Are They Happy?
Measure job satisfaction levels and identify the factors that contribute to happiness or frustration at work.
Most people are neutral about being happy or unhappy ?
Developers who are happy with their jobs (mostly + very happy)
Are IT workers actually happy? The answer is awkward. 41% happy, 28% unhappy. But 30% are just... meh. Neutral. Complacent.
Only 13% are very happy with no plans to leave. Even satisfied developers keep options open. In a market where 76% consider switching, complacency kills.
Flexible Hours ! Flexible Hours ! & Flexible Hours !
Developers citing work-life balance as a satisfaction factor
Flexibility is the new salary. Work-life balance tops at 72%. Career growth at 67%. Salary? 59%. Developers care more about life than tech.
Good management (58%) beats remote flexibility (52%). Location matters, but people matter more. Companies investing in management win retention.
Looks like IT industry need some MBAs. Poor management is the highest factor for frustration.
Developers frustrated by poor management and unclear direction
Why tech needs more than just coders. Poor management frustrates 64%—more than lack of growth. Developers can solve problems. They can't solve bad bosses.
Toxic culture (52%) and poor work-life balance (52%) round it out. These aren't code problems—they're people problems. Fix management, fix culture, fix retention.
Seniors are happier or happier ones stay to be the seniors ?
Experience level where developers become 'very happy'
The happiest developers might not be the best ones. Under 4 years: neutral. 4-10 years: mostly happy. Very happy? That's 11-15 years—autonomy, respect, money.
Early years are hard. Juniors are neutral, figuring it out, fighting imposter syndrome. Hit 4-7 years with real ownership? Satisfaction kicks in. Companies that accelerate this win.