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Vicar or publican - which jobs make you happy?

20 March 2014 Last updated at 22:35

More from Mark

Which would you be happier doing - serving pints or serving God? Helpful advice on how to make those difficult
life choices is on hand.
The Cabinet Office has been looking at the relationship between different jobs and levels of life satisfaction, and
publicans, it turns out, are in the unhappiest occupation of all. They are closely followed by brickies and debt
collectors.
The happiest workers, the research suggests, are vicars and priests. Members of the clergy enjoy the most
satisfying lives - but farmers and fitness instructors are pretty jolly too.
The government thinks people should have access to information on the relationship between the salary and the
satisfaction associated with a career - part of the prime minister's commitment to find policies that boost the
wellbeing of the nation.
What emerges is that, while there is a link between earnings and life-satisfaction, some quite well-paid jobs are
populated by those with low levels of wellbeing - and vice versa. For example, despite an average salary of
almost 39,000 a year, quantity surveyors work in the 41st most miserable occupation out of 274 different
categories.
The average farmer earns 24,500, but they are a particularly chipper lot with the eighth highest life satisfaction of
any job. In fact, the outdoor life does seem to be associated with greater personal wellbeing - managers in
agriculture and horticulture are the third happiest and farm workers are in the top 25 too.
The people whose jobs are associated with the lowest life satisfaction include telesales workers, bar staff, rent
collectors and leisure assistants.

Top five jobs

Clergy
Chief executive/senior official
Agriculture/horticulture proprietor

The life of a publican can be complicated

Company secretary
Quality assurance

Bottom five jobs

Publican
Elementary construction
Debt/rent collector
Industrial cleaner
Floorers/wall tilers
See full table at bottom of page
The Cabinet Office is working on a web-based calculator that will allow those torn between two career paths to
compare the average salaries and life-satisfaction associated with each.
Someone, for instance, considering working as a company secretary (average salary 18,200) or taking a bit
more money to be an ambulance driver (22,800) would learn that the people doing the former job report
significantly higher levels of life satisfaction than those in the latter.
None of this means you can't be a joyful publican or a miserable vicar, of course. Nor does it mean that those jobs
make people happy or sad. The data only offers evidence on the average life satisfaction of those doing different

jobs. It might be that naturally gloomy people run pubs and unusually cheery types become quality regulators, for
example.
But it does provide a clue to choosing the career path that is likely to be most fulfilling.
The official tables might be seen as one of the first tangible demonstrations of how government is trying to use
policy to boost the happiness of the nation.
Six

How could you not be happy?

months after arriving in Downing Street, David Cameron told the country how there was a need to "take practical
steps to make sure government is properly focused on our quality of life as well as economic growth".
The prime minister wanted a "reappraisal of what matters" that would "lead to government policy that is more
focused not just on the bottom line, but on all those things that make life worthwhile".
The Green Book (the bible for Whitehall policy wonks) was amended to include a section devoted to Valuing NonMarket Impacts, and among those was social wellbeing.
Officials were advised of the importance "in ensuring that the full range of impacts of proposed policies are
considered". Happiness - or the lack of it - should be part of the equation.
But searching through the vast piles of Treasury documentation published around this week's budget, I cannot find
any reference to "quality of life" or "wellbeing". Not one.
The words "happiness" and "wellbeing" did not appear anywhere in the chancellor's budget speech. George
Osborne's "long-term plan" had no mention of joy or even life-satisfaction. It was focused on economic resilience,
growth and jobs - with no calculation as to how fulfilling those jobs might be.
This could be seen as a bit of a miss, especially given the results of a survey published this week indicating that,
when asked to choose the kind of society they would prefer to live in, 87% of UK adults pick "greatest overall
happiness and well-being", rather than "greatest overall wealth" (8%).
Let us not be gloomy about happiness, though. Some government policy makers are already taking account of
wellbeing in making decisions.

