I will assign a five point scale in the poll. If you feel the need to expand, do so in the thread.
I had a career I really enjoyed as a fine and decorative arts appraiser. About five years back the economy tanked my boss’s company, and he seriously had to let me go (we’re still friends). After a couple o’ years of unemployment, a Temp agency has had me doing data entry and filing, which may last me until I reach retirement. It’s boring, it’s not challenging, but I get to leave at 4pm and spend the evenings and weekends with my family, and I’m better at it than anybody else here. I’m just grateful I can support my family at this point.
- On some days a 7.
I don’t teach for the money. I teach for the satisfaction. Well, that and a bit of societal self-defense.
A 6 would be “If I were independently wealthy, I’d PAY to work here.” What’s a 7, I wonder?
3.5. There are parts of my job that I absolutely love. Those are probably about an hour a day of work. That’s more than I’ve had at any other job.
And then there are the other hours. Some of them consist of good honest work that I’m not crazy about but that needs doing.
Some of them consist of work that needs doing and that I actively resent doing because I’m not good at it and/or I hate doing it.
Some of them consist of work that either doesn’t need doing, or that actually makes the world a worse place when I do it.
If I were independently wealthy, I would hire someone to do the good work that I hate and try to expand my work hours to consist of the good work that I love. I’d cut my hours down so I could spend more time with my family. And then I might do it for free :).
I’m somewhere along a 3.5. I like it fine, but wouldn’t work if I didn’t have to. I have plenty things that would keep me busy with more time and money.
I think a 5 could be, “I’d work here even if I made substantially less and had to adopt a different lifestyle to make ends meet.”
Then 6 could be working for free.
7 could be ‘I’d PAY to work here.’
Anyway, I’m a three most days. Some days are 4s or 5s, though, but that’s because I like my coworkers more than because I love my job.
I put down 4. I have enough that I don’t need to work. I work for myself, in software development. I would not do it for free, though. At least not the same kind of project.
3
I dislike it but I’m not sure what other job would be better. I would prefer not to work at all, but I need money.
5, but I’m a stay at home mum who volunteers at a local charity shop, so I probably don’t count!
That’s basically my attitude: I love my job in the sense that I’d never switch it for another one, but I’d rather not have a job in the first place.
- Definitely 3.
I’m self employed and consider it more of a profession than a job, but if I hit the lottery big I would never walk through the door here again. I’d even pay someone else to deal with the closure of the business.
I voted 4, but I’m really another 3.5. It seems to me that there is quite a conceptual gap between categories 3 and 4.
I voted 5, because even though there are some days when it feels, in the moment, like a 4, or even a 3, I think about it in comparison to all the other jobs a person could have, and I realize I’ve got it extremely good.
I would modify 5 just a bit, because I have a young child at home, and if independently wealthy, I would like to spend more time with her. But I would still volunteer to stay involved here in some part-time capacity.
I love my job. But I do not enjoy working with some of the people in my group.
On some days, I find it difficult to come in to work, simply because I must work with a couple of assbags in our group.
- I’m a research scientist and sometimes college instructor. If I were independently wealthy, I could stop worrying about grants and funding, and just do all the fun stuff. That would be truly excellent.
I’d teach for free… but somebody has to pay me to grade.
If I was wealthy there’s no way I’d work anywhere. I’d be at home doing my own shit. But I like where I work. Everyone here is nice, it’s very low-key, we get all sorts of bonuses, and it’s as low-stress as a receptionist / admin ass’t job can be.
I’d still rather be at home.
Another in-betweener: 4.5. If I could actually teach in my field, or have a permanent job rather than reapplying twice a year, I’d say 5.
At the moment, I’m quite unhappy–a 2. This is why I’m trying to move. 
Between 1 and 2.