I love my job...

...and I am apparently correct to do so.  The Wall Street Journal has a study of the best and worst jobs in America. "Economist" comes in at #11 out of 200 total jobs.

The criteria has to be based on independence and ability to direct your own work.  The #1 job is Mathmatician, 3rd is Statistician, 4th is Biologist, 7th is Historian, 8th is Sociologist, 12th is Philosopher and 13th is Physicist.  These are all largely academic jobs that you do if you've gotten a PhD.  You are likely to be considered the expert in what you do, and so your boss leaves you alone to do your work.  And I have to say that this is precisely why I became an economist in the first place - to be left alone to study what I find interesting.  That and I keep getting more free books from publishers (indescribably cool).

This turned out to be a good decision.  My original profession (so to speak) of "dairy farmer" comes in at #199, ahead of only "lumberjack". (I told you I didn't like it, mom).