http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/2011-ranking-200-jobs-best-worst
http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/10-best-jobs-2011
Software Engineer, a job that involves the design and creation of software for everything from operating systems to cell phone “apps” to interactive games, ranks as the best job of 2011, according to this year’s Jobs Rated report. Surveying 200 different professions across a wide variety of industries, skill levels and salary ranges, Jobs Rated researchers determine their rankings according to five core criteria: Work Environment, Physical Demands, Outlook, Income and Stress. The goal of each Jobs Rated report is to determine how gratifying each job will be for a majority of workers – not just those who are famous or exceptional – so they can be sorted into a list of the “worst” and “best” professions
What helped Software Engineer capture the title of America’s Best Job? While many factors push a career to the top of the rankings, the strong performance of Software Engineer this year can be attributed to two emerging industries: web applications and cloud computing. A proliferation of companies making applications for smartphones and tablets, along with the push to develop “cloud” software hosted entirely online, has made the job market for Software Engineers broader and more diverse. And a diverse job market brings improvements in stress factors such as Growth Potential and Competitiveness, as workers become less beholden to employers or vulnerable to outsourcing. In fact, the stress ranking for Software Engineer improved 10 spots this year, jumping from 25th to 15th place overall.