The geeks strike back: despite enduring an industry bubble and the threat of outsourcing, Software Engineer ranks as the Best Job of 2011: “In recent years, the job market has increasingly rewarded math whizzes at the expense of less technical professionals. Jobs like Actuary, Mathematician and Accountant have all ranked among the best in America by offering a pleasant work environment, good salary and healthy job security. But in 2011, as the emergence of specialized technologies creates new industries, landing the year’s best job requires not just skill with numbers, but a strong knowledge of computers too. 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.”

• See also The 10 Worst Jobs of 2011
• Methodology and FAQ for these reports