Job Satisfaction of the Highly Educated: The Role of Gender, Academic Tenure, and Comparison Income

ABSTRACT
The determinants of job satisfaction are estimated for Ph.D. level scientists in the United States across academic and nonacademic sectors. Female scientists report lower job satisfaction than males in academia but higher job satisfaction than males in the nonacademic sector. Academic scientists with tenure have substantially greater job satisfaction than non-academic scientists but academic scientists without tenure report similar levels of satisfaction as non-academic scientists. Finally, in each sector, job satisfaction is greater when comparison income is greater in their own sector, while comparisons across sectors generally do not affect job satisfaction.
Key Words: Job satisfaction, highly educated workers, gender differences

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