If you want to be rich, get an MBA. If you want to be happy, go for an MDiv.
Members of the clergy rank highest in job satisfaction, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. More than 87 percent of clergy said they were satisfied with their jobs, followed by firefighters (80 percent) and physical therapists (78 percent).
Cynthia Lindner, directory of ministry studies at the university's Divinity School, said the findings rang true to her. People come to the field with no expectation of getting rich and every expectation of being able to make some difference in the world, she said.
"People are not going into the profession out of some sense of `I want a lot of power and prestige,' " she said.
At the bottom of the job satisfaction scale were workers normally on top of things. Roofers were least satisfied with their jobs, followed by waiters.
Researchers noted that the jobs people were most satisfied by tend to involve helping others or expressing creativity. Education administrators and teachers, psychologists, authors, painters and sculptors all expressed high degrees of satisfaction. The least satisfying jobs were low-skill or customer service jobs. Waiters, cashiers, laborers, and clothing and furniture salespeople were among the least satisfied.
The rankings are based on information collected in the research center's General Social Survey over almost two decades from more than 27,000 people.
