What if doing what you love for a living barely makes ends meet? Should you choose your passion or an ample pay cheque? In our lifelong search for happiness, many of us find ourselves asking which would make us happier: Passion, or pay. If you have to decide between chasing one or the other, which would it be?

There's no one answer to this question. Everyone is different with different needs, and choices of occupation should vary accordingly, experts say.

"You've got to consider your overall situation," says Cornelia Zeidler, executive board member of the German Association for Educational and Vocational Counselling (dvb). After all, she notes, there is a big difference between a single parent paying all the bills and a career starter still living with his or her parents.

"You've got to ask yourself what opportunities and flexibility you'll have: Financial as well as in regard to working hours. And how solid is your desire to take on the new job?" says Zeidler .

Being successful in your career does not necessarily mean being fulfilled in your life, points out Judith Mangelsdorf, director of the German Society for Positive Psychology (DGPP). "We're socially conditioned to seek success above all in our occupation, which is often equated with high income and an influential position," she remarks.

This, she says, can lead to an affluent life that is superficial, however, leaving you with a feeling of emptiness. Fulfilment comes from doing something truly meaningful.

She advises people trying to decide whether to follow the money or their passion to ask themselves as to what is more important to them: A higher income and all that it makes possible, or a really inspiring job.

It can help to question why you want to pursue a certain occupation. If your enthusiasm comes from within yourself, it could be a good idea to go for it. You should not adopt others' expectations though. "There's a lot of hype about everyone needing to find their calling and have a dream job. This puts tremendous pressure on people," says Zeidler.

Whereas one's occupation used to serve solely as a way of making a living. Nowadays it is often supposed to provide fulfilment as well, she says. "You may have to abandon that notion somewhat. It's perfectly fine to have a job that simply gives you a livelihood," she adds.

If you have also got a decent work environment, pleasant colleagues and an appreciative boss, the job content may not be so important. And, Zeidler says, "You can then put more energy into what you really care about, either as an unpaid volunteer or in your leisure time."

Mangelsdorf agrees that you do not have to land your dream job to be happy, and says, "Many people find fulfilment in other areas of life, such as a romantic relationship, family, volunteer work or hobbies."

"So it may be wise not to attach too much importance to work in your work-life balance, and instead ask yourself where else you can find fulfilment," she adds.

That said, it can hurt when you fail to secure the career you had your heart set on. If this happens, Mangelsdorf suggests asking yourself as to what is really at the bottom of your disappointment, because it is often possible, in other ways, to pursue, and sometimes attain, the underlying thing you truly desire. She goes on, "Then your broken dream is no longer the end of the world, but just another obstacle you've got to deal with."

But the question of questions remains: What makes people happier, a job that pays well or one that they love?

It depends. Money does makes you happy, declares Mangelsdorf, "but only to a certain point." For low earners who regularly worry about whether they'll be able to pay their bills, higher pay can indeed make their life happier and less stressful, she says.

"The correlation between financial means and happiness nearly disappears when you have enough disposable income to cover your basic living costs. So at the end of the day, a better-paying job only makes you happier when you have a very low income. Beyond that point, the road to more happiness isn't paved with money, but with passion and meaningfulness," says Mangelsdorf.