The best 11 jobs in America for 2017

Although the U.S. unemployment rate is near a 10-year low, not all jobs are created equal in the post-recession economy. Some professions and industries are pulling ahead of the pack when it comes to compensation and benefits, while millions of Americans continue to struggle with stagnant pay and limited job prospects.

So how does one find a lucrative job with plenty of career prospects? It helps to focus on three industries, according to a new study from employment site Glassdoor.

About half the jobs with the best prospects for 2017 tend to be found in technology, health care and finance, the study found. These careers are highly skilled professions that typically require college degrees or specialized training, which emphasizes the increasing opportunity divide between Americans with college degrees and those who didn't progress beyond high school.

And because these jobs are resistant to automation, they're likely to continue providing a good income and career prospects for years to come.

"These positions won't be automated anytime soon," said Glassdoor spokeswoman Allison Berry. "They're all very highly skilled and require people to dig into what they are working in, whether that's a data scientist or a pharmacy manager."

Less-skilled occupations are increasingly feeling the impact of automation as companies turn to robots for manufacturing work, for instance. That trend is likely to expand into other industries. The World Economic Forum predicted last year that automation will cause 5.1 million job losses over the next five years.

A few jobs that don't require college degrees made the full list of the top 50 jobs for 2017. They include executive assistant (No. 28) and dental hygienist (No. 48).

12. Occupational therapist: $72,000
13. Audit manager: $98,000
14. Electrical engineer: $78,000
15. Nurse practitioner: $100,000
16. Software engineer: $101,000
17. Corporate recruiter: $60,000
18. Supply chain manager: $100,000
19. Finance manager: $116,000
20. Mechanical engineer: $76,000
21. Communications manager: $82,000
22. QA manager: $92,000
23. Controls engineer: $75,400
24. Nurse manager: $77,000
25. Compliance manager: $100,000
26. Mobile developer: $85,000
27. Systems administrator: $68,000
28. Executive assistant: $56,000
29. Technical account manager: $66,000
30. Hardware engineer: $108,000
31. Intelligence analyst: $62,400
32. Product manager: $107,000
33. Professor: $70,000
34. Physician: $200,000
35. Compensation analyst: $70,000
36. Civil engineer: $65,200
37. Research engineer: $92,850
38. Accounting manager: $82,000
39. Information security engineer: $100,000
40. Manufacturing engineer: $70,000
41. Security analyst: $70,000
42. Business operations manager: $93,000
43. UI designer: $80,000
44. Pharmacy manager: $130,000
45. Supplier quality engineer: $80,150
46. National sales manager: $90,000
47. Business intelligence developer: $83,000
48. Dental hygienist: $66,000
49. Physical therapist: $70,000
50. Construction project manager: $85,000