We love research, and we all want happiness.

Research on job satisfaction across the U.S. has come out with a giant study done across all 50 states. The findings were... surprising. There are many satisfying jobs in Montana, but we’ve heard of people moving out of this state due to lack of jobs in their field of choice.  Job satisfaction categories include: achievement, salary, advancement, recognition, responsibility. 

Some good guesses came in about the most satisfying job in Montana, but no one chiming in on this topic guessed correctly. Among the guesses from listeners on the Morning Mix Show were ranchers, nurses, veterinarians, truckers and politicians (?).

Research conducted by Zippia found that 61% of American employees want to leave their current jobs in 2023.  However, it looks like "the jobs that employees consider most meaningful are often in Healthcare or Humanities."

According to Zippia, the happiest jobs that exit in Montana are following: 

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  1. Quality Assurance Analyst

Sounds complicating, but it’s not. For example, an analyst would be tasting sugar beets sugar from a local Montana refinery before it’s sold on shelves. These lucky ducks test out things like taste, and color, etc. This goes for any type of food, cosmetics, car safety, the list goes on and on. The schooling for a data analyst is pricey and you’d need a bachelor’s degree to get a job in this field. Typical salary for this job has a range. We found anything from $40k- $75k.  

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  1. Teaching Assistant

This job sounds like a whole lot of work with no pay. But the people in this study said it’s actually less stressful than being a teacher of an entire class. As the assistant, you’d get to do “the fun stuff” like getting crafts ready, helping with lesson plans, etc. All the fun and half the stress. Typical salary: $18k- $30k.

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  1. Teachers

We all know how deserving teachers are of money, but their salary is on the low end of the spectrum. Typical salary for K-12 teachers is $30k-$40k. Montana's school system is interesting. 5th and 6th grade is considered "middle school." But in majority of the other states, middle school consists of 7th and 8th graders. 

If you know a teacher, especially in Montana- hug them. If you are one- we appreciate you for having the patience to teach our kids the arithmetic they need to thrive in this country, let alone the state of Montana.  

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  1. Firefighters

Firefighters see some crazy things, and have the bravery of warriors in battle. The typical salary for a firefighter is around $49,000, but they also get paid in comradery and giving back to their communities.

At each fire house not only in Montana but other states too, a team of people literally eat, sleep, breathe, and  work together for days on end. This togetherness builds trust, communication, and the payoff is much more than their salary. Saving lives can be quite rewarding. Montana firefighters get busy during fire season and their families pay the price too. But, saving an animal from time to time sure makes for a great change of pace.  

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  1. Physical Therapist

If you want to go to school for 10 more years after graduating high school, then become a physical therapist. One has to receive a doctorate to be a therapist of any kind. However, the payoff and the salary are both great.

According to Zippia, this job has a salary of $90,000 a year but again- lots of student loan debt with long schooling. However, physical therapists say their jobs are very rewarding. They get to work one on one and establish relationships with patients and help heal their bodies. That’s a win-win. I know several people who love being physical therapists 

We’re just wondering where the Radio Personalities come into play here with job satisfaction... our job is fun.  And rewarding- we swear! 

 

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