Two years ago, these five roles were found to be the jobs that make Americans happiest—but is it still true today?
The past three years have seen America's job market shift in a big way, away from the post-COVID quitting-and-hiring boom, with job turnover reaching its weakest pace in nearly a decade.
With the rising cost of living, it appears more employees are choosing to remain at jobs they might otherwise leave—a stark contrast to the job-hopping culture of the early 2020s known as the "Great Resignation."
In 2024, career experts at Career.io analyzed data from more than 750,000 workers in the United States and found that some stood well above the rest on the happiness scale.
It used the Bureau of Labor Statistics to narrow down three separate lists of the top 50 occupations: one wth the most employees, one with the highest average annual salary, and one with roles that didn't require a degree.
The study then used Glassdoor.com reviews to identify the top 40 U.S. employers for each job and ranked the roles by average rating.
There were clear winners, with the top five happiest roles being fitness instructors (number 5), designers (4), software developers (3), carpenters (2)—and coming out on top, real estate agents.
The job industry, cost of living, global politics, and what is expected of certain roles have changed in the past two years, however—and Newsweek wanted to find out whether these are still the happiest jobs in the United States.
Real Estate Agents
In the 2024 analysis, real estate agents were ranked with an overall job satisfaction rating of 4.24 out of 5, with Career.io crediting the flexibility and autonomy of the role, along with the creativity, strategy—and buzz of a sale—for the numbers.
Miltiadis Kastanis is a luxury realtor with Compass Real Estate, based in Florida. He said that, for him, he is "still very happy in the role in 2026, although the industry has definitely become more complex compared to 2024," as buyers are "more informed [and] more cautious."
Kastanis said that real estate in general "can be one of the most fulfilling careers" with a "real sense of purpose." He added: "The industry has definitely changed over the years and continues to evolve."
Ben Mizes, based in Missouri, is the president of Clever Real Estate. He agreed that he is still "satisfied" with his job in 2026, but said, "the source of the satisfaction has changed from 2024."
"The environment in 2024 was tough and stressful for the clients. Buyers of today are more sophisticated and less impulsive," he said, adding that the industry has had to become more "transparent."
He's not surprised that it was named the happiest role in the U.S. for workers, pointing out the "autonomy" for employees and a sense of purpose in the role.
Carpenters
Carpenters were found to have a high overall satisfaction rating in their work in 2024, at a rating of 3.95 out of 5. According to Indeed, the average salary for the role is $25.82 an hour, with a range between around $16 and $41 per hour, and an average overtime of $7,015 per hour.
But how does the role itself compare to two years ago?
Craig Perfect, owner and contractor at ALLCON Roofing in South Carolina, is an expert in roofing and construction and says, "The job is tougher than in 2024—but I'm equally happy overall."
The difference, he says, is that customers "want more communication, and long-term solutions following big storms," which means additional pressure for the workers, but more depth in their standards.
He has an inkling as to why carpentry is so high up in the happiness ranking, as he puts it: "You can see results from one day to the next," and roof carpentry "protects homes and businesses."
Problem solving, collaboration, hard work and results, and knowing "that you helped protect someone's home" all add "purpose to the work."
Fahed Bitar, a construction expert and project executive at S-Line contractors in California, agreed: "This work makes me happy, because every day I see something being built that didn't exist before. That's not something you get in most professions."
And for him, "2026 feels better than 2024 did."
"Sure, the projects became more challenging and technical and our crews were tackling real challenges on the ground each week," he said.
"But after five years of this, you realize that the more difficult the build, the more pride everyone walks away with when it's done."
Full article @ https://www.newsweek.com/they-had-the-happiest-jobs-in-america-2-years-later-we-asked-again-11923304