Consumer News: Need a job and a degree? Retail and food service gigs that pay for college

Discover careers where you can have money and peace of mind

• New data shows its possible to earn a strong salary in 2026 without constant pressure or burnout.

• Jobs with predictable schedules, clear expectations, and fewer emergencies tend to be both calmer and more sustainable.

• From science and tech to trades and history, low-stress, high-paying careers arent limited to one path.

If youve ever wondered whether its possible to make good money without feeling like youre in survival mode every day, youre not alone.

The idea of a cushy career isnt just about a fancy title its about sustainable satisfaction.

Resume Genius has put together a list of 10 jobs to watch in 2026 that combine solid salaries with relatively low stress, so youre better set up for work-life balance without sacrificing financial success.

High pay doesnt have to come at the cost of your mental health, Eva Chan, Career Expert at Resume Genius, said in a news release.

Theres a growing misconception that if a job pays well, stress is simply part of the deal. In reality, careers with structure, stability, and fewer high-pressure surprises tend to be far more sustainable, and just as financially rewarding.

The methodology

To compile this list, Resume Genius looked at employment data that blends median pay with indicators of lower daily pressure and manageable workloads.

That means jobs where stressors like life-or-death decisions, nonstop deadlines, or unpredictable hours are minimal, and where the work (often analytical, research-based, or project-oriented) lets you focus without constant disruption.

While low stress doesnt mean zero stress every job has its hard days these roles consistently score better than average in maintaining steady rhythms and predictable expectations.

The top 10 list

Here are roles expected to offer above-average pay in 2026 while generally avoiding chronic stress:

1. Astronomer Study stars and galaxies in research settings with flexible timelines.

   1. Median annual pay: $132,170

   2. Median hourly pay: $63.54

   3. Top 10% of earners: $191,880

2. Actuary Use statistics to analyze financial risk for companies often with predictable workflow.

   1. Median annual pay: $125,770

   2. Median hourly pay: $60.47

   3. Top 10% of earners: $206,430

3. Computer Systems Analyst Improve business tech systems in a structured environment.

   1. Median annual pay: $103,790

   2. Median hourly pay: $49.90

   3. Top 10% of earners: $149,360

4. Cartographer & Photogrammetrist Map the world with geospatial tools in stable settings.

   1. Median annual pay: $78,380

   2. Median hourly pay: $37.68

   3. Top 10% of earners: $115,840

5. Historian Research and teach about the past with focused, independent work.

   1. Median annual pay: $74,050

   2. Median hourly pay: $35.60

   3. Top 10% of earners: $116,640

6. Forensic Science Technician Analyze evidence in labs without the rush of emergency scenes.

   1. Median annual pay: $67,440

   2. Median hourly pay: $32.43

   3. Top 10% of earners: $101,390

7. Rail Car Repairer Skilled mechanical work with routine schedules.

   1. Median annual pay: $65,680

   2. Median hourly pay: $31.58

   3. Top 10% of earners: $92,000

8. Taper Apply finishes (like drywall taper) in construction with methodical, calm tasks.

   1. Median annual pay: $64,700

   2. Median hourly pay: $31.11

   3. Top 10% of earners: $100,840

9. Archivist Preserve records and artifacts in quiet, organized spaces.

   1. Median annual pay: $61,570

   2. Median hourly pay: $29.60

   3. Top 10% annual pay: $97,680

10. Pump Operator Monitor and control industrial pumping systems with little crisis pressure.

    1. Median annual pay: $60,020

    2. Median hourly pay: $28.86

    3. Top 10% annual pay: $85,990

Why resting well could be the secret sauce for your fitness and health goals

• Most Americans say eating well and exercising helps them sleep better and better sleep supports health goals.

• A recent AASM survey shows the power of combined lifestyle habits rather than isolated resolutions.

• Simple habits like a consistent bedtime and unplugging before bed can improve your sleep.

Its that time of year again a fresh start, fresh goals, and fresh intentions. For many, that means planning to eat better, get moving more often, and generally feel healthier.

But while most of us focus on diet and exercise as the cornerstones of health, theres a third pillar that often gets left behind: sleep.

According to a new national survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), healthy eating and regular physical activity dont just help your body they also help your sleep, and that sleep can in turn make it easier to stick to your other goals.

When you think about changing habits, it makes sense to consider how they work together. Stuffing your plate with veggies and hitting a workout might already be on your list but the latest data suggest those moves can also make it easier to get the quality sleep your brain and body crave.