I am told that high-level deliberations on whether there should be a third runway at Heathrow have included
discussion on the impact it would have on wellbeing.
Opponents emphasise the "high levels of stress and anxiety" for people living close to the airport. Heathrow

But cabbies seem so chipper

Airport's consultation document warns that the jobs impact of not building the runway "would be devastating for the
wellbeing of the local community".
The Cabinet Office has confirmed there is good evidence aircraft noise significantly and measurably increases
anxiety around Heathrow, but ministers will be balancing this against the strong association between life
satisfaction and employment.
Another policy idea being assessed according to its wellbeing implications is the proposal to shift the May Day
bank holiday in England and Wales.
"What impact could moving the early May Bank Holiday have on health and well being?" the government
consultation document asks. "In particular what impact could moving a bank holiday to the autumn have on the
health and morale of workers?"
Quietly, the implications of the happiness agenda are feeding into government decision-making, even if politicians
are reluctant to be explicit about it.
A report out on Thursday from the former head of the civil service, Sir Gus O'Donnell, commissioned by the
Legatum Institute, explains the impact wellbeing research is already having on policy and argues for more of it in
the future.
It confirms what the chancellor must know - that economic growth is indeed good for social wellbeing. But there
are other areas of state activity that might be given greater priority if politicians want to improve the nation's
happiness.

An emphasis on improving mental health is one, ensuring towns and cities include plenty of places where
residents can meet and interact is another. There is evidence that an "active" welfare system encouraging people
into work is better for wellbeing than a "passive" safety-net approach.
I

Happier times?

wrote recently about the idea that schools might teach "resilience" and "character". This, it appears, would also
have significant wellbeing advantages.
So, it is a shame that the hundreds of officials who constructed the budget this week could find no space for the
words "happiness" or "wellbeing" or "life-satisfaction". But it may be that that reflects more on the language of the
Treasury than the ambition of the government.
Gradually, we are becoming comfortable with the concepts of wellbeing and life satisfaction in our discussions
about public policy. And that, I suppose, makes me happy.

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(1) Clergy

20,568

8.291

(2) Chief executives and senior officials

117,700

7.957

(3) Managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture

31,721

7.946

(4) Company secretaries

18,176

7.93

(5) Quality assurance and regulatory professionals

42,898

7.891

(6) Health care practice managers

31,267

7.843

(7) Medical practitioners

70,648

7.836

(8) Farmers

24,520

7.808

(9) Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors

32,470

7.795

(10) Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors

35,316

7.795

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(11) Senior professionals of educational establishments

49,495

7.789

(12) Physiotherapists

27,814

7.787

(13) Primary and nursery education teaching professionals

29,268

7.786

(14) Electrical engineers

44,439

7.739

(15) Fitness instructors

10,378

7.718

(16) Therapy professionals

28,524

7.714

(17) School secretaries

15,614

7.711

(18) Information technology and telecommunications directors

64,879

7.705

(19) Human resource managers and directors

54,120

7.702

(20) Financial institution managers and directors

73,911

7.701

(21) Dental nurses

15,024

7.699

(22) Musicians

21,492

7.696

(23) Farm workers

17,925

7.692

(24) Marketing and sales directors

84,377

7.688

(25) Functional managers and directors

53,574

7.687

(26) Production managers and directors in manufacturing

51,498

7.68

(27) Research and development managers

49,590

7.674

(28) Midwives

30,020

7.673

(29) Pharmacists

36,739

7.667

(29) Advertising accounts managers and creative directors

37,636

7.667

(31) Dental practitioners

53,567

7.663

(32) Sales accounts and business development managers

47,862

7.641

(33) Travel agents

18,344

7.64

(34) Secondary education teaching professionals

33,407

7.637

(35) Business, research and administrative professionals

36,012

7.636

(36) Education advisers and school inspectors

34,369

7.629

(37) Financial managers and directors

76,986

7.628

(38) Biological scientists and biochemists

37,627

7.621

(39) Natural and social science professionals

36,574

7.617

(40) Personal assistants and other secretaries

19,569

7.616

(41) Records clerks and assistants

19,146

7.615

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(42) Authors, writers and translators

