History Main / HappinessInMinimumWage

** Eventually, after [[spoiler:Bill Dewey loses his job as mayor [[ItMakesSenseInContext to Nanefua]]]], after a lot of aimless wandering around Beach City, ''he'' becomes the employee [[spoiler:taking Sadie's place in the Big Donut]] under Steven's suggestion, and he actually feels fulfilled.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Sadie and Lars fit the "friendship" version, [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple despite their constant arguments]]. They started working at the Big Donut for the summer, but stayed on for years because they enjoyed each other's company--though [[TheSlacker Lars]] also enjoys that Sadie's willing to pick up his slack. Once Lars can't come to work anymore, Sadie's job becomes [[CriticalStaffingShortage harder]] and very lonely, [[spoiler:so she quits entirely to join a band]].
** Eventually, after [[spoiler:Bill Dewey loses his job as mayor [[ItMakesSenseInContext to Nanefua]], after a lot of aimless wandering around Beach City, ''he'' becomes the employee in the Big Donut under Steven's suggestion, and he actually feels fulfilled]].

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** One episode featured one of the hospital's menial staff who loved his job because he felt that supporting the doctors was quite a meaningful vocation. [[spoiler:He has to be fired because of budget cuts.]]

* One episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' featured one of the hospital's menial staff who loved his job because he felt that supporting the doctors was quite a meaningful vocation. [[spoiler:He has to be fired because of budget cuts.]]

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* When Franchise/WonderWoman was down on her luck due to [[ItMakesSenseInContext the Justice League computer refusing to pay her because it thought she was dead,]] she got a job at [[BlandNameProduct Taco Whiz]] to make ends meet. She amazes her manager not only by being highly competent, but that she considers it "a just and dignified occupation" because it involves feeding the hungry.

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A more extreme version of this is HappinessInSlavery. If a character's dream is to obtain one of these jobs, it's HumbleGoal. Compare CallToAgriculture, where a powerful character wants to retire to work on a farm.

* In ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'', Greg's mom tells him to study hard to become a doctor when he grows up, or he'll end up with a low-paying job, such as being a garbage man. This warning doesn't seem to stick with Greg , who writes that the teens who take out the garbage on his block seem to enjoy their jobs, playing loud music and smoothly passing the garbage cans to each other, while doctors are stuck "suctioning mucus out of childrens' noses".

* One episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' featured one of the hospital's menial staff who loved his job because he felt that supporting the doctors was quite a meaningful vocation. [[spoiler: He has to be fired because of budget cuts.]]

* Ed from ''Film/GoodBurger'' is a KindheartedSimpleton who loves working at the eponymous restaurant. He's acts as a foil to Dexter, who hates his job and only has it to pay back his parents for crashing his mom's car.

* Stan, the janitor in ''Film/{{UHF}}'', loves his job so much that after he gets the chance to be a TV star, he accepts only on the condition that he can continue his normal janitorial duties.

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', the side character Mem takes great pride in her job as a washerwoman and her ability to restore almost any garment to perfect condition. She even [[NiceToTheWaiter gets high praise from her boss]], a ranking member of the Ghostblood AncientConspiracy who gets some ''very'' weird stains on his clothes.

** K.O. loves working at the Bodega, mostly because he's a CheerfulChild who loves being helpful. Enid and Rad are a more [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] version; they can find the work tedious (Enid especially), but still like each other and find Mr. Gar enough of a BenevolentBoss to look up to. It helps that part of the job is fighting the robots that periodically attack the store.

* The main cast of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' are generally satisfied with their jobs as park groundskeepers, in part because they're close friends with each other. Even though Mordecai and Rigby [[TheSlacker constantly avoid doing work]], which [[MeanBoss Benson]] berates them for, they appreciate they appreciate that he never actual fires them. Skips in particular enjoys his job, and regularly goes out of his way to help people. It probably helps that he has the occasional supernatural incident caused by Mordecai and Rigby to resolve.

This trope can reveal many things about the character. [[ThePollyanna Maybe they're just that unflappably cheerful]]. Maybe they enjoy contributing to society by [[SomeoneHasToDoIt doing simple and/or unpleasant jobs necessary for a functioning society that few others are willing to do.]] Maybe it doesn't matter how miserable the work is, as long as [[TrueCompanions they get to work with (or for) their friends.]] Or maybe they just genuinely enjoy the work. A more cynical variation is when one employee is a LazyBum who enjoys their job [[AllTakeAndNoGive because they can push their work off on more responsible co-workers]].

