Self-Assessment
Job Satisfaction Questionnaire
Find out how satisfied you are with your current job. This assessment measures satisfaction across 20 different aspects of work, from pay to personal growth.
Research-inspired adaptation · Based on Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire research
What Does This Test Measure?
Job satisfaction is how you feel about different aspects of your work. This isn't about job performance or how skilled you are. It's about your personal sense of fulfillment and contentment with your current position.
Intrinsic Satisfaction
How fulfilling is the work itself? Do you use your abilities? Feel a sense of achievement? Have variety and autonomy?
Extrinsic Satisfaction
How satisfied are you with external factors? Pay, job security, supervision, company policies, and working conditions.
How to answer: Think about your current job. For each statement, indicate how satisfied you are with that aspect of your work. There are no right or wrong answers.
On my present job, this is how I feel about...
Your Job Satisfaction Profile
Based on your responses about your current job
Score Interpretation
These ranges provide general guidance. The MSQ does not have official diagnostic cut-offs.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Satisfaction
Research distinguishes between satisfaction with the work itself (intrinsic) and satisfaction with external work conditions (extrinsic).
Your Highest and Lowest Areas
View all 20 facet scores
Reflections
- No pass/fail: The MSQ measures subjective satisfaction, not job performance. There's no "correct" level of satisfaction.
- Context matters: Satisfaction depends on your values, expectations, and circumstances. Two people in identical jobs can have different satisfaction levels.
- Scores can change: Job satisfaction often shifts with changing responsibilities, management, compensation, or personal priorities.
- Research connection: Studies link job satisfaction to outcomes like turnover intentions, productivity, and overall wellbeing.
The Research Behind Job Satisfaction
From the Research
"Job satisfaction has been defined as how people feel about different aspects of their jobs. It is the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs."
— Spector, P.E. (1997). Job Satisfaction: Application, Assessment, Causes, and Consequences. SAGE Publications.
What the MSQ Measures
The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was developed in the 1960s as part of the Theory of Work Adjustment research at the University of Minnesota. It measures satisfaction across multiple job facets rather than treating job satisfaction as a single concept.
The short form covers 20 different aspects of work:
Intrinsic Facets
- Ability utilization
- Achievement
- Activity level
- Independence
- Variety
- Creativity
- Responsibility
- Moral values
- Social service
- Authority
- Social status
- Recognition
Extrinsic Facets
- Supervision (human relations)
- Supervision (technical)
- Company policies
- Compensation
- Advancement
- Working conditions
- Co-workers
- Job security
Reliability and Validity
From the Research
"The study showed a Cronbach's alpha coefficient value of 0.93, demonstrating excellent internal consistency reliability."
— Pana et al. (2025). Psychometric Validation and Factor Structure of the MSQ–Short Form . Healthcare, 13(23).
The MSQ short form has been validated across many populations and languages. Studies consistently show strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha typically 0.85-0.91 for overall satisfaction).
From the Research
"The factorial analysis indicated two factors... The study showed the MSQ-Short Form as a reliable and valid questionnaire to measure job satisfaction."
— Martins, H. & Proença, T. (2014). Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Validation . Investigação e Intervenção em Recursos Humanos, No. 3.
Why Job Satisfaction Matters
Research links job satisfaction to several important outcomes:
- Turnover intentions: Dissatisfied employees are more likely to consider leaving
- Organizational citizenship: Satisfied employees often go beyond basic job requirements
- Life satisfaction: Work satisfaction contributes to overall wellbeing
- Physical health: Chronic job dissatisfaction is associated with stress-related health issues
How This Assessment Works
This assessment uses the 20-item MSQ short form structure. The University of Minnesota has made the MSQ available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 license for educational and research purposes.
Open Access: We use the original MSQ items with proper attribution as permitted under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This tool is free and non-commercial.
Scoring Method
- 20 items total, each scored 1-5 (Very Dissatisfied to Very Satisfied)
- No reverse-scored items
- Total score ranges from 20 to 100
- Higher scores indicate higher satisfaction
- Intrinsic subscale: 12 items (max 60)
- Extrinsic subscale: 8 items (max 40)
Interpretation
The MSQ authors emphasize that there are no official cut-offs. Scores are interpreted relative to norms or descriptively. For this tool, we use these general guidelines:
| Average Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 4.0-5.0 | High satisfaction (mostly Satisfied/Very Satisfied responses) |
| 3.0-3.9 | Moderate satisfaction (mixed or neutral responses) |
| 1.0-2.9 | Low satisfaction (mostly Dissatisfied responses) |
Sources
- Weiss, D.J., Dawis, R.V., England, G.W., & Lofquist, L.H. (1967). Manual for the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. University of Minnesota.
- Martins, H. & Proença, T. (2014). Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Validation. Investigação e Intervenção em Recursos Humanos, No. 3.
- Pana et al. (2025). Psychometric Validation and Factor Structure of the MSQ–Short Form. Healthcare, 13(23).
- Spector, P.E. (1997). Job Satisfaction: Application, Assessment, Causes, and Consequences. SAGE Publications.
Common Questions
Intrinsic satisfaction comes from the work itself: using your abilities, feeling accomplished, having variety and autonomy. It's about finding the tasks meaningful and engaging.
Extrinsic satisfaction comes from the conditions around the work: pay, benefits, supervision quality, company policies, coworker relationships. These are external factors that can make work pleasant or frustrating regardless of the work itself.
Someone might love the work (high intrinsic) but dislike the pay and management (low extrinsic), or vice versa.
This assessment is designed for evaluating your current job. If you're between jobs, you could answer based on your most recent position, but the results may be less meaningful since you're reflecting on the past rather than your present situation. Consider retaking it once you're in a new role.
Low satisfaction isn't always a sign you need to quit. Look at which specific facets scored lowest:
- Some issues (like a difficult supervisor or company policy) might improve with time or organizational changes
- Others (like pay or advancement) might be addressable through conversation with management
- Intrinsic dissatisfaction (the work itself doesn't fit you) is often harder to change without a role change
Consider what matters most to you and whether the low-scoring areas are changeable or fundamental mismatches.
About This Tool
Source and Attribution
This assessment uses the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) short form, developed by Weiss, Dawis, England, and Lofquist (1967) at the University of Minnesota. The MSQ is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License by Vocational Psychology Research, University of Minnesota.
Purpose and Limitations
- This is a self-reflection tool for personal insight, not a clinical or organizational assessment
- Results do not measure job performance, career aptitude, or predict outcomes
- The MSQ measures subjective feelings; two people in identical jobs may score differently based on their expectations and values
Educational Tool
This assessment implements the MSQ short form under its Creative Commons license for educational and personal insight purposes. We are not affiliated with the University of Minnesota. The MSQ is a well-validated tool for measuring job satisfaction, and this implementation follows the standard scoring methodology.