The relationship between job satisfaction and burnout: A study of human service professionals

This study examined the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout using the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Subjects studied were 75 human services professionals who had graduated, over a 10-year period, from an undergraduate human services training program. The results showed that this group of human service workers generally scored in the moderate and low ranges of the burnout measure and that job satisfaction was inversely related to experienced burnout. Of the several variables studied, the opportunity for professional development was the only one which consistently differentiated those who were more satisfied with their jobs from those who were less satisfied. Implications for training programs and employment settings are discussed.