What is better in your opinion? A job that pays less but is more fulfilling (still difficult) or a job that pays more but is more mundane?

37 comments

1. Money money money.

2. You won’t sit around counting your money all day

3. I’ve done both and there are trade-offs. If the mundane job pays really well it makes up for the lack of fulfilment, I’ve also done jobs which I became so involve in, it wasn’t good for me. The trade-offs are complex. Beware that getting used to a high income can trap you, it’s hard to back out once you get accustomed to it.

4. Depends.

   If the amount of money in question is 60k v 70k, take the 70k. If the amount of money is 130k v. 140k, take the 130k fulfilling job

5. mundanity. with more income you can have a better personal life.

   my work is pretty mundane, and after nearly 20 years, i’ve pretty much heard it all. there’s an interesting case once in awhile, but it’s pretty routine by now.

   but oh man, the money is NICE.

6. I took the more fulfilling route myself. The mundane corporate culture had me hating life within 6 months.

7. Money. If I had a ton of money saved or a wife with money, maybe I’d choose different but I doubt it. I really like money.

8. I will take the job that is more fulfilling 100% of the time

9. You can make a mundane job interesting like listen to music, podcasts, etc. But you can’t print money bro.

10. Depends of the difference. If it pays waaaaaaay more, I’d go for the money. But I would stay (and I have) in a rewarding job as long as the pay is decent and the people are nice

11. C.R.E.A.M.

12. In this economy, I choose the higher paying job.

13. There are worse things to call a job then boring. Money buys freedom. So def money

14. Neither is better. It entirely depends on your immediate goals, long term goals, opportunities to advance, opportunities to grow as a person, opportunities to grow your craft, hours per week required, responsibilities outside of work etc.

    What you do at 35 with kids, is completely different than what you might do at 25. At 25 the startup doing AI chatbots or whatever with the giant exit opportunity but low pay might be great, at 35 the project manager @ IBM might be better…

15. Money. It’s work it doesn’t need to be fulfilling, it just needs to be not soulcrushing. Find fulfillment outside of labor.

16. Mundane. At least I’d have more money to take time off and enjoy myself away from work.

17. I’m currently in a well paid but mundane job, and the only thing keeping me in it is that I’ve started my own business.
    If it wasn’t for that, I’d be willing to take a pay cut and utilise my skills more

18. Pays more but mundane.

19. Money is always better and put away plenty for your retirement.

20. What if you can have both?

    Generally, people with high salaries also get best vacations and other accomodations. I worked hard to get my current job. Which is a government job that pays moderatelly and have perks like leaves and stuff. Not really taxing on mind and body. Most people would go for higher paying jobs from here. But, I do appreciate that I don’t have to do much on most days I’m working.

21. Would really depend how big a difference the salary was. Currently a software developer and really like my current position, only a few years into my career so know that after a few more I should be able to demand a fairly decent salary. However, if I was offered a position that offered double my salary but would be more mundane, I can’t say for certain I’d turn it down

22. Getting a high paying job that is soul sucking is not good in the longrun.

    Having a lower paying job that you love will be more rewarding. It’s like getting paid to do a hobby that you would already be doing anyway.

23. I recall this coming up on a management course I did a while back. People actually have quite different biases in this regard so there’s no correct answer. I think this thread kinda proves that to be honest.

    Some like an interesting job, some like a pleasant work culture and good colleagues, still others are wholly focused on money.

    Personally, fulfilment is quite important to me because it actually strongly affects my job performance. I do very badly when I get bored and was actually fired from a boring job early in my career. By focusing on fulfilling jobs, I’ve maximised my performance and ended up getting paid lots by being promoted a bunch of times.

    In the end, by doing that, I’ve ended up with both.

24. I just talked to a guy yesterday who sounded completely and utterly miserable in life, didn’t like anything, didn’t want to participate in anything, just woke up because he had to, and was looking for a more fulfilling job idea.

    I got into a job for the money, and hated every minute I was there. I got to the point were I almost couldn’t take it anymore, then I had my spine injury. Career over in one second. After years of recovery, I found it was the best thing taht could have happened for me. It was that push in the right direction. I’m now currently training my body to do a job that will be enjoyable and a fraction of the stress, but starts out about 2/3 of my old wage, but could eventually work my way up to somewhat close to my last career wage, but I’ll be way less stressed, and know now that if I do hate it, it’s not the end of the world to make another switch.

25. money.

    work is work. you aren’t going to find meaning at work. even then a mundane job that pays well sounds awesome to me.

26. The worst job in my life was as in a call center for a health insurance company. I left to go to a job that paid $5,000 less and 1,000x less stressful in order to save my sanity.

27. I don’t care what I do, I care what I get paid to keep my head above the water.

28. A mundane job that pays more.

29. It’s depends where you live.

30. The question is too broad. How much more or less? Does mundane mean you absolutely hate it and it’s high stress or just boring?

    I’m ok with a mundane job for more money. I’m not necessarily ok with a job I hate for more money.

31. My life as a whole would be far more mundane with no money. I work a lame I.t. Job, but I do damn near whatever I want as far as hobbies and adventures go outside of that

32. Sliding scale. If I didn’t keep up my music career to a certain degree, my regular mundane job probably would be pretty depressing. But I wouldn’t leave the comfort of a proper salary anymore either.

33. Its not “your job” its just “your turn” so don’t based your life on your job. Doesn’t matter if todays job is boring if your life is cool and exciting. Job is just a temporary source of funds. So take the one that pays more.

34. More fulfilling. Money can’t buy your time back and you’ll regret wasting your life in some shitty corporate hellhole.

    I’m not American, though, so I can afford not to chase pennies.

35. Definitely more money and is mundane.

36. Have done both. Pays less and more fulfilling is better every time. You can’t buy the feeling of not caring if it’s a weekend or a weekday because you’re happy to be there. Just learn to live within your means.

37. first, no questions asked. i bore easily