# Low paying job you love, or great pay for a job you hate?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 11, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715 "2009-04-11T02:02:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/1 "2009-04-11T02:02:55Z")
For some reason today I was thinking about my job and how much I like being there. I’ve finally found the perfect combination of atmosphere, co-workers, work responsibilities, commute, and hours that is best suited for my personality. The only drawback is the low pay. My employer receives a grant and that funds my work… needless to say, it’s not much.
Due to the economic climate, my husband’s hours have been reduced to 32 instead of 40. Before that happened we were doing OK, but now something’s gotta give. I’m confident that we’ll work it out. I really don’t need a whole lot of extra ‘stuff’ at this point in my life. In fact, I donated an enormous amount of things over the past year in an effort to streamline our home and the result has been great.
I do have a point. How important is it to you to earn a healthy paycheck? How important is it for you to be happy at your job? Just curious.
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### Author:  [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/2 "2009-04-11T07:19:37Z")
I currently have a low-paying job that I love–high school teacher, if you must know. I would not trade it for a job I hate at any salary.
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### Author:  [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/3 "2009-04-11T07:24:56Z")
In 2000 and 2001 I had a pretty high salary (big law firm job). I absolutely hated my job and I was miserable. I used to wish I would get in a car accident so I could go to a hospital instead of work… I now make a little more than half what I did and I am way way way way happier.
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### Author:  [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/4 "2009-04-11T07:36:18Z")
My declared income for the last year will be about £5,000. You figure it out!
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### Author:  [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/5 "2009-04-11T08:16:28Z")
hmm, depends. A lot more money maybe makes it okay for a while. I sock away a major portion of my salary knowing that it could end any time. I’ve got a great job for a global 50 company gig, but I’ve certainly had much more enjoyable jobs for a lot less pay.
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### Author:  [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/6 "2009-04-11T08:34:29Z")
A low-paying job I love wins. Making more money but suffering for it does not compensate, unless we’re talking really big bucks. I have several friends who have left high-paying jobs in the IT business to become part-time teachers etc. One third the pay, much happier dudes.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/7 "2009-04-11T15:17:27Z")
There have been some really low points in my company’s payroll history (I am part owner of my own company) and every time I think it’s time to give up, I also think about how much I really love my job. Basically it’s a hobby turned into a profession and now (finally) I make a decent living out of it.
Currently my partner makes a good chunk more than I do, but he works 12-16 hours a day and often on weekends. I work 9-5 M-F with the occasional overtime and that’s what makes me happy. I’d much rather have my lower salary and work regular hours than make more and work like he does.
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### Author:  [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/8 "2009-04-11T15:36:24Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#):
>
> I currently have a low-paying job that I love–high school teacher, if you must know. I would not trade it for a job I hate at any salary.
Agree with this 100%, just substitute in “middle school teacher.” I have found some other ways to augment my salary (having a tenant, tutoring after school, teaching summer school, pet sitting). It’s not all that onerous, and allows me to work at a job that I like.
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### Author:  [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/9 "2009-04-11T15:41:36Z")
Low-paying job I love, please. Though either would be better than low-paying job I hate. Been there, done that. Gah.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/10 "2009-04-11T15:51:19Z")
That is tough. I absolutely hate the stress of being poor. Having money may not buy happiness, but it certainly buys a lot of freedom.
OTOH, you work in a job nearly 1/3 of your waking hours. So hating 1/3 of your life sucks too.
I think I would take the high-pay, but keep on looking.
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### Author:  [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/11 "2009-04-11T15:53:19Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#):
>
> Agree with this 100%, just substitute in “middle school teacher.” I have found some other ways to augment my salary (having a tenant, tutoring after school, teaching summer school, pet sitting). It’s not all that onerous, and allows me to work at a job that I like.
Me three. What’s funny, though, is that to a lot of my students, I have a high paying job–my base salary is 50K a year. It’s less than my siblings in the corporate world, but it’s not poverty.
I guess what I am saying is that I love my job, but if it payed 20K a year w/o benefits, I’d find something else to do. There’s got to be a balance between loving your job and some degree of security.
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/12 "2009-04-11T16:45:22Z")
Being poor sucks, but hating your job sucks more. So, of the two choices, I’d rather be poor but happy. I’d try to find ways to make more money, though.
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### Author:  [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/13 "2009-04-11T16:50:19Z")
> [@MandaJo](#):
>
> I guess what I am saying is that I love my job, but if it payed 20K a year w/o benefits, I’d find something else to do. There’s got to be a balance between loving your job and some degree of security.
That’s true. I have student loan debt to pay, and I wouldn’t have bothered to get two Masters for a job that paid that little. I do think what we get paid is low for a job that requires an unpaid internship and a Masters, but you’re right, at least we have good benefits, time off, reasonable hours, a mostly safe working environment, and job security. It could be much worse, and in this economy, at least I know I won’t lose my job.
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/14 "2009-04-11T16:56:41Z")
I’ve never had a job I could say I loved and really can’t think of one that would apply. (within reason that is, I’m sure there’s something that I’m not qualified for) So I’ll take the high pay. That’s sort of what I have now, it’s not super high paying but more than I’ve made anywhere else in my life. To me a job is just something that pays the bills so I can do the things I do enjoy.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/15 "2009-04-11T17:03:42Z")
I really like my current job. Love the work, we get on great together and have a ball. Our director admitted to me that she makes excuses to come and hang around our work area (seeing us there rather than at her office) because it cheers her up to be around us. A few years ago I had a job where my first thought when the alarm went off was , “oh shit, this again.” I spent part of each day looking for another job.
No amount of money makes up for having to drag yourself around like dead weight for 9 or 10 hours a day.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/16 "2009-04-11T17:06:57Z")
I spent the last couple years making US$3,000/year. (Not a typo.) Now I’m a grad student. Take a wild guess.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/17 "2009-04-11T17:07:00Z")
Last year I had the opportunity to get a very decent paycheck, or to put it in the words of Daniel Pennac : “overpaid for what I do, underpaid for how boring it is”. Tried it for a while, but I just couldn’t bring myself to give enough of a fuck about the money to cope with the boredom. And now… now I’m paid nickels and dimes, the amount of work is very irregular and I have to eat a loooot of ramen, but I enjoy myself most of the time. I don’t regret my choice in the least.
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### Author:  [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/18 "2009-04-11T17:10:00Z")
My first question was going to be “Just how low paying are we talking about?”.
Where I come from, someone making 50K is considered to be comfortably middle class, so I wouldn’t even consider that to be low paid.
If you’re making fast food worker level wages, you may want to aim a little higher even if the job is really fun, because you never know when you might get sick or have a major financial crisis that spoils the fun. I’d put up with a less fun job just to have more security.
However, if you can afford to put away some savings for a rainy day and have decent benefits like health insurance, you’re doing pretty well in my book. If you like the job on top of that, that’s a bonus, and I wouldn’t leave it just to keep up with the Joneses.
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### Author:  [@flonks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flonks)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/19 "2009-04-11T17:29:16Z")
“Medium paying job” I love. I am quite happy…
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### Author:  [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-paying-job-you-love-or-great-pay-for-a-job-you-hate/492715/20 "2009-04-11T17:41:49Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#):
>
> Where I come from, someone making 50K is considered to be comfortably middle class, so I wouldn’t even consider that to be low paid.
I don’t, either. It’s a medium-paying job. I’ve turned down higher-paying work that I wouldn’t have enjoyed. Some places, though, teachers make much, much less, and in others they make more but cost of living is so high that it really is low-paying.
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