26,207

7.602

(43) Librarians

24,584

7.6

(44) Solicitors

44,787

7.599

(45) Chartered and certified accountants

37,850

7.597

(46) Customer service managers and supervisors

28,718

7.593

(47) IT specialist managers

48,384

7.59

(48) Leisure and sports managers

28,619

7.59

(49) Financial and accounting technicians

44,038

7.587

(50) Teaching assistants

11,796

7.587

(51) Childminders and related occupations

12,949

7.584

(52) Finance and investment analysts and advisers

46,797

7.579

(53) Business and financial project management professionals

50,038

7.575

(54) Fire service officers (watch manager and below)

28,183

7.574

(55) Civil engineers

38,236

7.574

(56) Purchasing managers and directors

51,806

7.572

(57) Health professionals

30,081

7.569

(58) Train and tram drivers

45,489

7.566

(59) Pharmaceutical technicians

20,815

7.564

(60) Air travel assistants

22,001

7.556

(61) Higher education teaching professionals

39,076

7.556

(62) Property, housing and estate managers

40,209

7.552

(63) Health services and public health managers and directors

49,015

7.549

(64) Actuaries, economists and statisticians

61,584

7.542

(65) Nurses

26,158

7.534

(66) Engineering professionals

41,421

7.532

(67) Bank and post office clerks

19,908

7.53

(68) Mechanical engineers

44,176

7.528

(69) Production managers and directors in construction

47,452

7.524

(70) Management consultants and business analysts

42,811

7.522

(71) Counsellors

19,220

7.51

(72) Sports coaches, instructors and officials

11,762

7.507

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(73) Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors

25,011

7.506

(74) Police officers (sergeant and below)

39,346

7.501

(75) Garage managers and proprietors

38,112

7.493

(76) Managers and directors in transport and distribution

40,856

7.493

(77) Financial administrative occupations

18,323

7.49

(78) Playworkers

7,400

7.489

(79) Further education teaching professionals

28,043

7.488

(80) Social services managers and directors

39,961

7.487

(81) Managers and proprietors in other services

36,405

7.486

(82) IT project and programme managers

49,128

7.486

(83) Human resources and industrial relations officers

28,999

7.483

(84) Health associate professionals

21,569

7.481

(85) Design and development engineers

39,890

7.474

(86) Financial accounts managers

40,952

7.472

(87) Buyers and procurement officers

31,454

7.471

(88) Production and process engineers

38,475

7.47

(89) Taxation experts

45,360

7.469

(90) Nursery nurses and assistants

11,580

7.468

(91) Pharmacy and other dispensing assistants

11,920

7.458

(92) Welfare professionals

26,568

7.448

(93) IT business analysts, architects and systems designers

43,848

7.442

(94) Educational support assistants

11,569

7.442

(95) Construction project managers and related professionals

42,066

7.441

(96) Quality control and planning engineers

34,868

7.439

(97) Architects

44,024

7.433

(98) Public relations professionals

31,818

7.426

(99) Special needs education teaching professionals

28,894

7.424

(100) Medical radiographers

31,505

7.422

(101) Medical secretaries

17,314

7.421

(102) Credit controllers

19,724

7.421

(103) Groundsmen and greenkeepers

18,816

7.419

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(104) Hairdressers and barbers

