Every job has pros and cons (some more cons than others), and no one knows a job better than the people doing it. That inspired Insider Monkey and Yahoo Finance to scour the internet in search of the real answer to the happiest job.
To do so, Insider Monkey and Yahoo Finance focused on three main criteria: how meaningful employees find their work, how positive a job’s work-life balance is, and how much autonomy employees possess. These values were used to create a scoring system to determine how enjoyable jobs are.
They ultimately came up with a list of 12 happiest jobs.
Here are the five happiest jobs in the world:
1. Social worker
Some may be surprised to find that the title of happiest job goes to social workers. After all, it seems like a perfectly ordinary career.
Social work is fairly common, with the National Association of Social Workers reporting that “there were more than 708,000 social work jobs in 2021,” which is expected to grow over the next decade. But it’s a popular position for a reason.
Insider Monkey states, “Despite the challenges, the sense of fulfillment derived from positively impacting society contributes largely to the happiness of social workers, making it the happiest job in the world.”
“Making a tangible difference in the well-being of others can be deeply fulfilling,” they continued, adding that the variation in tasks and “opportunity to work with diverse populations” keeps the position engaging.
2. Art therapist
Dmytro Zinkevych | Shutterstock
One of the lesser-known jobs on the list is that of art therapists, who help clients find healing through creative means. This gives the art therapists the chance to be creative themselves.
Like any therapist, art therapists follow their clients’ journeys and watch them progress and progress toward improvement. Per Insider Monkey, “The ability to facilitate personal growth and healing through artistic expression fosters a profound sense of fulfillment.”
On the downside, this job is fairly rare, which doesn’t bode well for newcomers in the job market. The American Art Therapy Association has approximately 5,000 members. Art therapist Raja Aossey told the Bureau of Labor Statistics that jobs can be difficult to find unless you’re willing to be flexible with what you’re looking for.
3. Musician
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When someone says “musician,” there’s a good chance that some of the world’s biggest household names come to mind. However, that’s a pretty narrow view of who a musician can be.
You don’t have to be the next Michael Jackson to be a musician. Perhaps you play a classical instrument, teach students, or write. Regardless of the particulars, Insider Monkey pointed out that being a musician provides great flexibility and work-life balance, as one is often self-employed.
“Musicians derive happiness from their ability to evoke emotions, inspire others, and create beauty through their craft,” they said.
4. Professor
Many would be surprised by the variety that professors enjoy in their careers. Often, they are thought of as simply teachers; however, they get the chance to explore their chosen subject matter through research, teaching, and more.
“Contributing to the advancement of knowledge and witnessing students’ growth and development provide intrinsic rewards,” Insider Monkey said.
The National Center for Education Statistics estimated that there are 1.5 to 1.6 million “faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions.”
5. Entrepreneur
If you want a job with the ultimate level of autonomy, you may want to try entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs start their businesses to fill whatever gap they see in the world.
Insider Monkey said entrepreneurialism “offers unparalleled freedom, fulfillment, and the opportunity to pursue one’s passions.” This career has grown in popularity in recent years as more people have sought to take control of their work lives and do what they truly want.
According to HubSpot, there are currently 31 million entrepreneurs in the United States, which is 16% of all workers.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.
