Optimal salary is satisfying

MONEY may make the world go around and could even buy you happiness.

But to be really content, it seems it’s best not to earn too much of it.

Researchers have even pinpointed the level of yearly salary which brings peak happiness.

The magic numbers are

£43 478 (R712 000) to £54 347, so if your annual income is in this range, then you should be in with a pretty good chance.

However, earning a bit more to top £68 840 a year can lead to a fall-off in emotional wellbeing, which may not be good news for Manchester United footballer Alexis Sanchez with his pay packet of £600 000 a week.

Academics in the US found that people who dealt best with day-to-day emotions tended to have an income of £43 478 to £54 347.

But bringing in a few thousand more, up to £68 840, was likely to lead to greater “life satisfaction”, a measure based on the fulfilment of an individual’s longer-term goals. Optimal salaries for families were likely to be higher.

Study author Andrew Jebb said: “These amounts might be surprising as what we see on TV and what advertisers tell us we need would indicate that there is no ceiling when it comes to how much money is needed for happiness.

“But we now see there are some thresholds. It’s been debated at what point does money no longer change your level of well-being.” – Daily Mail