Mick Jagger sings that he “can’t get no satisfaction.” Double negatives aside, perhaps Mick should have worked in the quality field.

This year’s Quality State of the Profession survey reveals that quality professionals are satisfied in their work—to the tune of 95%—with 44% indicating they are highly satisfied. The 14th annual survey also looks at trends in the industry and a profile of the quality demographic, which includes a workforce with a great deal of experience in the industry with one-third of respondents indicating that they have more than 25 years dedicated to quality. And the surveyed professionals aren’t satisfied with merely the experience they have under their belt, but rather are very interested in continuing to learn and expand their skills.

So what is it that leads quality professionals to this sense of job satisfaction? A feeling of accomplishment was one of the most important job attributes, cited by 64%. This was followed by a good relationship with colleagues and salary. Other positive factors mentioned include technical challenges, the ability to try new or creative approaches, job security, a pleasant work environment, and a chance to be a team leader.

However, as is true in all aspects of life, rarely do human beings get a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when good things are merely handed to us and everything is “rosy.” Respondents to the survey did have job concerns. Forty-eight percent raised a concern about economic conditions, one of the largest concerns amongst those surveyed. Other “macro” concerns like that of the economy included company- and industry-wide worries about management support, sufficient operating budgets, the fear of outsourcing, and the ability to keep current with technology and regulations.

To offer some insight into these concerns, Quality’s survey asked about the state of investment and resources in the industry. Just over half of respondents expect their access to resources to remain stagnant in the New Year. However, 42% said they and their companies do plan to increase resources, primarily in gages. Gages topped the list at 55%, followed by measurement software, laser measurement equipment, and CMMs.

For the full story and analysis of the results of this year’s State of the Profession Survey, read “Job Satisfaction and New Skills” by Managing Editor Michelle Bangert. And to do our part in keeping you up-to-date on technology, read “High Slope Metrology with Non-Contact Interferometry” and “Conducting an R&R Study Yields Information about Measurement Systems,” all in the pages of this month’s Quality.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!