Almost 10 years ago at our annual Labor Day gathering in Rhode Island, my co-blogger Anne was my sounding board as I wrestled with the pros and cons of an exciting, high-prestige job opportunity. The decision came down to one fundamental question: Was it worth it (to me) to earn double the salary for double the stress (and a so-so boss)? I don’t remember what Anne said (and I doubt she even remembers the conversation), but I do remember the clarity I felt upon leaving The Ocean State: I wasn’t going to take the job. And, it was the so-so boss that tipped the scale for me.

I had a flashback to that decision point when I read about the recent biannual job satisfaction survey of Federal workers which found that employees place a higher value on a good boss than a fatter paycheck. More than 200,000 surveyed employees said they most valued their senior leadership team, how well their leaders communicate information with the rank and file, and availability of training and other professional opportunities

Who are the happiest campers among Federal workers, according to the survey? Folks at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a finding which brings me great comfort. If your job description includes words like “plutonium”, “emergency preparedness”, and “nuclear reactors,” I WANT you to be satisfied on the job!

Do the survey results jive with your experience, Wise Women? When you think about jobs where you were happiest, what were the attributes that made it worthwhile? If you’ve ever had a poor-communicating boss, what amount of money would have made the job more tolerable?

And, if you’re interested in NRC vacancies (GAO, NASA, CIA and State Department ranked highly, too), check out job opportunities at www.usajobs.opm.gov/.