New LinkedIn Learning research shed light on people in the yearly income bracket who like their jobs the most. Surprisingly, 81% members of the $51,000-$75,000 pool said they have “job satisfaction,” the most of any category. But this wasn’t even the highest amount of income surveyed. It turns out more money doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll feel better about the job you have. “A big finding – the more money people make, the more stress they tend to feel at work,” the LinkedIn post says.
Almost 1,000 American LinkedIn currently working took the survey, which was released around the time that LinkedIn Learning offered a stress management course featuring the executive director of The American Institute of Stress as the instructor.
How much people in different income brackets like their jobs
So how did the people with the heftiest paychecks feel? The numbers show that 74% of those making $251,000 or more enjoy their positions.
Seventy-nine percent of those making $201,000-$250,000 like their jobs, 74% of those making $151,000-$200,000 do and 76% of those in the $101,000-$150,000 and $75,000-$100,000 categories do, respectively. Sixty-nine percent of those in the lowest income bracket, $35,000-$50,000, like their positions.
Who is the most stressed at work
Fifty-two percent of men and women, respectively, each said they were “stressed” on the job, but the real differences come into play when you look at findings based on income level.
Sixty-eight percent of those within the top two wealthiest income brackets surveyed—$251,000 and more and $201,000-$250,000, respectively— are stressed. Fifty-two percent of those making $151,000-$200,000, 54% making $101,000-$150,000 and 52% of people earning $75,000-$100,000 say they are as well. Thirty-eight percent of those making $51,000-$75,000 and 47% of those making $35,000-$50,000 said they were stressed.
The survey also showed who is the most stressed by age, with 52% of Baby Boomers, 57% of those in Generation X and 44% of millennials saying they feel this way at work.
What to do if you’re stressed at work:
When the feeling is overwhelming
Shifting your focus to your breath can go a long way when you’re in this situation. It’s pretty simple, but will give you the time to cool off or center yourself if you need to.
So take a moment to do this the next time you’re feeling super stressed in the office.
When emails are getting in your way
Research has found that managing your emails every 45 minutes at work can be a good way to get ahead of them— and stay there.
So instead of saving them all for the end of the day (or worse, the early morning), take the time to read and decide what to do with each in these relatively short increments.
When you don’t really know what’s expected of you
Research has found that the biggest source of employees’ stress at is “unclear goals.” If this is you in a nutshell, make sure you approach your boss well before a huge deadline comes up, or you’re given far more responsibility. Checking in with them regularly will keep you up to speed on the results they’re looking for while simultaneously showing them that you take your job seriously.