Find a career path with promise

In these roiling times, what are the smart career choices? Here are some worthy of attention, based on the following key criteria:

-- Likelihood of sustaining at least a middle-class income. This has three factors -- likely job growth, income potential and being under the radar (so there's less competition for jobs).

-- Socially redeeming work. Occupations such as casino manager and tobacco executive weren't considered.

-- Quality of life. Reasonable work hours, freedom from toxic or noisy work environments, and so on.

-- Status. Some people may not, for example, be attracted to owning gas stations, even though some gas-station owners make a great deal of money.

Now for the jobs:

Federal government manager. Especially in homeland security, energy and the environment, health care, veterans affairs, and defense. Also needed are country experts, especially on China, India and Middle Eastern nations. The federal government will be the largest source of new jobs, with 300,000 hires expected within two years.

Higher-education administrator. People continue to go to college, so manager types may find the job market better in higher education than in corporate America.

Corporate executive specializing in global business development or managing global workforces. Speaking Mandarin, Hindi, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic or Farsi is a plus.

Cognitive-behavioral therapist. Mental health is now insured, like physical health, but many insurers will cover only cognitive-behavioral therapy, because it's shorter than traditional psychotherapy.

Immigration expert. President Obama has promised amnesty or a "path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants. Experts will be needed to figure out how to integrate millions of people who typically are poor, speak little English and have many health-care needs.

Researcher. Sought-after research specialists will have expertise in two or more of these subjects: physics, math, molecular biology, engineering and computer science. Researchers in the energy field will be needed to develop space-based solar power, in-vehicle hydrogen fuel generators, algae that's genetically engineered for maximum net energy yield, efficient insulators, and batteries for electric vehicles. In genomics, researchers will determine which gene clusters affect which phenotypes and develop safe, effective methods of gene knockouts and transfers. In neurophysics, work will include understanding the physics of depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. In diagnostic imaging, there's the task of developing molecular-level medical imaging. And in pollution control, someone will need to develop nuclear-waste neutralizers and nano-level pollution filters.