What professions give the highest job satisfaction?

[Cowbells]

Just read on another thread a warning to keep your loved ones out of the entertainment industry as it's so brutal and sexually corrupt. I've heard banking and law are crazy hours and heartless. Medicine/nursing and teaching are long hours, underpaid and thankless.

What are the good industries with a healthy work life balance, decent pay and good job satisfaction? Do any still exist?

@Itsreallymehonest

I've done a quick name change as this is very outing, but I run a private crematorium. It is the most rewarding job I have ever had.

I can imagine that would be rewarding. Helping people say goodbye to loved ones in a way that is respectful and loving - that's worthwhile.

@ImaHogg

Of all the people I know it’s the gardeners/landscapers or those who work with nature who seem to be the happiest and most content with their chosen careers and life.

That's interesting. I know two who gave it up because they found clients so difficult to work with. People want perfect gardens for tuppence.

Software engineering.

Well paid, don't need mega qualifications, no heavy lifting, lots of problem solving, which is satisfying.

@Bargebill19

Job satisfaction varies from person to person. Not really quantifiable! Eg. Dh drives a truck - he loves driving his job satisfaction is way up there. Me - I love to clean building on my own with music. My boss thought I would be better off in management. My job satisfaction went from being really high to being suicidal.

I hope you went back to cleaning pdq. Much better to do what you love, even if it is not seen as high status.

@Bellsandwhistle

I work in law and I love my job. Crime and family which is frustrating at times but very rewarding at others.

I admire you. Imo, that is one of the toughest jobs. Such grim facts to deal with every day.

@cowbells. Yes I have! I left management for cleaning - got conned into taking a management position (it wasn’t it was working supervisor) within the same cleaning firm. I’ve left and gone back to cleaning elsewhere. I’m happy - my ex boss not very happy if his letters and phone calls are anything to go by... I guess his job satisfaction is low.

@Cowbells ha, oh no - not long at all compared to rest of investment management/banking :) and for well into 6 figures base salary in my early 30s (with significant earnings headroom to go and not including bonuses), it is totally worth it for me. Also because - perhaps most importantly - I love it. I cannot see myself ever giving it up/retiring fully.

My husband always speaks fondly of his time as a dustman.

Minimal to zero job satisfaction as a midwife.

Mainly due to unrealistic expectations, appalling staffing levels and a supremely high workload.

Nursing was worse.

Ooh, good question. Speech and language therapy has always interested me, I've got a degree (English lit) but no other qualifications, I wonder how hard it would be to get a job in it if I did do another degree.

Primary teacher in Ireland . LOVE my job . Doing it nearly 30 years. Pay is fantastic for what I do ( 75k ) . Can leave at 2.20pm every day. Only have to work after school during September and October when doing Support Plans for the year . Do about an hour extra a day those two months.
Amazing staff and so thankful every day!!!!

@KimsPonytail

Ooh, good question. Speech and language therapy has always interested me, I've got a degree (English lit) but no other qualifications, I wonder how hard it would be to get a job in it if I did do another degree.

I'm currently part way through a SALT degree and I'm bloody loving it. The SLT community is so close knit and keen to support each other and foster the next generation coming through it's bloody amazing. Plus I just love the sheer range of things we've covered on the course so far and areas I could go into from it.

Previous primary teacher. Job nearly destroyed me.

I’m an actuary. Apparently we come out pretty high on the job satisfaction scale.

(It doesn’t surprise me - interesting work (if you like numerical stuff - it would be hell if you didn’t but someone who didn’t would never go into the job in the first place), pretty well paid, good conditions, hours and stress significantly lower than that for other highly paid jobs like law or investment.)

The exams you have to take to get there are pretty miserable though - but once qualified life is very good indeed.

Community pharmacist and for the most part I love my job. Currently working as a locum so with different teams daily, no management responsibilities, no need to bring work home apart from cpd, well paid and no shortage of work offers. Will take a lot to make me go back to management

I’m an educational psychologist and I absolutely love my job. The path to get here was long and hard work but it’s the best job in the world. My caseload is reasonable, I can work flexibly, I get to spend time in schools with some great kids and teaching staff, but leave after a few hours and enjoy a nice jacket potato in Tesco cafe, then spend the afternoon writing reports in lovely peace and quiet. My work is super interesting, decent pay and no expectation to work outside my hours (in my LA, I know it’s different in other LAs).

I used to be a teacher and the difference in my wellbeing is insane.

I work as a one-to-one tutor in an Alternative Provision setting.

It’s heaven. After working in mainstream secondary, I was left on my knees, medicated and traumatised.

Found a little AP setting on a small holding. I work three days a week with the best kids and colleagues in the world. I pinch myself every day.

I have time to pursue other interests, keep fit, spend time with my DH and all the best bits of teaching with none of the shit.

[quote RIftw]@Cowbells ha, oh no - not long at all compared to rest of investment management/banking :) and for well into 6 figures base salary in my early 30s (with significant earnings headroom to go and not including bonuses), it is totally worth it for me. Also because - perhaps most importantly - I love it. I cannot see myself ever giving it up/retiring fully.[/quote]
But you work 12 hours a day! If I worked 12 hours a day I'd be on 6 figures too - just.

@Cowbells

Just read on another thread a warning to keep your loved ones out of the entertainment industry as it's so brutal and sexually corrupt. I've heard banking and law are crazy hours and heartless. Medicine/nursing and teaching are long hours, underpaid and thankless.

What are the good industries with a healthy work life balance, decent pay and good job satisfaction? Do any still exist?

Can you link the entertainment thread as just had a bruising encounter in my branch of media and thinking of leaving completely! Would love to read.

This is a good website OP. All professions ranked in order allowing for various criteria (income, stress, future prospects etc). It's a US website but quite relevant to the UK as the jobs market is fairly similar.

www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/best-jobs-of-2019

@Cowbells - if he’s really set on law, then can I recommend a science degree followed by becoming a patent attorney? The professional exams are difficult (which sounds similar to the actuarial ones), but it’s a well-paid and interesting job with sensible working hours (I do 07:45-16:30).

All the professions allied to medicine. Physio OT SLT behaviour therapy even audiologist radiographer etc. One to suit most! But high entrance requirements.

@WaveAbout what is the income for speech therapy? I’ve wondered about retraining in it!

@SkeletonSkins how did you get into this from teaching out of interest?

@Cowbells there are good jobs in law - friend works inside a company as a lawyer and gets well paid with reasonable hours.

@Dreamingofbeergardens you need a psychology degree, some do a conversion masters, and then it’s a 3 year fully funded doctorate. Hard but so worth it.