Careers: Money or happiness?

Happiness is definitely an important aspect of whatever my future career will be, but I'll be honest and say that my income is MORE important. Of course, I can't find myself waking up every morning and finding the inspiration to go to a job that I couldn't stand working at. I won't make the mistake of living that much of my life in regret, wishing I could have done more with my life, wishing I could have made more of an impact on society. Don't see working in a warehouse doing menial labor for the rest of my life.

That being said, if I had to choose between being completely satisfied and going for whatever my dream job might be, or going to a job where I'd be less happy, but make a lot more money, I'd decide on the latter without so much as a second thought. Some have already stated that money equals happiness, and while I won't say that's true entirely, having a nice ("comfortable") income will definitely make me proud of the job I'm doing being a provider for my family. To me, working hard to give my future family what they want, and being able to live life without any worry of finances is a very happy thought, and that's where I'd like to be in life. However, my family's wishes would be important too. Finding that balance between work and personal time is important, but it's never been easy.

However, is it entirely impossible to find your dream job, AND get paid handsomely on top of that? That's not a rhetorical question; maybe it can't happen with some people. That's what I thought I was going for when I decided to become a materials science engineer, but I soon realized that qualification doesn't equal happiness. Again, I'm trying this approach with becoming a doctor, but I might quit that after getting a reality check from a different university. I'll do what I can not to end up in a career I hate, but I might have to settle on something I don't love so that I can make the kind of money I want to.

Jam it back in, in the dark.