With our national unemployment rate down to 5.6 percent, job prospects are looking rosier than they have for some time. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that December 2014 saw growth in a number of areas tied to the insurance industry, including professional and business services and healthcare. Better still, it is expected that these will continue to be growth areas in 2015.

Hot on the heels of the most recent jobs report, U.S. News & World Report released their annual review of the best jobs for the year ahead. They start with the data: Which jobs are projected to have the greatest hiring demand from 2012 to 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics? The top jobs from this list are then selected for ranking in seven other areas: 10-year growth volume, 10-year growth percentage, median salary, job prospects, employment rate, stress level and work-life balance. These factors contribute to a single weighted average score between 0 and 5, and the final list is born.

In the business world, noteworthy positions ranged from support roles to people who sell, perform data analysis, and execute high-level planning and strategy. Insurance agent, ranked No. 12 on last year’s list, moved up several spots, due to steady projected job growth and above average work-life balance. Where are insurance agents happiest? It may be in cities where they make the most: Bloomington, Illinois; Lake County, Illinois; and Framingham, Massachusetts.