Differences in job satisfaction constitute an important form of social inequality. In
this paper, we conceptualize and assess that portion of the variation injob satisfaction
that is generated by differential positions in the social and technical division of labor.
We further attempt to explain these inequalities on the basis of the job rewards and
work values that are associated with these social positions. Our results suggest, in
particular, that jobs in the working class are less satisfying because incumbents of
working class jobs obtain less financial and intrinsic job rewards than do members
of other classes. Our analyses are based on data from the 1972-73 Quality of Employ ment Survey.
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