I have suffered a high-paying job I dispise for about 12 years, two words will explain why: Early retirement. Full benefits, health insurance, pension and the freedom to do anything I want. Bam!

I work wherever the money is at. I've been without and I don't care how great the job is, if I can't pay my bills or do the things I enjoy on my time then I'm miserable on my free time

Don't do anything that you hate.. it will eat away at you.

I've done both, as well as had several mediocre jobs where the pay was alright but nothing special. Working at a place you hate is hell, and even if it pays you enough money to live well out of work you'll spend every working day wondering if it's worth throwing your life away just for nice things. Work in a job you like, and even more importantly with people who are friends as well as colleagues, and work becomes a pleasure. OK, it'll take a bit longer until you have enough cash for a new car, but who cares? You're happy.

Hate. Make enough and boom early retirement or save enough, move, find job you love

Always choose happiness. It’s addictive and it spreads.

I'm in my late 50's and have experienced both scenarios. I'd rather work someplace where I loved the job and the people vs. make a lot of money and be miserable. Of course, it's not as simplistic as that: at the lower pay job we still need to make enough to meet our financial obligations, so I'd have to qualify my answer by adding that I could not work a job that could not pay me enough to sustain my relatively spartan lifestyle, even if I would love the work and people.

I worked at a job I detested for too many years. By the time I was able to do what I loved I was too ill to do it.

I think the grass will always be greener... Nevertheless, if it were life changing money, I would rather dislike my my work but have the means to live a better lifestyle off the clock.

I work a brow-beating mother of a job...But, I can retire in 4 years with a great pension and benefits...IT sucks...But I got kids in college and not being financially secure brings me anxiety...if I could live another life I would not have kids and work at a guitar shop...

I already work at a place I love but make little money

Money does not motivate me. I would rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable.

Depends if you can support yourself and what career path you are on. Going backwards in pay will retard career growth.

Happiness is more important than $$$$.

I'd rather be happy than rich.

If I'm not making any money I will begin to hate the job as well because I will start to feel that I am wasting me time going there.

Kinda did that in reverse. I went from teaching high school to sales. Doubled my salary and got a company car. Found it to be a soul sucking experience. Quit that and went to equipment service and repair at less than teaching salary and loved it.

why does it have to be one or the other? I have a job I love, and I'm paid well.

We spend a lot of time at work, big part of our lives.
Take it to the extreme, 8 hours a day enjoying yourself, or 8 hours a day in teh dentist chair?

Hate is unhealthy and a symptom of a serious mental problem. It's not a point of reference, so I would work where I hate it, for sure. I have also kind of done that, as well.

When deciding to go into social work I knew that I would make little money. But also knew I would love helping people. And here I am loving my job and making very little money. I made the right choice.

I'm at work 11-11.5 hours a day. I couldn't devote that much time to something that didn't make me happy.

There are 24 hours in each day that we exist on this planet. We sleep about 8 of those, so that leaves us 2/3rds of our life to enjoy being here. If we spend another 8 plus hours earning all that money while being miserable, that leaves, well you can do the math.
To me quality of life is uppermost in importance, and I mean all 24 hours.
If one has a scheme whereby you can sacrifice some period of time busting ass, and then retire for the rest, that might be a good investment. I spend some years in the Navy, now I get free health care.
I like the addage, "if your having fun while your wasting time, your not wasting time".
Just sayin'...
Find something you love to do that earns money, then figure out how to live on that budget is my advice.

Honestly, if I could go and help with an animal rescue like elephants or orangutans or something I would happily do it for the clothes I stand-in, food and drink. the irony being I would probably have to be rich to do this.

I'd rather work at a place where I make a comfortable living and I respect my work.