Men’s Job Satisfaction Is Closely Linked to Shared Money Values in Dual-Income Couples

Money may not be able to buy happiness outright, but new research suggests it plays a much deeper psychological role in our working lives and relationships than we often realize. A recent academic study has found that for men in dual-income relationships, job satisfaction is strongly tied to how closely their views on money align with their partner’s values. Interestingly, the same pattern does not appear to hold true for women.

The research was led by Sharmeen Merchant, a doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati, and was published in the Journal of Business and Psychology. Rather than focusing on how much money couples earn, the study examined what money means to each partner and how those meanings shape feelings about work, success, and fulfillment.

Looking Beyond Paychecks to Money Beliefs

The study moves away from traditional research that treats income as an individual achievement. Instead, it recognizes that in modern households, especially those with two working partners, money is experienced and interpreted within a shared environment.

Merchant and her research team focused on what psychologists call “money as achievement” values. This refers to whether people see money as a symbol of success, personal accomplishment, and status, rather than simply a practical resource for meeting needs.

The central idea was simple but powerful: Does alignment between partners’ money values affect how satisfied people feel at work?

To answer this, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 200 dual-income couples, examining both partners’ attitudes toward money and comparing those views with measures of job fulfillment and psychological fit at work.

A Clear Pattern for Men

The most striking finding was how strongly men’s workplace fulfillment depended on their partner’s perspective on money. When men and their partners shared similar beliefs about money as a marker of achievement, men reported higher job satisfaction and a stronger sense that their work met their personal needs.

In contrast, when couples held different views about the meaning of money, men’s sense of fulfillment at work tended to drop. This relationship held even when income levels were not dramatically different, highlighting that it’s the meaning of money, not the amount, that matters most.

One especially interesting result emerged when looking at moderate disagreement. Men reported the lowest levels of job fulfillment not when their views were completely opposite from their partner’s, but when they were only somewhat misaligned. This “messy middle” appears to create uncertainty, making it harder for men to feel confident about their role, success, and progress.

Complete disagreement, while still challenging, may at least be clear. Partial misalignment, on the other hand, seems to introduce ambiguity about expectations and shared goals.

Why Women’s Experiences Were Different

While men’s job satisfaction was closely tied to shared money values, the study found that women’s workplace fulfillment was largely unaffected by their partner’s views on money. Whether their partners strongly agreed, disagreed, or fell somewhere in between did not significantly change how satisfied women felt at work.

The researchers suggest that this difference may be rooted in long-standing cultural expectations. Even though dual-income households are now common, many societies still carry lingering assumptions about men as providers and breadwinners. These expectations may shape how men evaluate their own success and self-worth at work.

Women, by contrast, may be more accustomed to navigating multiple sources of identity and validation, such as career, relationships, and personal fulfillment, without tying them as tightly to financial symbolism.

The Role of the Breadwinner Identity

One of the key explanations offered by the research team centers on the idea of the “breadwinner identity.” Although traditional household roles have shifted significantly over the past several decades, the expectation that men should provide financially remains deeply ingrained in many cultures.

For men, this identity appears to be closely linked to how they judge their own professional success. When their partner views money as an important sign of achievement, it can reinforce their sense of purpose at work. When those views are misaligned, that sense of purpose may weaken.

The study highlights how these internal pressures persist even in modern, egalitarian relationships, making money values a quiet but powerful influence on workplace well-being.

Money Is Not Made in Isolation

Another major contribution of the study is its emphasis on a household-level perspective. Traditional workplace research often treats income, performance, and satisfaction as individual experiences. This research challenges that assumption by showing that money is created, interpreted, and evaluated within relationships.

The researchers argue that it is impossible to fully understand the impact of money on work without considering whether someone has a partner and what that partner believes about financial success. In dual-income households, money is not just a paycheck; it is part of a shared narrative about goals, identity, and achievement.

Cultural Perspectives and Relationship Screening

One of the study’s co-authors, Sodiq Babatunde, drew connections between the research findings and cultural practices in his home country of Nigeria. In many communities, families take a close look at a potential spouse’s background before marriage, paying attention to how they define success, money, and ambition.

While this practice may seem intrusive from a modern Western perspective, the study helps explain why older generations place such importance on value alignment, especially around finances. Shared beliefs about money can shape not only relationship harmony, but also professional confidence and satisfaction.

What This Means for Couples and Workplaces

The practical implications of the research are wide-ranging. For couples, it suggests that conversations about money should go beyond budgets and expenses. Understanding what money represents to each partner may help prevent tension that spills over into work life.

For employers and organizational psychologists, the findings highlight the importance of considering employees’ broader life contexts. Job satisfaction does not exist in a vacuum, and factors outside the workplace can meaningfully shape how people feel about their careers.

The research also opens the door for future studies on how relationships influence motivation, burnout, and long-term career decisions.

Why This Research Matters Now

As dual-income households become the norm rather than the exception, understanding the psychological dynamics of shared finances becomes increasingly important. This study adds a valuable layer to conversations about work-life balance, gender roles, and relationship well-being.

It reminds us that job satisfaction is not just about titles, salaries, or promotions. It is also shaped by shared values, mutual understanding, and alignment at home.

In a world where professional identity and personal life are deeply intertwined, research like this helps explain why some people thrive at work while others struggle, even when their circumstances look similar on paper.

Research paper:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-025-10094-9