The year 2011 is the best of times for software engineers and the worst of times for roustabouts, according to a survey of the nation's best and worst jobs released on Wednesday.

根据本周三发布的2011年度最佳和最差职业调查，软件工程师获评最佳职业，而石油钻台工人则排名垫底。

Software engineers have the top jobs, thanks to the exploding demand for high-tech¹ gadgets²（小配件，小工具） and the appetite for applications for iPods, tablets and other devices, said the survey by online jobs site CareerCast.com.

Software engineers enjoy a strong outlook for employment, low stress, few physical demands and good wages, it said.

Roustabouts（码头工人） , on the other hand, who are oil rig or gas pipeline³ workers, have the worst job, it said.

A roustabout's job is dangerous, as shown by the explosion aboard the Transocean Ltd. oil drilling rig in the Gulf⁴ of Mexico that killed 11 workers in April.

Roustabouts routinely work 12-hour shifts in tough conditions, it said.

The top five jobs, which include mathematician⁵, actuary（保险精算师） , statistician and computer systems, typically pay more than twice as much as the lowest jobs -- $83,777 compared to $30,735 per year.

The least desirable jobs along with roustabout for 2011 are iron worker, lumberjack（伐木工人） , roofer and taxi driver, it said.

CareerCast evaluated 200 professions based on pay, environment, hiring outlook, stress and physical demands, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor⁶ Statistics, the Census⁷ Bureau and trade association studies.

To determine the amount of stress in a job, for example, the study looked at such factors as whether an employee's life was at risk or the number of deadlines and travel.