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Who Is the Happiest Worker in the Country?

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What makes us happy at work? Most of us would say “money” right off the bat, but recent research from TheLadders shows that compensation is only one part of the picture.

A few highlights from their findings:

– Weather affects our job satisfaction as well as our sense of overall well-being: Unsurprisingly, workers in Chicago, Boston, and New York were 30 percent more psyched for spring to come than their counterparts in warmer climates.

– More significantly, however, folks in colder climates reported a 28 percent higher job satisfaction level all year long than people in warmer parts of the country.

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– Colder climates also had more diverse job markets with a wider range of titles.

– Sales professionals were the most dissatisfied of any of the job categories examined.

– The happiest professions were Law, Tech, and Accounting & Finance; the unhappiest were Real Estate, Sales, and Education.

– Money might matter less than you’d think: the professionals surveyed reported less happiness with every increase in pay over $170,000. In fact, people who made $240,000 were less happy than those who made $40,000.

“[O]ur analysis shows that a city-dwelling techie, who works in the northeast during the spring months, and makes six figures (but under $200k) is the happiest employee in the country,” writes Daniel Cronyn, director of consumer marketing for TheLadders. “Conversely, if you find yourself working a sales job in Sacramento, perhaps this research will persuade you to pack your bags and take a cross-country road trip this spring.”

Tell Us What You Think

We want to hear from you! Does your job make you happy? Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter, using the hashtag #MakeItHappen.

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(Photo Credit: Electroburger/Flickr)

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt
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I am a public servant in New Zealand. I work with the Finance team in a large organisation. I am very happy with my job: Wellington New Zealand is like a small scale San Francisco. The people here support the arts, education, health, and life. My colleagues are committed professionals, and I look forward to coming to work every day: Including Mondays. Best job I have had in years.

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