Workers Who Earn This 6-Figure Salary Range Are the Most 'Annoyed' at Work. But Once They Pass It, Work Becomes More 'Enjoyable.' More money doesn't necessarily equate to more happiness at work — until you reach a certain threshold.

By Jessica Thomas

Key Takeaways

  • Those who make less than $25,000 annually are most likely to be bored at work.
  • A certain six-figure salary range equates to "annoying" work that's "stressful."

A six-figure salary is an aspiration for many Americans, but earning that much money comes with downsides, too. Online language learning platform Preply recently surveyed 1,499 Americans with full-time jobs to find out how they describe their jobs and typical workdays.

The descriptions were overwhelmingly negative or neutral, with just 11.6% of those surveyed saying their job is "enjoyable" and 3.5% saying it's "easy." Nearly 42% of those surveyed said the word they'd use to describe their day-to-day is "busy."

Related: This Career Hack Is Helping Gen Zers Increase Their Salaries By $50,000

The results got more interesting when broken down by salary range. Perhaps not surprisingly, those who earn less than $25,000 per year were most likely to describe their jobs as "boring" and "exhausting." Those who make more than $25,000 and less than $55,000 describe their days as "routine" and are likelier to have a bad boss.

However, once a worker's salary tops $100,000, the results aren't what you'd necessarily expect. Those who make $100,000 to $149,999 are most likely to describe their typical workday as "annoying" and their workload as "stressful."

Related: This Job Earns 6 Figures and Is Projected to Grow 6% in the Next Decade — And No, It's Not in Tech

Only when workers pass that $150,000 annual salary threshold do they start describing their jobs as "enjoyable." Read on to see the full breakdown below.

Related: Applying to Work at Major Companies on LinkedIn Can Feel Like a Shot in the Dark. Here's Where You Have the Best Chance — and the Worst.

Jessica Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Digital Content Director

Jessica Thomas is the senior digital content director at Entrepreneur. Prior to this role, she spent nearly five years on staff at Worth magazine and was a staff writer for Bustle. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Science & Technology

Build a Profitable One-Person Business That Runs Itself — with These 7 AI Tools

Discover seven tools to automate content, leads and sales so you scale solo.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business Solutions

Cut Overhead, Not Capabilities: Microsoft Office Pro 2021 Is Just $49.97

Get Microsoft's pro tools at a startup-friendly price.

Business News

The Fastest-Growing Startup Ever Just Surpassed $500 Million in Annual Revenue. Here's Why It Keeps Growing, According to Its CEO.

Anysphere is the startup behind Cursor, a popular AI coding assistant now used by more than half of Fortune 500 companies.

Travel

8 Smart Ways to Save on Your Summer Business Travel (and Have Fun, Too!)

Discover savvy strategies for an efficient, enjoyable summer travel experience, whether for business or pleasure.