Sleep is one of three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, including eating a well-balanced diet and incorporating regular physical activity, AASM spokesperson Dr. Kin Yuen said in a news release.

When people make New Years resolutions or select their nudge word for the year, they often prioritize diet and exercise. These changes dont just support physical healththey also improve sleep.

How the sleep & health survey was done

The AASM commissioned an online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults in June 2025 to find out how lifestyle habits relate to sleep.

The results arent perfect like any survey, they come with a margin of error of about 2 percentage points but they do give a snapshot of how people feel about their routines. Participants answered questions about their diet, physical activity, and sleep experiences.

The findings mean

A majority of respondents reported that eating a well-balanced diet helped their sleep slightly or significantly. Many also said that exercising in the morning or evening seemed to improve how well they slept.

Whats more, younger adults especially those between 25 and 34 were the most likely to notice these connections. In this group, a good diet and evening exercise were even more strongly linked with better sleep, suggesting that lifestyle habits early in life could influence how easily we rest.

What they mean

So what does all this actually mean for your New Years list?

For starters: you dont have to tackle diet, fitness, and sleep as separate goals. Changes in one area can ripple into the others. For example, eating more nutrient-rich foods and making time to move each day could help you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more refreshed.

To boost your chances of success, the AASM also offers a few practical sleep strategies:

• Build a consistent bedtime routine: Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night.

• Stay active: Choose activities you enjoy and fit them into your schedule.

• Eat well: Balance fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins.

• Unplug before bed: Turn off phones, tablets, and TVs 3060 minutes before lights-out.

Think of sleep not as a separate resolution but as the fuel that helps power your other goals. Better sleep might just be the foundation that makes all your healthy habits stick in the year ahead.

Sufficient sleep significantly reduces the risk of chronic illnesses, such as obesity, heart disease, and even depression and anxiety, said Yuen. Whether youre improving your diet, increasing your activity level, or managing stress, prioritizing sleep gives you the energy and mental clarity needed to start the year strong.

Company admits the tests "raised concerns"

• Instacart says shoppers will now see the same price for the same item at the same store on the same day

• A new report found some customers were charged up to 23% more than others for identical groceries

• Consumer advocates say the experiment treated shoppers unfairly at a time of high food inflation

Instacart will stop using artificial intelligence to test different prices on the same grocery items after a new consumer watchdog report found that shoppers were often charged different amounts for identical products.

In a blog post published Monday, the grocery delivery platform said it had ended the pricing experiments effective immediately, acknowledging that the practice raised concerns among customers already struggling with rising food costs.

We understand that the tests we ran with a small number of retail partners that resulted in different prices for the same item at the same store missed the mark for some customers, the company said. At a time when families are working exceptionally hard to stretch every grocery dollar, those tests raised concerns.

Different prices for the same groceries

The announcement follows a report released this month by Consumer Reports and the Groundwork Collaborative, which examined pricing on Instacart for more than 400 shoppers in four U.S. cities.

The researchers found that Instacart sometimes displayed as many as five different prices for the same item at the same store on the same day. On average, the gap between the highest and lowest prices for identical items was 13%, with some shoppers seeing prices as much as 23% higher than others.

In one example cited in the report, a dozen Lucerne eggs at a Safeway store in Washington, D.C., were listed at $3.99, $4.28, $4.59, $4.69 and $4.79 on Instacart, depending on the shopper. At a Safeway in Seattle, a box of 10 Clif Chocolate Chip Energy Bars was priced at $19.43, $19.99 or $21.99.

The study estimated that, over the course of a year, a shopper consistently exposed to the higher prices could theoretically spend up to $1,200 more on groceries.

Company backs away from testing

Instacart said that going forward, shoppers purchasing the same items from the same store on the same day will see identical prices. Retail partners will still set prices and may charge different prices across different store locations, the company said.

The company emphasized that the experiments were not dynamic pricing like that used by airlines or ride-hailing services, and said prices were not based on personal characteristics such as income. Instead, Instacart described the tests as limited experiments aimed at helping retailers optimize pricing.

The pricing program was tied to Instacarts 2022 acquisition of Eversight, an artificial intelligence company whose software allows retailers to test millions of price combinations. Instacart marketing materials previously claimed the experiments would be largely unnoticeable to consumers while potentially increasing store revenue by up to 3%.

Consumer backlash grows

Consumer advocates said the findings underscore growing concerns about the use of algorithmic pricing in essential markets such as food.

American grocery shoppers arent guinea pigs, and they should be able to expect a fair price when theyre shopping, Lindsey Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month.

