Health, time for yourself, a high salary and recognition at work are things that allow a person to feel happiness. Developers are no exception, just like people of any other profession. Resource Cult.honeypot conducted a global study : by interviewing developers, the company found out what affects the happiness of programmers. In addition to general human issues of health, quality of life and relationships, Cult.honeypot analyzed the work of programmers, the importance of salary levels and the balance of personal life and career, as well as how corporate culture affects developer satisfaction. In this article, we have compiled the main findings of the study.
Where the happiest developers live
To understand the results of the study, we note that according to the survey, the average developer estimates his happiness at 61 points out of a possible 100. Since wemost of her life at work, she inevitably plays a key role in shaping our level of happiness. In their analysis, Cult.honeypot found that for developers, happy jobs are remarkably similar to happy countries: stable leadership, autonomy, achievement, and a sense of self-determination. According to a study by Cult.honeypot, there is a correlation between a developer's level of happiness and where they live. The countries of Northern and Western Europe are considered the countries with the happiest developers. Looking at the average happiness of developers in each country, the rankings are dominated by the Nordic countries, with Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden occupying places in the top ten. North Europe is followed by the countries of Western, North America (USA), Southern Europe, the British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland), South America. The most unhappy, according to the happiness index, are the countries of Eastern Europe (55 points out of 100). According to the World Happiness Report , Scandinavian happiness is attributed to "the quality of institutions such as reliable and extensive social benefits, low levels of corruption, and well-functioning democracies and state institutions". Indeed, sustainable happiness is associated with high levels of stability and democracy.
Work-Life Balance: The Most Important Factor in Developer Happiness
We all want to live rich and meaningful lives - at work and at home - without sacrificing any of the important aspects. Work-life balance is the most important measure of a developer's happiness, regardless of experience, age, gender, position, or region. 75% of developers surveyed called this factor "very important". Satisfaction with work-life balance can vary greatly depending on which country the developer lives in. More than half of developers from the Nordic countries are very satisfied with their work-life balance, which is higher than anywhere else in the world. They also have shorter working hours on average than developers in other regions. US developers rank second in job-life balance satisfaction despite being the longest-working average. By the way, developers from Eastern Europe were in third place in terms of satisfaction with the indicator of work-life balance. During the study, remote work was frequently cited by developers as a means of improving work-life balance. In the open comment section of the survey, remote work was mentioned almost 200 times, especially as a solution for those who are bothered by noisy offices and long commutes. Female developers place more importance on work-life balance than male developers. 81% of women believe that work-life balance is very important for career happiness, compared to 75% of men.
Work environment, corporate culture and recognition
Developer happiness is also affected by the corporate culture at work. 60% of them consider the company culture to be very important, while only 25% are very satisfied, and the level of satisfaction decreases as the developer gains experience. This points to a broader trend of age discrimination in the technology industry. According to a study by CWjobs , the average age at which technicians begin to experience ageism (in the United Kingdom) is 29, compared to the industry average of 41. Corporate culture in technology companies is usually not formed with the interests of more experienced developers in mind. Companies want to create a "fun" culture that may just not work for some. For a developer to feel happy, relationships with colleagues are important. According to the study, given the collaborative nature of software development, it's no surprise that developers care most about their team. For example, in a Gallup studyIt is said that social capital, measured in terms of the support a person receives from work colleagues, is directly related to the feeling of happiness at work. Developers say they want to be part of "passionate", "diverse" and "supportive" teams. They expect responsibility to be shared, team members to be open to sharing knowledge, and product colleagues to be process-oriented and focused. Sounds great, doesn't it? The influence of management cannot be overlooked. The developers state that they "would rather work for a good manager but use a bad technology stack" than vice versa. Programmers say the following: "Bad management can force people to change jobs" and "The salary is decent, there is no technology stack, but my manager does not inspire or promote progress, so I'm leaving." In a recentIn a Glassdoor survey , 53% of people said that a higher rating from their boss would help them stay longer with their company. Developers feel the same way. It can be an award, a promotion, a “thank you”, a request for help with advice. Recognition boosts morale, productivity, and happiness. The comfort of developers is also strongly influenced by the office environment. According to Stack Overflow, almost 42% of developerssay that a distracting work environment is their biggest barrier to productivity. Developers complain about "sharing an open office with louder departments" and that "employers should pay more attention to the physical and mental well-being of developers." “A healthy work environment without toxic relationships is important to me. I would like to work in a place where there is no office politics. I hate it,” said one of the survey participants.
Salary
The relationship between money and happiness has been discussed for years. Research confirms that income matters: if you can afford a comfortable lifestyle, then you will be happier than others. But not by much, the study says. During the survey, the developers named salary as the second most important factor in ensuring happiness at work. However, only 15% of respondents consider themselves very satisfied with their salary. Geography is important in determining salary satisfaction. According to the survey results, developers are most satisfied with their salaries in Eastern Europe, followed by the United States. According to Cult.honeypot researchers, the high salary satisfaction in Eastern Europe is interesting, given that the average income there is lower than in other parts of Europe. They attribute this to the fact that there are large outsourcing companies in some Eastern European countries, which means higher salaries for developers. In Ukraine, for example, more than 60% of developers work in outsourcing companies, and the average annual salary of an outsourcer in Eastern Europe is 76,900 euros. Just under a quarter of US developers are very satisfied with their salaries. Five of the 10 most in-demand jobs in the US are software engineers . While both men and women place equal importance on wages, female developers tend to be more satisfied with their salaries than male developers. In 2019, InHerSight found that, in general, women in techthe highest level of salary satisfaction among all industries. Despite high levels of salary satisfaction among female developers, we found strong evidence of a gender pay gap. According to the survey, at the beginning of a career, the salary is almost the same for men and women. However, after two years of experience, the gap widens: women, on average, earn 9% less than men.
