FIFTY BEST JOBS: Money Magazine and Salary.com

Money Magazine and Salary.com have combined their respective forces to create this years Top Ten Best Jobs. The list was defined by using the attributes of salary, ten year growth, average annual job openings, stress, flexibility, ease of entry and creativity. And the top three jobs are, drum roll please:

1. Software Engineer :

Question- How did Microsoft take over the world?
Answer- One happy programer geek at a time.

With an average salary of $80,500 what gamer wouldn't be happy, now they can afford Playstation and Xbox too. But watch out for the risks of the job which include soreness of the hands and wrists, eye strain and outsourcing; India and China are the axis of evil for these geeks.

2. College Professor:

Hire education a must, but hey whats a couple more years of college, your parents can afford it. No seriously if creativity and flexibility are a must in your life you should consider tenure. This means no dress code and no chance of being outsourced by some computer tweaker in India. With an average salary of $81,500 you'll have plenty of cash to burn during your constant time off and varying sabaticals taking you to the far ends of the earth. Only downer is your still in school dealing with the kids that made you hate it in the first place. But entry into this field is tough because most professors teach for the rest of their lives, wouldn't you?

3. Financial Advisor:

Forget UBS and Meryll Lynch Finance specialists, go into business for yourself! Financial advisors are banking six figures annually. Look Bob Wallstreet, financial planning is as easy as playing with someone else's money. With the growing population of retiring baby boomers and increasing wealth of their children, financial planning is one of the fast growing industries.

"Advise clients on financial plans utilizing knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives to establish investment strategies."(CNNMoney.com)

STRESSED OUT, long hours comparing numbers and dealing with senior citizens can leave you maxed out. But hey your credit cards won't be, so sit back on your yatch and sip mimosas. And remember how you got there, somebody else's money.

Check out the rest of the List and find a career that suits your needs:

• TOP JOBS

Justin Dennis