Understanding Job Satisfaction Through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: How Close Are You To The Top?
According to Maslow, there is a hierarchy of needs that must be sequentially met for a fulfilled and happy life.
The base of the pyramid represents basic needs (food, shelter), which must be met before progressively higher needs (social belonging, freedom, and self-actualization).
The more I study work satisfaction, the more I see its parallels with Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
To find lasting work satisfaction, basic needs (income, safe workplace) must be met before progressively higher needs (autonomy, mastery, and purpose).
Below is a pyramid of needs I created for work satisfaction. How close are you to the top?
Pyramid of Needs for Work Happiness
- Physiological Needs: The Foundation of Job Satisfaction
- Adequate income for basic needs
- Reasonable work schedule
- Safety Needs: Feeling Secure in the Workplace
- Safe workplace
- Job security
- Work-life balance (parental leave, personal days, PTO)
- Love and Belonging Needs: Building Positive Relationships
- Positive relationships with coworkers and boss
- Healthy workplace culture
- Esteem Needs: Gaining Respect and Recognition
- Recognition for hard work and achievements
- A role that evolves with continued skills growth
- Self-Actualization: Reaching Full Potential
- Autonomy means freedom over when, where, and how you work. Full ownership of work fuels creativity, motivation, and fulfillment.
- Lastly, the pinnacle of work happiness is finding a calling—being part of something bigger than ourselves and dedicating our work life to a deeply personal mission.
3 Main Takeaways
Fulfill Basic Needs First
If your income is too low for basic needs, you won't be happy even if you've met higher-order needs.
Achievements, healthy work culture, or finding purpose will not keep you happy if you can't pay your bills.
Focus on improving your skills to boost income before tackling higher-order needs.
Unhappy at Work? Your Salary Isn't the Problem
A famous study by Daniel Kahneman found that happiness increases with income but plateaus around $75,000 per year.
Chances are, if you're reading this, you're a professional worker making more than $75,000 a year.
Once you have adequate income, work on higher-order needs instead of chasing more income.
The Pinnacle of Work Happiness: Growth, Autonomy, and Calling
Do you feel a lack of control over your work?
If so, you need more autonomy – the freedom to choose when, where, and how your work is done.
If that sounds amazing to you, you're not alone. The desire to be self-directed is universal & the biggest reason why people start their own business.
Do you feel uninspired and stuck in the same routine?
Then you need growth.
Humans are hard-wired to crave progress – It's what lead to symphonies, skyscrapers, and spaceships.
Do you feel like your work lacks meaning?
It’s time to uncover your calling.
This is the most elusive component of job satisfaction, one that I am also struggling to discover for myself.
We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. To dedicate our work life to a meaningful cause. To make a real positive impact on the world.
Build Your Pyramid
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides a powerful framework for understanding job satisfaction.
While basic needs are necessary and important, profound job satisfaction comes from highest-order needs such as autonomy and calling. Yet, most employers don’t design jobs to fulfill these higher-level needs.
That means it’s up to you to take control.
Evaluate where you stand on the pyramid, appreciate what you already have, and focus on the right steps to move upward.
Whether that means creating more autonomy, seeking new challenges, or redefining your career path, the key to lasting job satisfaction is in your hands.
In Part 2, we’ll dive into practical strategies for each level of the pyramid—helping you make real, actionable changes toward a more fulfilling work life. Subscribe so you don't miss it!
Do you feel like there's a big gap between your ideal and current life? That's how I felt for years until I took action. Since leaving my full-time job, I've built a career I feel deeply passionate about, made more time for my loved ones, and began pursuing passion projects (like this blog!).
I created a practical guide filled with actionable, research-backed ideas to help you build the life you want – many of which helped me on my own journey.
The guide is free for members—and signing up is free! Join now to get your copy.
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