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Happiest Jobs: Firefighter is #2

Career and salary aren’t the only things you need to be happy at work or life. Even the world’s most rewarding jobs won’t guarantee happiness. But as part of a balanced life, your career can certainly play a major role in your overall happiness. So, what are the most enjoyable jobs in the U.S. and what is it about the most enjoyable jobs that contribute to ones overall happiness in life? A University of Chicago study, “Job Satisfaction in the United States,” offers some insight.

The study shows a correlation between certain careers for Americans and career satisfaction. In fact, the study says the most enjoyable jobs where people report being happiest 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-personal, the community you live in, and work is an important domain, so it’s one of the major components of overall happiness.”

According to the study, the most enjoyable jobs, based on general happiness are:

1. Clergy Jobs
Job Description: Conduct religious worship and perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. For clergy, job satisfaction is gained through intense faith, and the act of providing guidance and counsel to others.

Very happy: 67.2%
Median salary: $44,102

2. Firefighter Jobs

Job Description: Control and extinguish fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts. Firefighters live their lives on the call to public service. Although the hours are long, and risks are high, firefighters also experience high job satisfaction, and are held in high esteem by their communities.

Very happy: 57.2%
Median salary: $45,553

More happy jobs->

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