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': Scrooge [=McDuck=]'s employees never get paid very much (one, Mrs. Beakley, is explicitly stated to work for room and board), but none of them seem to mind. Part of this is probably because of their UndyingLoyalty to Scrooge and his family; they just want to stay near them.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', Spongebob enjoys his job making Krabby Patties at the Krusty Krab despite the rude customers, his surly coworker, and his greedy boss. He willingly takes on all the extra jobs Mr. Krabs gives him without expecting extra pay. In one episode, it's even implied that Spongebob pays ''him'' to work there.

This trope can reveal many things about the character. [[ThePollyanna Maybe they're just that unflappably cheerful]]. Maybe they enjoy contributing to society by [[SomeoneHasToDoIt doing simple and/or unpleasant jobs necessary for a functioning society that few others are willing to do.]] Maybe it doesn't matter how miserable the work is, as long as [[TrueCompanions they get to work with (or for) their friends.]] Or maybe they just genuinely enjoy the work. A more cynical variation is when one employee is a LazyBum who enjoys their job because they can push their work off on more responsible co-workers.

* The main cast of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' are generally satisfied with their jobs as park groundskeepers, in part because they're close friends with each other. Skips in particular enjoys his job, and regularly goes out of his way to help people. It probably helps that he has the occasional supernatural incident caused by Mordecai and Rigby to resolve.

This trope can reveal many things about the character. [[ThePollyanna Maybe they're just that unflappably cheerful]]. Maybe they enjoy contributing to society by [[SomeoneHasToDoIt doing simple and/or unpleasant jobs necessary for a functioning society that few others are willing to do.]] Maybe it doesn't matter how miserable the work is, as long as [[TrueCompanions they get to work with (or for) their friends.]] Or maybe they just genuinely enjoy the work.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'', after Mike and Sulley are [[spoiler: expelled from Monsters University and lose any chance of achieving their dream of being Scarers at Monsters Inc., Mike reminds Sulley that [[IronicEcho they're always hiring in the mail room.]] They wholeheartedly enjoy their jobs sorting mail at the mail room and even earn a "most mail delivered" award", and perform various other jobs such as "can wrangling" and serving food at the cafeteria. Eventually, they fulfill their dream of becoming Scarers when the company hosts scare tryouts.]]

* When [[Franchise/WonderWoman Wonder Woman]] was down on her luck due to [[ItMakesSenseInContext the Justice League computer refusing to pay her because it thought she was dead,]] she got a job at [[BlandNameProduct Taco Whiz]] to make ends meet. She amazes her manager not only by being highly competent, but that she considers it "a just and dignified occupation" because it involves feeding the hungry.

* Skips in ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' enjoys his job as a park groundskeeper more than any other character in the show, and regularly goes out of his way to help people. It probably helps that he has the occasional supernatural incident caused by Mordecai and Rigby to resolve.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', Spongebob enjoys his job making Krabby Patties at the Krusty Krab despite the rude customers, his surly coworker, and his greedy boss. He willingly takes on all the extra jobs Mr. Krabs gives him without expecting extra pay. In one episode, it's even implied that Spongebob pays ''him'' to work there.

* Stan, the janitor in UHF, loves his job so much that after he gets the chance to be a TV star, he accepts only on the condition that he can continue his normal janitorial duties.

This trope can reveal many things about the character. [[ThePollyanna Maybe they're just that unflappably cheerful]]. Maybe they enjoy contributing to society by [[SomeoneHasToDoIt doing simple and/or unpleasant jobs necessary for a functioning society that few others are willing to do.]] Maybe it doesn't matter how miserable the work is, as long as [[TrueCompanions they're working with (or for) their friends.]] Or maybe they just genuinely enjoy the work.

See also: HappinessInSlavery. Compare CallToAgriculture, where a powerful character just wants to retire to work on a farm.

There are certain boring, dead-end jobs most people fear being stuck with when they grow up: [[BurgerFool burger flipper]], garbage man, janitor, [[SoulSuckingRetailJob retail store greeter]], etc. This character has one of these jobs... and wouldn't have it any other way.

There are certain dead-end jobs most people fear being stuck with when they grow up: [[BurgerFool burger flipper]], garbage man, janitor, [[SoulSuckingRetailJob retail store greeter]], etc. This character has one of these jobs... and wouldn't have it any other way.