As many Americans take a long-weekend reprieve from work, most seem quite content with their jobs.

So says a new study by the University of Chicago, which shows 86 percent of people interviewed between 1972 and 2006 saying they were satisfied with their jobs.

“The most important factors contributing to more job satisfaction in descending order of importance are holding a job with high prestige, being older, being non-black and earning more from a job,” said Tom W. Smith, author of the report and director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

But a Conference Board report released earlier this year paints a different picture, saying less than half of Americans are satisfied with their jobs.

Who's right?

Part of the American Dream is moving upwards, doing better than your father did, but a recent report on Money.CNN.com, suggests that the average job salaries of American men are heading downwards, and that they are actually earning less than dear old dad. The report cites an 18-month ongoing study by the American Enterprise Institute, Pew Charitable Trusts, Brookings Institute, Urban Institute and Heritage Foundation which analyzed the average job salaries of men in their 30's, a reportedly reliable indicator of one's lifetime income.

The study used figures from the Census Bureau that were adjusted for inflation to conclude that in 2004, 30-something men earned a median income of about $35K per year, a 12 percent drop compared to men in their 30s in 1974, who had a median income of $40K. The study claims this is a change from 1994, when men in their 30s were earning 5 percent more than their fathers did back in 1964 (adjusted for inflation).

What's the solution? Don't be average :-) As reported on Money.CNN.com, there are some professional careers in demand for the future that may bring you up to dad's average job salary or higher, so keep reading!

How does your salary compare to your dad's typical salary? Find out with our salary survey.

The Census Bureau Tuesday reported a record number of Americans without health insurance: 47 million, an increase of more than 2 million. One of the major reasons for the jump, according to analysts and news reports, is that employers are shucking health insurance coverage, leaving workers to fend for themselves.

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer examined the connection between escalating health costs and another troubling trend: adult obesity rates, which rose in 31 states last year, says a report by the Trust for America's Health.

Susan Dentzer, health correspondent for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, explained:

But what the connection is -- and some health economists have begun to look into this -- is we not only spend more to treat people who are obese because they have very costly conditions, very frequently diabetes, but that's been a real contributor to the rate of growth of spending. And, in fact, one analysis suggests that as much as 27 percent of increase in health spending from 1987 on has been due to the rising rate of obesity.

Both problems need fixing, but how?

Name: Noelle Jackson
Job Title: Professional Organizer and Redesign Specialist
Where: Seattle, Washington State
Employer: (Self) Small Business Owner - Redesign Consulting, Home and Work Redesign
Years of Experience: 1 year of professional home and work redesign, 10 years doing home and work redesign for friends and family
Education: College and Graduate School ( Northwestern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill )

Professional Organizer Salary

Thanks to our fast-paced society, professional home and work organizers are in big demand these days. A professional organizer can set their own schedule, so this is an appealing career choice for those who need more flexible hours. We recently interviewed Noelle Jackson who explained exactly how to become a professional organizer and do efficient home and work redesign.

She also spoke about the the factors that affect a professional organizer's salary, the steps she took to become a professional organizer, training to be a professional organizer, the National Association of Professional Organizers, home organizer tips, what exactly home and work redesign means, and why this is a good job for women making a career change.

If you're wondering "How do I become a professional organizer?" or "What is a typical professional organizer salary?" and/or want to start your own business in home and work redesign, this Salary Story should be a priority on your to-do list!

Name: Frank L. Urbano, MD, FACP
Job Title: Hospitalist
Where: Mount Holly, New Jersey
Employer: SAI Inpatient Resources, Virtua-Memorial Hospital of Burlington County
Years of Experience: 9 years in practice
Education: BS, Rutgers University; MD, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; internship and residency, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Hospitalist Salary: Hospitalist Job Openings

Many people who have seen hospitalist job openings may not know what a hospitalist position is, or have any idea about the average hospitalist salary. In this interview, we spoke to hospitalist Dr. Frank L. Urbano who gave us a detailed diagnosis on hospitalist employment, steps in pursuing a hospitalist career and the responsiblities of a hospitalist job.

He also told us about the factors that may affect hospitalist salaries, how hospitalist physician jobs compare to other physician careers and the outlook on hospitalist opportunities. If you want to learn more about the requirements for establishing a hospitalist career, the typical hospitalist salary and what to expect from hospitalist jobs, this Salary Story is just what the doctor ordered!

We live in an overworked society--and increasingly, it seems, in an overworked world. That's the gist of several recent news reports that explore the link between high-stress jobs and poor mental health.

According to a BusinessWeek story:

In a highly competitive, globalized world, psychological health is increasingly taking a back seat to moon-shot target-setting and a relentless focus on making the numbers. Jeffrey Pfeffer, who teaches organizational behavior at Stanford Business School, sums up the prevailing attitude at many companies: "First we're going to scare you to death and, now, give you some psychological counseling to try to make you feel better." Much more effective, says Pfeffer, is getting "rid of the source of the problem and not Band-Aiding it."

Meanwhile, a recent study by New Zealand's Otago University and King's College, London found that 14 percent of women and 10 percent of men with work-stress experienced anxiety or depression by age 32.