10,174

7.417

(105) Child and early years officers

21,634

7.417

(106) Teaching and other educational professionals

18,697

7.413

(107) Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks

20,646

7.411

(108) Legal professionals

75,399

7.406

(109) Planning, process and production technicians

29,789

7.406

(110) Public services associate professionals

28,430

7.403

(111) Journalists, newspaper and periodical editors

35,117

7.402

(112) Environment professionals

33,220

7.402

(113) Aircraft maintenance and related trades

34,511

7.394

(114) Other administrative occupations

15,744

7.386

(115) Business and related associate professionals

30,171

7.381

(116) Receptionists

12,595

7.379

(117) Programmers and software development professionals

40,165

7.377

(118) Vocational and industrial trainers and instructors

26,490

7.376

(119) Psychologists

34,174

7.376

(120) IT operations technicians

29,815

7.376

(121) Scaffolders, stagers and riggers

30,591

7.375

(122) Legal associate professionals

29,492

7.367

(123) Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants

22,694

7.366

(124) Business and related research professionals

32,053

7.366

(125) Plant and machine operatives

24,278

7.366

(126) Office managers

28,790

7.366

(127) Sales supervisors

18,383

7.358

(128) Engineering technicians

32,528

7.357

(129) Draughtspersons

29,702

7.352

(130) Plumbers and heating and ventilating engineers

27,832

7.35

(131) Human resources administrative occupations

19,633

7.35

(131) Metal working production and maintenance fitters

29,173

7.35

(133) Conference and exhibition managers and organisers

24,696

7.35

(134) Electronics engineers

36,751

7.348

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(135) Office supervisors

25,138

7.345

(136) Houseparents and residential wardens

17,420

7.34

(137) Medical and dental technicians

26,922

7.339

(138) Business sales executives

32,880

7.338

(139) Precision instrument makers and repairers

29,334

7.333

(140) Telecommunications engineers

32,253

7.329

(141) Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and

proprietors

29,594

7.328

(142) Senior care workers

17,064

7.324

(143) Inspectors of standards and regulations

28,628

7.318

(144) Arts officers, producers and directors

35,825

7.315

(145) School midday and crossing patrol occupations

3,167

7.314

(146) Construction and building trades supervisors

33,036

7.313

(147) Information technology and telecommunications

professionals

40,222

7.308

(148) Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists

22,752

7.307

(149) Sales administrators

19,573

7.307

(150) Health and safety officers

33,445

7.3

(151) Sewing machinists

13,982

7.297

(152) Managers and directors in retail and wholesale

29,009

7.297

(153) Occupational therapists

27,353

7.294

(154) Estate agents and auctioneers

24,783

7.291

(155) Welfare and housing associate professionals

19,156

7.283

(156) Finance officers

22,090

7.278

(157) Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods)

29,845

7.277

(158) Routine inspectors and testers

24,787

7.277

(159) Beauticians and related occupations

12,418

7.271

(160) IT user support technicians

29,457

7.27

(161) Other elementary services occupations

10,750

7.269

(162) Paramedics

36,841

7.263

(163) Managers and directors in storage and warehousing

32,133

7.259

(164) Legal secretaries

17,951

7.253

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(165) Transport and distribution clerks and assistants

23,583

7.25

(166) Typists and related keyboard occupations

16,421

7.248

(167) Marketing associate professionals

30,051

7.237

(168) Chartered surveyors

35,480

7.236

(169) Product, clothing and related designers

29,301

7.224

(170) Leisure and travel service occupations

15,568

7.222

(170) Housing officers

23,001

7.222

(172) Officers of non-governmental organisations

21,454

7.22

(173) Gardeners and landscape gardeners

17,595

7.22

(174) Estimators, valuers and assessors

32,185

7.22

(175) Social workers

28,182

7.217

(176) Postal workers, mail sorters, messengers and couriers

23,178

7.202

(177) Laboratory technicians

21,168

7.194

(178) Glaziers, window fabricators and fitters

20,525

7.193

(179) Electrical and electronic trades

30,696

7.193

(180) Stock control clerks and assistants

20,891

7.19

(181) Local government administrative occupations

20,351

7.189

(182) Electricians and electrical fitters

30,055

7.185

(183) Protective service associate professionals

35,510

7.183

(184) Graphic designers

25,330

7.178

(185) Chemical and related process operatives

25,307

7.177

(186) Elementary sales occupations

12,301

7.174

(187) National government administrative occupations

20,330

7.174

(188) Web design and development professionals

29,870

7.169

(189) Paper and wood machine operatives

20,557

7.157

(190) Housekeepers and related occupations

12,947

7.157

(191) Science, engineering and production technicians

26,710

7.151

(192) Artists

28,258

7.149

(193) Electrical and electronics technicians

28,893

7.13

(194) Quality assurance technicians

27,303

7.129

(195) Caretakers

16,114

7.126

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(196) Library clerks and assistants

