This job makes people really happy, according to science

Getting up in the morning with a smile on your face and a brisk walk to work... This scenario is an exception. However, there is one job that is practiced in a good mood and it is rather unexpected. This job, which no one suspects, does not bring in thousands of dollars, but it makes those who do it happy.

A major study on fulfillment at work

During childhood, when the teacher asks us what our dream job is, we imagine ourselves in a spaceship, touching space, in front of a blackboard, in the shoes of our teacher or at the controls of an airplane. However, with age, desires change. We have to find a job that pays, study for a long time, acquire countless diplomas, even if it means sacrificing a little serotonin. Often we have a job out of obligation, to pay the bills, we go there reluctantly, sometimes with a knot in our stomach and a crestfallen face. Few people have a job that inspires them, that satisfies a distant passion.

While many young people today fantasize about the seemingly idyllic lives of influencers, it's more down-to-earth jobs that are good for morale. As a major study conducted in Estonia and reported in New Scientist magazine points out, the job that makes people truly happy isn't the one most touted by career counselors. This study, which covered 59,000 people in 263 different professions, provides an insight into the state of happiness at work, and it's enlightening. It's certainly the most comprehensive study in recent decades.

Subjected to a blood test and a detailed questionnaire about the nature of their job, their salary, their personality, and their level of fulfillment, they left no stone unturned. Their entire professional life was scrutinized. To everyone's surprise, the most exciting job isn't the one most "mentioned" in high school graduation wishes. Yet, the people who do it wake up with pleasure, without expecting to win the lottery jackpot.

This profession, rich in meaning, is in first place

Surprisingly, the professions of care and writing come out on top. Donning a white coat or writing a pen would be particularly exhilarating . Even if the professions that take place within the walls of hospitals and retirement homes more often arouse the adjective "painful" than jubilation, they are above all vocations. There is this feeling of usefulness in the background. The profession of clergy would be just as promising.

Conversely, work in kitchens, transport, warehouses, and cold calling tend to make people feel rather depressed. The jobs that have the greatest impact on their personal lives are, once again, those in the medical profession, which are very demanding. Marine engineers, psychologists, metal workers, and special education teachers are not far behind. Conversely, waiters, mail carriers, salespeople, chemists, carpenters, security guards, and pollsters have less of a zest for life.

At work, money doesn't necessarily bring happiness

While some jobs may not be very popular, they hold the secret ingredient to happiness, a rare commodity in this materialistic age. From a young age, we're encouraged to pursue jobs that pay well and offer a comfortable lifestyle. A career that puts money in our eyes, not stars or sparkles. But this study contradicts everything our parents taught us: money isn't everything.

"Jobs that offer a high sense of accomplishment are associated with greater satisfaction, and even less prestigious jobs can be advantageous," says Kätlin Anni, lead author of the study. In other words, just because you have a much higher-than-average salary doesn't mean you'll feel motivated every morning. Salary hardly matters in the work-happiness equation.

While many people go to work just to "earn a living," others reap much more than just money. The job that makes the soul rich and brings happiness isn't the most flashy. No, it's the most humane.

Story by Megan Sauer