How can we get a hold on job-stress before it gets a hold on us?

Will the increase of typical salaries for college professors ultimately affect average salaries for college grads? That's a question raised in a recent article in the New York Times. More public universities are charging higher prices for certain college courses in order to pay for equipment and college professor salaries - those who teach "premium" classes. For example, this fall at Rutgers, general ed tuition will be $8,541, but business students will ante up $8,716, while pharmacy and engineering majors will shell out $9,484.

The idea behind this multi-tier system is that the average salaries for college grads, those taking "premium" courses, will be higher in the long run, so why not charge them more? But some educators worry that increasing certain college course fees is unfair to lower income kids who will have to take lower priced courses, thus resulting in a lifetime of lower average salaries for college grads. Does this undermine equal opportunity, or actually prepare students for the "free market?"

How does your salary compare to typical salaries for college professors?  Find out with our salary survey.

Name: Sherri Blaise
Job Title: Flight Attendant
Where: Detroit, MI
Employer: Mesaba Airlines
Years of Experience: 5+
Education: B.S. in Journalism, Florida A&M University
Salary: See the PayScale Research Center for the median flight attendant salary.

Becoming A Flight Attendant

For readers interested in becoming a flight attendant, or who want to know more about a flight attendant career, this Salary Story has the answers. We recently spoke to flight attendant Sherri Blaise about her steps toward becoming a flight attendant, what to expect from a flight attendant career and the average flight attendant salary.

Working as a flight attendant means traveling to numerous destinations. That may sound fun, but Sherri gave us the inside scoop on what it takes to be a flight attendant. As Sherri explains, if you are flexible and have a winning attitude, you might be the perfect candidate for a flight attendant career. So fasten your seat belts as we prepare for takeoff, and learn more about becoming a flight attendant.

The New York Times recently examined several public universities charging higher tuition for certain majors, such as business, science/engineering, and journalism.

According to the article by Jonathan D. Glater, "Such moves are being driven by the high salaries commanded by professors in certain fields, the expense of specialized equipment and the difficulties of getting state legislatures to approve general tuition increases, university officials say. 'It is something of a trend,' said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers."

Differential pricing draws mixed reviews from experts, bloggers and others, and some say it's not a new phenomenon. The bigger question, mentioned by a source in the Times story, is whether such trends  are pushing public higher education toward becoming a private good.

A couple of readers asked the following questions:

"[1] How do I get an accurate report on comparable salaries when my job duties far exceed my job title? I took a "part time" while finishing school which has transformed into much more than administrative assistant. [2] How do I know the true worth of the duties I perform?"

The first question, since it is about market pricing an employee, is something we obsess about here at Payscale.com. The second goes beyond market data, and gets into the question of worth and what people should be paid.

In this post, I will look at these questions. For those in a hurry, here is a hint at the answer to the first: complete the PayScale salary survey. :-)

The U.S. government is sending contradictory messages to the American public about driving to work, according to a New York Times story. A federal tax break supports people driving, allowing up to $215 a month in pre-tax dollars to go toward parking at work. But earlier this week the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $848 million in grants that seek to dissuade people from driving in five major cities.

According to the article, Jeffrey M. Zupan, a senior fellow for transportation at the Regional Plan Association in New York, said: "It is perverse. If you’re going to institute pricing measures that are intended to reduce the amount of driving, you don’t want to keep in place other measures that encourage people to drive. What you want is a set of policies that work together.”

What can be done about this illogical setup?

A recent post on the CommuterPageBlog looks at a new U.K. report suggesting that country's increasing dependence on cars has contributed to obesity and climate change. The report, by the Institute for European Environmental Policy, offers American workers food for thought, especially since some companies are charging employees who don't meet certain health criteria (see my recent post on the topic).

Negotiation techniques in salary vary from person to person, but a recent article in the Washington Post focused on the marked differences between men and women.  In evaluating salary negotiation differences, the post recalls an incident ten years ago, when a group of female graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University filed a complaint with Linda C. Babcock, a professor of economics.

The female students complained that male students (in the PhD) program were teaching classes on their own, but the females were relegated to the role of teaching assistants. This was (and is) a big deal, because students who taught their own classes gained valuable experience. Babcock looked into it, and subsequently found that males had asked to teach classes, whereas females had not. This prompted Babcock to begin evaluating salary negotiation differences between the sexes.

Are your negotiation techniques in salary successful?  Find out with our salary calculator. 

Name: Tyler Zimmerman
Job Title: Fast Food Worker (Cashier)
Where: Carbondale, Illinois
Employer: Arby's
Years of Experience: 1 and a half years
Education: GED
Salary: According to PayScale's Research Center, the median salary of fast food workers ranges from $5.91 to $8.86 per hour in different U.S. cities.

Salary of Fast Food Workers

Fast food jobs vary as much as the people who work them. For some, fast food jobs are a part-time gig, for others, an entry into the job market, temporary position or a full-time career. Tyler Zimmerman is a teen who has worked for Arby's for almost two years; that's a veteran in fast food jobs.