12,190

7.125

(197) Customer service occupations

16,525

7.123

(198) Nursing auxiliaries and assistants

15,618

7.121

(199) Chemical scientists

35,492

7.113

(200) Cooks

11,346

7.106

(201) Elementary administration occupations

11,896

7.105

(202) Sales related occupations

18,782

7.103

(203) Butchers

17,681

7.103

(204) Restaurant and catering establishment managers and

proprietors

23,402

7.1

(204) Driving instructors

29,166

7.1

(206) Catering and bar managers

17,934

7.096

(207) Metal machining setters and setter-operators

27,223

7.095

(208) Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians

25,238

7.095

(209) Chefs

17,391

7.09

(210) Construction and building trades

26,682

7.08

(211) Metal working machine operatives

22,044

7.08

(212) Communication operators

26,715

7.078

(213) Animal care services occupations

14,980

7.073

(214) Prison service officers (below principal officer)

26,616

7.071

(215) Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants

16,526

7.068

(216) Welding trades

26,735

7.063

(217) Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment

operators

24,242

7.047

(218) Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers

11,041

7.046

(219) Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors

14,562

7.042

(220) Merchandisers and window dressers

16,239

7.041

(221) Large goods vehicle drivers

25,602

7.039

(222) Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers

16,820

7.037

(223) Youth and community workers

20,240

7.017

(224) Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers

20,182

7.012

(225) Bricklayers and masons

22,476

7.006

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(226) Market research interviewers

7,122

(226) Other skilled trades

23,431

(228) Carpenters and joiners

24,029

6.991

(229) Food, drink and tobacco process operatives

18,133

6.986

(230) Kitchen and catering assistants

8,865

6.985

(231) Sales and retail assistants

10,097

6.982

(232) Roundspersons and van salespersons

21,375

6.982

(233) Other drivers and transport operatives

24,420

6.979

(234) Quantity surveyors

38,855

6.971

(235) Retail cashiers and check-out operators

9,509

6.968

(236) Cleaners and domestics

8,067

6.961

(237) Shelf fillers

11,174

6.959

(238) Assemblers and routine operatives

20,161

6.958

(239) Elementary process plant occupations

19,409

6.94

(240) Painters and decorators

22,700

6.936

(241) Printers

26,833

6.921

(242) Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers

21,403

6.907

(243) IT engineers

27,064

6.904

(244) Waiters and waitresses

7,651

6.893

(245) Metal making and treating process operatives

24,941

6.881

(246) Plasterers

21,155

6.88

(247) Bakers and flour confectioners

16,948

6.873

(248) Mobile machine drivers and operatives

25,472

6.86

(249) Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)

19,590

6.846

(250) Refuse and salvage occupations

19,454

6.844

(251) Care workers and home carers

12,804

6.844

(252) Bus and coach drivers

23,095

6.841

(253) Roofers, roof tilers and slaters

21,921

6.837

(254) Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs

16,416

6.834

(255) Van drivers

18,744

6.817

(256) Elementary storage occupations

18,430

6.812

(Rank) Occupation

Mean income
(s)

Satisfaction
rating

(257) Fork-lift truck drivers

21,444

6.797

(258) Parking and civil enforcement occupations

18,065

6.795

(259) Call and contact centre occupations

15,339

6.78

(260) Window cleaners

12,561

6.747

(261) Construction operatives

21,057

6.746

(262) Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations

15,679

6.742

(263) Security guards and related occupations

20,841

6.733

(264) Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)

22,854

6.723

(265) Plastics process operatives

21,066

6.722

(266) Bar staff

7,317

6.686

(267) Care escorts

7,343

6.614

(268) Sports and leisure assistants

11,651

6.607

(269) Telephone salespersons

17,362

6.605

(270) Floorers and wall tilers

23,547

6.571

(271) Industrial cleaning process occupations

15,241

6.563

(272) Debt, rent and other cash collectors

17,371

6.561

(273) Elementary construction occupations

20,910

6.389

(274) Publicans and managers of licensed premises

25,222

6.38

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