Casting about for your next career? A few tips: learn your programming languages and stay away from chain saws.

Software engineer was ranked No. 1 in a list of the best jobs of 2012 published by CareerCast.com. It was the second year in a row this position snagged the top spot, thanks in part to an explosion of data that companies and governments need to gather, analyze and turn into productive uses. The field offers a midrange income of $88,142, according to CareerCast.

The...