In this Salary Story, Tyler gave us his fast food cashier job description, plus a behind-the-scenes look into the salary of fast food workers, things that annoy fast food workers, challenges of fast food restaurant jobs, factors that affect the salary of a fast food worker and current trends in fast foods. This is one super-sized combo you don't want to miss!

Teacher salaries get quite a bit of press these days (read about the average salary of elementary school teachers on Salary Stories), but you rarely hear about school superintendents. However, recently, the New York Times reported on some of the highest school superintendents' salaries, which happen to be in Westchester County in New York State. For instance, Mount Vernon, New York is looking to pay a new school superintendent almost $317K (salary and benefits), way above the median salary ($141,127) for a school superintendent in New York State.

Mount Vernon school board president Lynn McBride defended the superintendent salaries in the New York Times: "In order to entice anyone to come into Westchester, we had to be competitive with the rest of the salaries in Westchester. Our superintendent has been one of the lowest paid.” Not anymore. The Times reports that the median pay package for a superintendent in Westchester County during the 2007-2008 school year is $288,400 (salary and benefits). In 2007-2008, thirteen administrators will actually earn more than $300K (total compensation), putting them in the "highest school superintendents' salaries" category.

How does your salary compare to the highest school superintendents' salaries? Find out with our salary calculator.

Clarian Health Partners, a hospital chain based in Indiana, in 2009 will start charging workers who smoke, are overweight, or have high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol. (See stories in BusinessWeek and the Chicago Tribune, and the Today Show blog).

The plan, which could charge workers up to $780 a year, has drawn fire from opponents. According to the Chicago Tribune story:

Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, a Princeton, N.J.-based employee rights group, called the trend "a very dangerous road that could lead to employers controlling everything we do in our private lives."

The BusinessWeek story says other employers are interested in Clarian's approach, quoting one source who says it might be a trend.

But is Clarian doing the right thing?

In the ancient days known as B.C. (before cable TV), summer for teens meant (1) getting out of school and (2) students getting a summer job, at least part-time. But these days, as the Christian Science Monitor recently reported, summer seasonal jobs are turning very competitive. The article says that "summer jobs for teenagers" market never recovered from the recession of 2001, and in 2007 there is more competition from older workers for entry-level employment for summer months.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has tracked the youth labor market (16-19-year-olds) since 1948. The BOLS says that teen employment for summer months has traditionally been above 50 percent, but starting in 1998, the numbers began dropping. Professor Andrew Sum Andrew Sum, an economist and head of Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies, forecasted (in April) that only 36.5 percent of teens will have employment for summer months; down from 45.3 percent in 2000.

My son entered the labor market this summer. He had to do a lot of digging to come up with a part-time bagger job at the local supermarket. By the time I was his age, I had worked mowing lawns, delivering newspapers, cooking fast food, and washing dishes at Deerfield Academy (I didn't go there; I was a townie who served the rich kids).

Are my son and other teens today just slackers, or are there other factors at work in the hunt for summer seasonal jobs?

How does your salary compare to your teen's salary? Find out with our salary calculator.

Name: Dr. Jim Reynolds
Job Title: Geologist and Associate Professor of Geology Division of Science & Mathematics
Where: Brevard, North Carolina
Employer: Brevard College
Years of Experience: 30
Education: BA, Master’s, and PhD from Dartmouth College
Salary: See PayScale's Research Center for median geologist salaries.

Geologist Salary and Job Outlook

What is a petroleum geologist? What are different options for geology careers? For readers interested in the job outlook for future geologists and geologist salaries, this Salary Story provides an insider's look into a rarely examined profession.

Dr. Jim Reynolds works as a geologist, teaches geology, and has 30 years of experience in the field. He recently took time out from his busy geology career to explain the definition of a geologist and what it takes to become a successful geologist. He gave us insight into oil and gas jobs, environmental geologist jobs, as well as a academic geology careers. For those who love to travel, Dr. Reynolds also described some international opportunities for geology careers.

If you want to become a geologist, or want more info on current geologist salaries, don't miss this earth-shaking interview!

Why do so many Americans rack up so much credit-card debt?

Myriad news articles, reports and financial-advice columns offer a variety of reasons, which fall into two camps: spendthrifty consumers are to blame and so are credit-card companies' deceptive practices.

Legislation should regulate credit-card companies so they don't take unfair advantage of consumers, says Suze Orman in The Philadelphia Inquirer. On the flip side, consumers must educate themselves about the intricacies of credit cards and debt, and set financial boundaries, according to other news reports (see stories here, here and here).

PayScale released a cool new tool today, GigZig. It lets you see the career paths of real people. GigZig is based on a simple question we ask during our salary survey: "what was your job 5 years ago?"

As a data guy, I just love the wealth of information. Together with our data on what a job pays, a person evaluating their current career choice, or investigating a new one, can get a pretty complete picture of both what other people have done in their careers, and what they are paid.

In this post, I will look at a web developer career path, explain a little bit about how GigZig, works, and ponder the Waitress/Waiter in everyone's past.

No matter where you are going in your career, are you being paid what you are worth for where you are now? Find out with the PayScale Salary Survey.