible lifestyle, and a software developer position is attractive to this age group because it pays a good salary, much like other tech jobs. Below is a list of top careers for millennials, according to salary:

  1. Financial Advisor

  2. Actuary

  3. Software Developer

  4. Computer Systems Analyst

  5. Mechanical Engineer

  6. Environmental Engineer

  7. Radiation Therapist

  8. Operations Research Analyst

  9. Accountant

  10. Loan Officer

Useful career guidance

Dan Schawbel, research director at Future Workplace and author of the book "Promote Yourself," said the U.S. News list should be useful for young people who are looking for jobs. He says this group should also be sure to take advantage of networking events and job fairs.

"These resources make it easier to find companies that best suit individual preferences, such as salary and work-life balance," he said. "You never know when and how you will find a job, but if you're using multiple sources and doing your research, the right one will come along."

The survey looked at professions available to people with a bachelor's degree or less while evaluating the factors that millennials said were most important to them. Other careers high on the list include radiation therapist, massage therapist, interpreter and translator, and insurance sales agent.

Changing jobs

While many millennials are actively looking for their first job, a recent study by LinkedIn found that this group is more likely than previous generations to quickly change jobs or careers once they have one.

The results show that over the last two decades, the number of companies an individual worked for in the first five years after leaving college has nearly doubled.

The researchers point out that those who have graduated most recently are the most likely to change jobs. People who graduated between 2006 and 2010 averaged around 2.85 jobs in the first five years after graduating, while those who graduated between 1986 and 1990 averaged 1.6 jobs over the same period.

The above was reported by Consumer Affairs.