The controversy echoes recent public backlash against other companies that have explored variable pricing for everyday goods, including fast-food chains that floated the idea of surge pricing during busy hours.

Investors also reacted to the news. Shares of Instacart fell about 2% in midday trading Monday after the company announced it was ending the price experiments.

Unlawful 'defeat device' was used in diesel vehicles for years to cheat on emissions tests

• Multistate settlement resolves environmental and consumer protection violations tied to emissions cheating

• Eligible Mercedes diesel owners to receive $2,000 after approved emissions repairs

• Company used illegal "defeat devices" for years to cheat on emissions tests

A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general has reached a nearly $150 million settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA over the automakers use of illegal emissions-cheating software in diesel vehicles, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.

The agreement resolves claims that Mercedes equipped hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles with undisclosed software designed to manipulate emissions tests, mislead consumers, and illegally pollute communities across the country. The multistate investigation was led by New York and eight other states.

Under the settlement, Mercedes will pay $149,673,750 to the states, including more than $13.5 million to New York, and will provide $2,000 payments to eligible vehicle owners and lessees whose cars receive required emissions repairs. The company must also implement sweeping compliance reforms and submit to ongoing oversight.

Years-long emissions deception

According to investigators, Mercedes installed unlawful defeat device software in diesel vehicles that allowed them to pass government emissions tests while producing far higher pollution levels during normal driving.

The software allegedly reduced emissions only under laboratory testing conditions. On the road, the vehicles emitted nitrogen oxides and other pollutants at levels sometimes 30 to 40 times above legal limits, regulators said. Those emissions contribute to smog, respiratory illness, and other public health risks.

This unlawful software enabled Mercedes to obtain emissions certifications that the vehicles did not actually qualify for, the New York Attorney Generals Office said in a statement.

Between 2008 and 2017, Mercedes sold more than 200,000 affected diesel vehicles nationwide, including more than 19,000 registered in New York.

Consumers misled by clean diesel claims

Investigators also concluded that Mercedes misled buyers by marketing its diesel vehicles as environmentally friendly.

The company advertised the cars as producing ultra-low emissions, described them as clean and green, and claimed they were among the worlds cleanest diesel automobiles. Mercedes also touted technology that allegedly converted harmful pollutants into pure, earth-friendly nitrogen and water.

In reality, the vehicles emitted far more pollution than permitted and did not operate as advertised or certified, state officials said.

Attorney General James said the conduct went on for nearly a decade.

Mercedes promised New Yorkers clean, green cars, but instead sold vehicles that polluted our air and put public health at risk, James said. For nearly a decade, Mercedes misled regulators and consumers while its vehicles spewed toxic emissions into our communities.

Investigation launched after federal case

The multistate probe began in 2020, following the conclusion of a related federal investigation. As part of a nine-state executive committee, the New York Attorney Generals Office reviewed more than 350,000 documents and interviewed numerous witnesses.

That investigation ultimately found that Mercedes undisclosed software masked the vehicles true pollution levels and allowed the company to improperly obtain emissions certifications.

Money for pollution control and consumers

As part of the settlement, Mercedes will immediately pay $120 million to the participating states. New Yorks share$13,530,088will be used to prevent, reduce, and mitigate air pollution.

An additional $29,673,750 penalty is temporarily suspended and will be reduced by $750 for each affected vehicle that Mercedes repairs, removes from the road, or buys back.

To encourage repairs, Mercedes must offer $2,000 payments to eligible owners and lessees whose vehicles receive an Approved Emissions Modification. Claims must be submitted by September 30, 2026. Mercedes is required to notify eligible consumers by mail and provide an extended emissions warranty for vehicles that undergo the repair.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said the settlement delivers both accountability and environmental benefits.

This multi-state settlement not only ensures accountability for bad actors using illegal emissions-cheating devices, it also importantly delivers more than $13.5 million to New York to reduce harmful emissions and help eligible consumers pay for costly vehicle repairs, Lefton said.

Strict compliance and oversight requirements

Beyond the financial penalties, the settlement imposes broad restrictions on Mercedes future conduct.

The company is barred from selling or leasing diesel vehicles equipped with illegal emissions-cheating devices, from making misleading claims about emissions performance, and from labeling diesel vehicles as clean or low-pollution unless those claims are accurate and substantiated.

Mercedes must also comply with requirements previously imposed in federal court, regularly report to state regulators on vehicle repairs and removals, and submit to additional oversight. Failure to comply could trigger further penalties.

State officials said the settlement is intended not only to remedy past harm, but to prevent similar misconduct across the auto industry going forward.