There was no difference between men and women, but the poll found perceptions varied according to age, income and type of employment. Gallup made phone calls to more than 18,000 adults nationwide in January and asked: Would you say that your job is the ideal job for you, or not?
Seventy-eight percent of workers 50 to 65 years old said yes. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, it was only 52 percent. Seventy-seven percent of those who make more than $120,000 said they had an ideal job, while 57 percent of those with an income below $12,000 felt the same way.
Not surprisingly, the survey found it's best to be on top of the organization chart at work. Business owners were most likely to describe their jobs as ideal for them. The least likely were service workers, such barbers, nurse's aides, policemen, firefighters and waiters, Gallup reported.
The chart below illustrates the range of responses from workers in 11 types of jobs. Results in some categories don't add up to 100 percent because a few respondents gave no answer or said they didn't know. (Click here for poll details.)
Source: Gallup Poll Jan. 2010
