Software Architect – Best job of 2010?

Software architect named top on the best job of 2010. Surprisingly it was missing in earlier year’s listings, does it also mean that this is newly created “Job” in 2010? I am also a Software Architect in a fortune 500 company. I love my job but I would not necessarily put that on top of the list. 

I can say the description matches with what is listed, but their job does end at creating blue prints, sometimes it is important to write code also, unlike building architects, they don’t put brinks together, do they? Software architects do. It is usually said that architects don’t have to know the technology, but it is seldom practiced, they are also humans, they have their preferences for technologies. Technology agnostic architectures are very likely to be modified when it comes to design and develop those.

BEST JOBS IN AMERICA

Money/Payscale.com's list of great careers

1. Software Architect

Chaiken, a software engineer for more than two decades, relishes the more collaborative work.

Top 100 rank: 1
Sector: Information Technology

What they do: Like architects who design buildings, they create the blueprints for software engineers to follow -- and pitch in with programming too. Plus, architects are often called on to work with customers and product managers, and they serve as a link between a company's tech and business staffs.

What's to like: The job is creatively challenging, and engineers with good people skills are liberated from their screens. Salaries are generally higher than for programmers, and a typical day has more variety.

"Some days I'll focus on product strategy, and other days I'll be coding down in the guts of the system," says David Chaiken, 46, of Yahoo in Sunnyvale, Calif., whose current projects include helping the web giant customize content for its 600 million users. Even though programming jobs are moving overseas, the face-to-face aspect of this position helps cement local demand.

What's not to like: You are often outside the management chain of command, making it hard to get things done.

Requirements: Bachelor's degree, and either a master's or considerable work experience to demonstrate your ability to design software and work collaboratively.

Best Jobs in America 2010 - Top 100: Software Architect - Money Magazine on CNNMoney.com