by Anabel Cooper
Happiness and satisfaction at work aren’t always tied to a salary. CareerBliss, a massive fulfillment-focus job search website comprised of millions of independent company reviews and salary listing, carries out the leading survey of job satisfaction in America. As we’ll see, the results can be surprising: relatively smaller salaried jobs stand next to high flying corporate leadership jobs, but all the positions seem to have a few characteristics in common. Namely, the ability to see a task through to the conclusion and the ability to achieve tangible results at work. Another surprise is the proliferation of ICT roles throughout the list: one might casually imagine tech jobs to be defined by routine and drudgework, but it seems these positions are more fulfilling than many other professions.
Happiest Profession #10: Network Administrator
Network administrators help install and maintain the smooth functioning of networks, systems, operating software and ICT services at work. It’s a relatively well-paid position with plenty of room for career development. What may also explain the happiness of network administrators is that the position offers lots of opportunities for problem-solving and lateral thinking, but within a sufficiently well-defined environment that the work doesn’t get mired in tedious intangibles.
Happiest Profession #9: Senior Software Engineer
Software engineers work on the creation, development, and testing of new computer software for businesses anywhere between private corporations and financial institutions to public service organizations It’s a job that allows for creativity where innovative thinking is rewarded. The potential to see work through from conception to completion is regarded as one of the highlights of the role.
Happiest Profession #8: Business Development Executive
Executive roles in business, whether for large corporations or independent companies, certainly bring their fair share of stress and responsibilities. However, the ability to implement creative business development ideas that can identify growth opportunities and help others improve seems to outweigh the negatives.
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Happiest Profession #7: Web Developer
Web development is a challenging and creative position, that also allows developers direct and unfettered technical control over their work. It’s a relatively easy role to achieve competence in and there are clearly delineated paths to improving one’s skill set. The satisfaction in crafting a dynamic and intuitive experience for users is one of the reasons that web developers report such high happiness at work.
Happiest Profession #6: Database Administrators
Database administrators are responsible for the digital organization and archiving of data. It’s a job that entails a lot of responsibility and very accurate attention to detail. The role is crucial for companies to be able to function with solidly verifiable datasets like customer details and financial records, especially with modern concerns over the security of personal information.
Happiest Profession #5: Research Assistant
Although the work is often temporary for the duration of a single contract, the job itself rates very highly for contentment and satisfaction. It’s also significantly less well paid than the other positions on this list. However, the opportunities afforded to complete dynamic learning assignments seems to be of real value to those pursuing this profession.
Happiest Profession #4: Automation Engineer
This role involves helping fulfill the multitudinous roles of designing, simulating, programming and testing required to ensure that automated processes and machinery can function independently. The work is highly skilled and automation engineers usually find themselves working for large-scale businesses like food processing or car manufacturer. For someone with good communication and problem-solving skills, this role promises a lot of satisfaction.
Happiest Profession #3: Loan Officer
Despite the long hours this role often requires, loan officers report deriving a lot of satisfaction of helping people bring their dreams to life, whether it means acquiring the home of their dreams or getting a small business idea off the ground. They play a critical role in enabling first-time entrepreneurs getting on their feet, and often spend a great deal of time going over proposals with their clients.
Happiest Profession #2: Executive Chef
Kitchen work can be some of the most demanding and stressful employment around: there are long hours, less time for a personal life, responsibilities, and leadership. For many top chefs, however, they wouldn’t have it any other way. Those that feed of the energy and high workload can enjoy making creative food that keeps customers coming back for more.
Happiest Profession #1: School Principal
Between the pressures of government oversight, parental demands, maintaining discipline and ensuring teacher morale is high, school principals have a lot of weight on their shoulders. However, when education administrators start to see the difference their efforts make in the lives of their pupils, every ounce of effort made is well rewarded.
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I am indeed a Senior Software Engineer. The points described in position #8 are quite true. The problem is: as long as you are not working in a company that earns its money with IT, IT is mostly considered as a necessary evil and a cost factor. None of your customers (users from other business departments in the company) will ever thank you for doing a great job. It is simply expected. And anything less than perfect will cause them to escalate even ridiculously small problems up to the C-level, because they “cannot work this way”. My work day is full of politics and management decisions against my explicit recommendations. Maybe it’s my employer’s problem but the stories I keep hearing from other (Senior) Software Engineers from other companies, which don’t earn their money with IT, sound very much the same. So here is my advice: (Senior) Software Engineer really can be the best job in the world, but you have to work in an IT company to experience the recognition you deserve!!!
It surprised me that pediatric nurses and pediatrician is not listed among the happiest people.