10 Happiest Jobs in the US

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School Principal Leigh Anne Faulkner poses with her certificate after receiving the 2021 Department of Defense Education Activity Principal of the Year award for the Americas region at Tarawa Terrace Elementary School on Camp Lejeune.
Leigh Anne Faulkner, the principal of Tarawa Terrace Elementary School, poses for a photo with her certificate after receiving the 2021 Department of Defense Education Activity Principal of the Year award for the Americas region at Tarawa Terrace Elementary School on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 3, 2021. (Cpl. Christian Ayers/U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Job satisfaction is hard to come by, and besides paying your bills, the value of a satisfying job shouldn't be undermined by financial concerns.

It's one thing to find a job, but feeling satisfied by it is an often overlooked point of concern. USA Today compiled information from CareerBliss about job satisfaction and happiness rankings, and the results are interesting.

Most positions lean toward having authority, and many of the following jobs are in a highly technical field like information technology (IT).

If job satisfaction is your primary concern, check out the 10 happiest jobs in the U.S.:

1. School Principal

It takes years of hard work to become a school principal, and the job isn't exactly easy. Principals must be extremely comfortable with working with people, because overseeing an entire school's worth of children and their families requires a lot of face time. However, despite the difficulties, school principals report one of the highest job satisfaction rates.

2. Executive Chef

Hard work in the right position can be immensely rewarding. Executive chefs work in a highly competitive atmosphere and organize teams to produce high-quality food. Of course, reaching this point requires a strong interest in food and cooking, as well as years of hard work in the profession.

3. Loan Officer

Working as a money expert isn't always the most exciting career, but loan officers report a high degree of happiness in their work. Loan officers work with and manage potential borrowers for ventures such as buying a car, owning a home or even starting a business.

4. Automation Engineer

Automated machinery needs to be thought up by someone, and it's usually the job of automation engineers. Production and processing usually require high levels of automation, and automation engineers design, program, simulate and test hardware to accomplish specific tasks.

5. Research Assistant

Research assistants tend not to make much, but they report some of the highest rates of job happiness. They tend to work on a contract basis with educators at the university level, and it tends to best suit individuals who are working toward a career in that field.

6. Oracle Database Administrator

Database administrators organize and store data that ranges from low-level bookkeeping to sensitive financial information. Their job is to maintain the integrity of the data as well as the storage mechanism.

7. Website Developer

Website development provides an excellent balance between creative and technical skills. As website design evolves, web developers are on the forefront of designing new ways to provide easily navigable and engaging experiences.

8. Business Development Executive

Business executives have a variety of objectives, and the business development executive takes on the responsibility of growing a business. This is done by seeking out new opportunities as well as fostering what's already there. While there's no stringent barrier to entry, reaching this position usually requires a lot of experience in the business world.

9. Senior Software Engineer

On top of a high average salary, senior software engineers often enjoy high work satisfaction. The job is extremely technical and requires exceptional knowledge of different programs and languages. These professionals design, develop and evaluate software, so expertise is a must-have.

10. Systems Developer

A systems developer handles the computing infrastructure for a company. They produce, install and implement computers, networks and programs. Like most IT jobs, it requires highly technical knowledge, so the job is only satisfying if you enjoy this type of work.

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