Using data from the 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2017 waves of the National income Dynamics Study (NIDS), this dissertation investigates the link between occupation (skilled, medium skilled and low skilled) and subjective well-being (SWB) in South Africa. Although some studies (such as Hundley, 2001) have investigated factors that influence work satisfaction, the effects of occupation status on SWB has received less attention in South Africa. Thus, the aim of this dissertation is to explore how belonging to a specific occupation impacts the SWB of people in South Africa and the factors underlying it. The results suggest a positive relationship between occupation and SWB and reveal some differences in SWB between occupations. Specifically, compared with unskilled labour, those belonging to the medium- and highly-skilled categories are considerably happier, which is consistent with existing findings. The estimates are robust to the inclusion of emotional health variables (such as depression and
loneliness), suggesting that occupation is important in explaining SWB in South Africa.