Health
Many studies show that health and happiness are linked: happiness is good for health , and good health is recognized as the foundation of happiness . During the survey, 59% of developers called healthcare "very important" and 31% considered themselves "very satisfied". Satisfaction with health care varies by region of the world. Developers from Northern and Western Europe are most satisfied with their access to health care as it is subsidized and they can count on quality mental health services. Developers from Eastern Europe are most dissatisfied with access to healthcare. According to the European Commission, public health spending in Eastern Europewell below the EU average. Health care is more than just physical health. A study published in the International Journal of the Social Sciences found that developers are more likely to experience burnout than their peers doing mechanical tasks. Many developers are aware of the dangers of burnout and extreme stress. Mental health was mentioned very often in the comments: "I feel like almost all developers go through depression and anxiety at some point." According to StackOverflow 's annual developer survey, almost 15% of respondents said they suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety, depression or ADHD. We invite you to discuss in the comments what, in your opinion, is important for the happiness of a developer: salary, work-life balance, work environment, health, or something else? Looking forward to your feedback ;)
North Europe is followed by the countries of Western, North America (USA), Southern Europe, the British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland), South America. The most unhappy, according to the happiness index, are the countries of Eastern Europe (55 points out of 100). According to the World Happiness Report , Scandinavian happiness is attributed to "the quality of institutions such as reliable and extensive social benefits, low levels of corruption, and well-functioning democracies and state institutions". Indeed, sustainable happiness is associated with high levels of stability and democracy.
Satisfaction with work-life balance can vary greatly depending on which country the developer lives in. More than half of developers from the Nordic countries are very satisfied with their work-life balance, which is higher than anywhere else in the world. They also have shorter working hours on average than developers in other regions. US developers rank second in job-life balance satisfaction despite being the longest-working average. By the way, developers from Eastern Europe were in third place in terms of satisfaction with the indicator of work-life balance. During the study, remote work was frequently cited by developers as a means of improving work-life balance. In the open comment section of the survey, remote work was mentioned almost 200 times, especially as a solution for those who are bothered by noisy offices and long commutes. Female developers place more importance on work-life balance than male developers. 81% of women believe that work-life balance is very important for career happiness, compared to 75% of men.
Corporate culture in technology companies is usually not formed with the interests of more experienced developers in mind. Companies want to create a "fun" culture that may just not work for some. For a developer to feel happy, relationships with colleagues are important. According to the study, given the collaborative nature of software development, it's no surprise that developers care most about their team. For example, in a Gallup studyIt is said that social capital, measured in terms of the support a person receives from work colleagues, is directly related to the feeling of happiness at work. Developers say they want to be part of "passionate", "diverse" and "supportive" teams. They expect responsibility to be shared, team members to be open to sharing knowledge, and product colleagues to be process-oriented and focused. Sounds great, doesn't it? The influence of management cannot be overlooked. The developers state that they "would rather work for a good manager but use a bad technology stack" than vice versa. Programmers say the following: "Bad management can force people to change jobs" and "The salary is decent, there is no technology stack, but my manager does not inspire or promote progress, so I'm leaving." In a recentIn a Glassdoor survey , 53% of people said that a higher rating from their boss would help them stay longer with their company. Developers feel the same way. It can be an award, a promotion, a “thank you”, a request for help with advice. Recognition boosts morale, productivity, and happiness. The comfort of developers is also strongly influenced by the office environment. According to Stack Overflow, almost 42% of developerssay that a distracting work environment is their biggest barrier to productivity. Developers complain about "sharing an open office with louder departments" and that "employers should pay more attention to the physical and mental well-being of developers." “A healthy work environment without toxic relationships is important to me. I would like to work in a place where there is no office politics. I hate it,” said one of the survey participants.
Geography is important in determining salary satisfaction. According to the survey results, developers are most satisfied with their salaries in Eastern Europe, followed by the United States. According to Cult.honeypot researchers, the high salary satisfaction in Eastern Europe is interesting, given that the average income there is lower than in other parts of Europe. They attribute this to the fact that there are large outsourcing companies in some Eastern European countries, which means higher salaries for developers. In Ukraine, for example, more than 60% of developers work in outsourcing companies, and the average annual salary of an outsourcer in Eastern Europe is 76,900 euros. Just under a quarter of US developers are very satisfied with their salaries. Five of the 10 most in-demand jobs in the US are software engineers . 
While both men and women place equal importance on wages, female developers tend to be more satisfied with their salaries than male developers. In 2019, InHerSight found that, in general, women in techthe highest level of salary satisfaction among all industries. Despite high levels of salary satisfaction among female developers, we found strong evidence of a gender pay gap. According to the survey, at the beginning of a career, the salary is almost the same for men and women. However, after two years of experience, the gap widens: women, on average, earn 9% less than men.
Developers from Eastern Europe are most dissatisfied with access to healthcare. According to the European Commission, public health spending in Eastern Europewell below the EU average. Health care is more than just physical health. A study published in the International Journal of the Social Sciences found that developers are more likely to experience burnout than their peers doing mechanical tasks. Many developers are aware of the dangers of burnout and extreme stress. Mental health was mentioned very often in the comments: "I feel like almost all developers go through depression and anxiety at some point." According to StackOverflow 's annual developer survey, almost 15% of respondents said they suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety, depression or ADHD. We invite you to discuss in the comments what, in your opinion, is important for the happiness of a developer: salary, work-life balance, work environment, health, or something else? Looking forward to your feedback ;)
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