You don’t need to get fulfillment from your job: sometimes, a decent salary is enough. But if you know you’re a person who can’t be happy unless their days are spent doing something meaningful, these occupations might be a place to start your hunt for your next career.
(Photo Credit: francisco_osorio/Flickr)
Note that salaries vary widely, here, as do stress levels and sense of job satisfaction. Some of these occupations also require a significant investment on the education front, so you’ll want to research each thoroughly, before you start making plans to change careers.
1. Clergy
High Meaning: 97 percent
Salary: $45,400
Typical Education: Masters (non-MBA)
High Satisfaction: 89 percent
High Stress: 68 percent
2. Directors, Religious Activities and Education
High Meaning: 97 percent
Salary: $35,900
Typical Education: Bachelors
High Satisfaction: 88 percent
High Stress: 61 percent
3. Surgeons
High Meaning: 94 percent
Salary: $299,600
Typical Education: Doctors of Medicine (MD)
High Satisfaction: 82 percent
High Stress: 79 percent
4. Education Administrators, Elementary/Secondary
High Meaning: 93 percent
Salary: $75,900
Typical Education: Masters (non-MBA)
High Satisfaction: 87 percent
High Stress: 85 percent
High Meaning: 93 percent
Salary: $58,700
Typical Education: Doctorate (Ph.D.)
High Satisfaction: 65 percent
High Stress: 52 percent
High Meaning: 93 percent
Salary: $43,500
Typical Education: Associates
High Satisfaction: 84 percent
High Stress: 78 percent
High Meaning: 93 percent
Salary: $69,800
Typical Education: Bachelors
High Satisfaction: 80 percent
High Stress: 64 percent
To see PayScale’s full list of 450+ jobs, and how each compares for job meaning, salary, stress, and satisfaction, go here.
Tell Us What You Think
What’s more important to you when it comes to choosing a career: money or meaning? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
Chiropractors are 1 of the 3 physicians recognized by licensure and insurances
Medical Doctor
Doctor of Osteopathy
Doctor of Chiropractic you stated the education was a Ph.D it is not;Like any physician it is a Doctorate in the chosen Medical discipline.
Clergy. If you know any clergy… what they openingly state and what they how satisfied they actually are… are generally two different things.
The top 2 are religious? Why not a horoscope writer or other form of self-deception? This is disgusting.
Dear Jen,
Explaining the method of selection here would be essential. Clergy? What are you smoking? Add witches then. Fireman? C’mon.Schoolmasters – whoa! Chiropractors, surgeons? Mein God! Despicable places to get into
Interestingly, I think that Clergy, Directors of Religious Education and Chiropractors belong in the least meaningful list.