CareerBliss compiled a list of the 20 happiest jobs based on analysis from more than 100,400 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012. Employees were asked to rate 10 factors that affect workplace happiness, including one's relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work one does on a daily basis. The happiest job of all isn't kindergarten teacher or dentist. It's software quality assurance engineer. Professionals with this job title are typically involved in the entire software development process to ensure the quality of the final product. This can include processes such as requirements gathering and documentation, source code control, code review, change management, configuration management, release management, and the actual testing of the software, explains Matt Miller, chief technology officer at CareerBliss.
With an index score of 4.24, software quality assurance engineers said they are more than satisfied with the people they work with and the company they work for. They're also fairly content with their daily tasks and bosses.
These professionals "typically make between $85,000 and $100,000 a year in salary and are the gatekeepers for releasing high quality software products," Miller says. Organizations generally will not allow software to be released until it has been fully tested and approved by their software quality assurance group, he adds.
Golledge says, "In past studies, we have noted that the long hours and intense demands on software engineers' time caused them to rank as less than happy. However, we are happy to report that software quality assurance engineers feel rewarded at work, as they are typically the last stop before software goes live and correctly feel that they are an integral part of the job being done at the company."
Tied for the second most blissful job is executive chef and property manager; both earned an index score of 4.15. Executive chefs, also known as chefs de cuisine or head cooks, do everything from menu creation and staff training to ordering and purchasing inventory. They cite the work that they do and the people they work with as the main drivers of their happiness.
Property managers plan, direct, or coordinate the selling, buying, leasing, or governance activities of real estate properties, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers in this profession are most satisfied with the people they work with and the work that they do.
"Many of the happiest jobs have some component with working with people," Golledge says. "Folks who work with others tend to rate their happiness higher on our site."
Bank teller and warehouse manager round out the top five happiest jobs in America, with index scores of 4.14 and 4.13, respectively.
"The roles that we did not expect to see were teller, accountant and financial analyst," she says. "Even though all three of these positions ranked low on compensation, they all ranked very high on 'the company you work for' and 'the people you work with.' Clearly, working with likeminded folks who share a love for calculators and numbers drive their happiness."
Here is a list of the top 10 Happiest Jobs In America, based on analysis from more than 100,400 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012.
1. Software Quality Assurance Engineer
2. (tie) Executive Chef
2. (tie) Property ManagerScore: 4.15
4. Teller
5. Warehouse Manager
6. Administrative Assistant
7. Customer Service Representative
8. Accountant
9. (tie) Systems Engineer
9. (tie) Construction Manager
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