Self-employed adults are significantly more satisfied with their jobs than other workers. They're also more likely to work because they want to and not because they need a pay check. But don't count on becoming financially secure if you become your own boss.

More Stress
The self-employed have virtually identical family incomes as other workers but they feel more financial stress, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center Social & Demographics Trends project. The survey didn't directly answer why the self-employed feel disproportionately stressed; one reason may be that self-employed workers have to pay for benefits such as healthcare that many employees receive from their companies.

Job Satisfaction
Still, they like their jobs. Nearly four-in-ten self-employed workers (39%) say they are "completely satisfied" with their jobs, compared with 28% of all wage or salaried employees. And only five percent of all workers who are their own bosses say they are dissatisfied with their employment situation, half the proportion of other workers who are dissatisfied.

Types of Jobs?
Included in the ranks of the self-employed are private contractors, artists, freelance writers, construction workers, farmers and agricultural workers, as well as doctors, lawyers and accountants.

Why do they work?
Money is one reason – but it's far less of a factor for the self-employed than for other workers. Nearly a third of the self-employed (32%) say the main reason they work is because they want to, compared with 19% of wage and salary workers. By the same token, the self-employed are less likely than other workers to say they hold a job because they need the money.

They also place a higher value on the intangible psychological benefits of working such as feeling useful and productive, and are more likely to say they are working to help "improve society".

Don't Count on More Money
While being your own boss may have many rewards, a hefty income isn't necessarily one of them. And even though they earn about as much as other workers, the self-employed struggle more financially: fully four-in-ten in the Pew Research survey say they just make ends meet or fall short, compared with less than a third of all wage and salary employees.