Where Do America's Happiest People Work?

[Giskat09 2]

Career isn't the only factor in determining someone's overall happiness, but it's certainly a major contributor. So, what kind of jobs do the happiest people in the U.S. have? And, what about these jobs contributes to overall happiness in life? A University of Chicago study, "Job Satisfaction in the United States," offers some insight.The study says the occupations where people report being happy overall, not just in terms of job satisfaction, involve helping others, technical and scientific expertise, or creativity.

Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Research Center at UC, elaborates: "Happiness is determined by how much satisfaction you get from all domains of life, and work is an important domain, so it's one of the major components of overall happiness."

According to the study, the top occupations in general happiness are:

1. Clergy

Job Description: Conduct religious worship and perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.

Very happy: 67.2%

Median salary*: $44,102

2. Firefighters

Job Description: Control and extinguish fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts.

Very happy: 57.2%

Median salary: $45,553

3. Transportation, ticket, and reservation agents such as travel agents

Job Description: Travel agents plan and sell transportation and accommodations for travel agency customers.

Very happy: 56.5%

Median hourly rate (travel agents): $14.23

4. Architects

Job Description: Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.

Very happy: 53.5%

Median salary: $54,079

5. Special education teachers

Job Description: Teach school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students.

Very happy: 52.6%

Median salary (preschool, kindergarten or elementary school): $41,344

Median salary (secondary school): $43,060

6. Actors and directors

Job Description: Actors play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture productions for entertainment, information, or instruction.

Very happy: 51.0%

Salary varies greatly

7. Science technicians

Job Description: Use principles and theories of science and mathematics to solve problems in research and development, and to help invent and improve products and processes.

Very happy: 51.0%

Median salary (research scientists): $72,435

8. Miscellaneous mechanical and repairing occupations

Job Description: Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.

Very happy: 53.6%**

Median hourly rate (mechanics/auto tune up): $15.26

9. Industrial engineers

Job Description: Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes.

Very happy: 48.4%

Median salary: $61,729

10. Airline pilots and navigators

Job Description: Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pilot and navigate the flight of multi-engine aircraft in regularly scheduled service for transport of passengers and cargo.

Very happy: 49.1%

Median hourly rate (airline pilots, copilots, or flight engineers): $63

HERE'S THE LINK:

Where do America's Happiest People work?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

WalMart.

[Giskat09 2]

Mine, customer service representative

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Im a customer svc manager with Walmart and have been there 8 1/2 yrs. I love what I do even though its hectic and crazy at times. I love working with people.

[Giskat09 2]

Interaction with is really fun! but when it comes to the schedule, its really killing me. Im working from 9pm to 5am just to talk to those English people over the phone.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Customer Service is the worst. I remembered it. The good old college struggling days.

[NickD 203]

Ever see a mechanic or construction worker that is much over 40 years old? Certainly can find a bunch of them in physical therapy, friend is in the hospital right now with a broken back, pushed to get the job done, slipped and fell twenty feet, but lucky to be alive.

R&D was challenging and fun, but the first department to shut down if the stock market dropped a couple of points, kind of forgetting that the only reason why your company is there is because of the work you have done. Seen many companies go bankrupt in the high tech fields by shutting down R&D, head choppers would come in.

Have a cousin that is an airline pilot, constant regulations and fear of not passing the next six month flight physical, and not really a good profession to be in if you are a family man.

Step son just graduated with honors and is a licensed architect but can't find a job, just doing some odds and ends construction work when he can find it.

Several of my old seminary buddies quit the priesthood, not about saving souls and helping people, but about constantly trying to raise money to pay the bills. Probably why no jobs you have listed are rated at 100%. See the highest score at only 67.2% than rapidly drops down to the divorce rate, only 1 out of 2 happy?

Nothing mentioned about the medical field, good share of my family is in that, most are very happy, only complaints is the excessive paperwork they are forced to do and in dealing with health insurance companies. My brother is a hot head, will go ahead and do a procedure if it means saving a patients life or makes life more bearable without waiting for insurance procedure, gets him into problems with his hospital, but he doesn't care, just quits and finds a better hospital.

Some people I have met that really love their jobs are head choppers, I could never to that.

[panamania79 2]

Customer Service is the worst. I remembered it. The good old college struggling days.

It sure is.Customer service can easily turn a "people person" antisocial.

Im a customer svc manager with Walmart and have been there 8 1/2 yrs. I love what I do even though its hectic and crazy at times. I love working with people.

You like working at Wal-Mart? Everybody I know who have worked there say that is the worst company to work for.

[Mononoke28 135]

I think it also depends on your boss. I currently work at a company that really appreciates me and a boss that most people dream of having. That right there makes a huge world of difference, especially when having a bad day.

Diana

[panamania79 2]

I think it also depends on your boss. I currently work at a company that really appreciates me and a boss that most people dream of having. That right there makes a huge world of difference, especially when having a bad day.

Diana

You have the dream job.I love my job but the bosses only appreciate their sapitos(rats) and lambe-culos(butt-kissers).The rest of us are basically on our own.

Edited November 11, 2008 by panamania79

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Walmart as a whole - heck no! But the associates and customers that I've worked with and for, for the last 8yrs YES!

[panamania79 2]

Walmart as a whole - heck no! But the associates and customers that I've worked with and for, for the last 8yrs YES!

Yeah,the people seem really cool,but management...forgetabouit !

[Marilyn. 340]

I my job..

it is not an easy job and some days I just want to go home but overall I love the kids and the parents treat me with kindness and respect....

[jundp 191]

I have the best job in the entire world: teacher and Catholic charity adviser.

[John and Camie 39]

I'm a copy editor at "The Happiest Place On Earth" - it's one of the places where our friendship turned to romance.