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.”
Software Developers
In 2024, software developers were ranked third for jobs with the highest job satisfaction, with an overall rating of 3.86 out of 5.
Whether this satisfaction has changed appears to be down to the type of person doing the role, developers told Newsweek.
Kyle Day, based in Texas and founder of AI platform Egentify, said he is “definitely happier than I was in 2024,” and explained; “Before AI dev tools, I’d start a project and burn out at 80% complete. Some shipped. Some of my best ideas died right before the finish line because the energy ran out,” but now ships at “probably 10x the speed I used to.”
“But the actual high isn’t the shipping,” he added. “It’s launching something users love and watching them use it. Shipping a product is fine. Shipping a product where users come back and tell you they love it is what makes me genuinely happy. Great UI and UX is what gets you there, and I have time to obsess over those details now because the rest of the build is faster.”
Elder Morales, a computer scientist based in Texas and founder of koder.com, said that this career “rewards the traits that get you labeled difficult everywhere else,” and added: “I have never met a truly great developer who was not a little bit ungovernable, and I mean that as a compliment.”
“I was happy in 2024, but I’m happier now because the ratio has changed. There is less grunt work and more high-leverage thinking,” he said, pointing to AI tools that allow developers to “spend more time deciding what should be built and less time suffering through the plumbing.”
Designers
Designers had an overall job satisfaction rating of 3.83 out of 5 in 2024, and in 2026 is facing the same challenges—or positive changes, depending on who you ask—as software developers.
“While my work absolutely makes me happy, the landscape has shifted significantly since 2024. With the massive push into Agentic AI and autonomous workflows, our role now involves a much higher level of ambiguity,” said product designer of 15 years, Rohan Gaikwad, at ServiceNow in California.
He added: “There is a growing apprehension among designers regarding company strategies and the “rush to ship.” We are seeing an urge to push out AI-driven ideas that may not yet be proven as beneficial, or even necessary, for the end user.
“While the evolution of technology keeps us excited to learn, the challenge now lies in ensuring we are still creating delightful experiences rather than just adding technical noise.”
That said, he pointed out that the role is still “inherently satisfying for a creative person,” as designers “have the liberty to explore and the freedom to push bold ideas.”
Scott Hooten, based in Colorado and with 30+ years of experience in design, believes “designers are happier than most in their jobs,” and he is “just as happy as I was in 2024 with my work.”
“We live to solve problems and our work offers lots of opportunities to do that. My career has been very diverse as well, so I am constantly learning about new businesses and solving new problems, rather than repetitive work that tends to burn people out,” he said. Constant new challenges and great clients to help.”
Fitness Instructors
Fitness instructors were the fifth-most satisfied in their jobs in 2024, with a satisfaction rating of 3.81 out of 5.
Multiple fitness instructors agreed that their job is better in 2026 than in 2024—because of the clientele.
“I feel happier than before because more and more people understand the importance of recovery and a healthy lifestyle,” said strength coach and physiotherapist Alex Lee, founder of Saunny.com. “Previously, there were mostly concerns with weight loss and looks. At present, there are many more patients who want to improve their mobility, circulation, injury prevention techniques, nervous system recovery, and healthy aging.”
In general, he said, his role “enables me to positively influence other people and witness their improvements,” helping people “improve their physical state, reduce pain and adopt healthier lifestyles.”
David Robertson, who teaches fitness classes at fitness and athletics clubs across Chicago, pointed out that fitness instructors get “endorphins flowing” as they exercise at work, and he believes “I am happier in my role as a fitness instructor than most people are in their jobs.”
“In 2024, there was still a handful of people who were hesitant to return to the gym post-COVID, but I feel that fear has mostly gone away now that we are in mid-2026. Attendance in my classes is higher in 2026 across the board, which means more energy in the room during workouts, which fills up my cup even more.”
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