Reasons for results could be better work-life balance, less stress and less traffic.

The third JobCrystal Happiness Indicator examines how salary, seniority and location affects South African employee happiness.

The first JobCrystal Happiness Indicator, released in April this year, looked at levels of happiness amongst South African employees and found that less than half are happy.

The second, released two months later in June, looked at which South African companies had the happiest employees, and which employers were ranked as the best to work for.

And now in its third Happiness Indicator, the firm has revealed that employees earning higher salaries and in more senior positions tend to be the happiest, with employees living away from major metropolitan areas being also being happier.

Results showed that employees earning between R10,000 and R24,999 per month are the least happy, and as income increases employees' happiness levels rise as well.

"This unhappy group is likely to consist of young employees who know they have great prospects, but who still need to get some experience under their belts in order to advance in their career. This level of disgruntlement may point to Millennials' trademark sense of entitlement, ambition and awareness of their worth," said Kevin Laithwaite, Managing Director of JobCrystal.

However, JobCrystal stressed that companies must realise even the happy high earners are looking for new opportunities - they know they are marketable and will consider new positions.

Results also showed a distinct trend towards employees with more management responsibility being happier. Senior managers with large teams and executives came out tops in the happiness stakes.

"It seems likely that the happiness level is linked to how well these senior employees are regarded in the company and how much control, independence and decision making ability they have," said Laithwaite.

According to the JobCrystal statistics, employees are more likely to be happy if they don't live in a major metropolitan area. Smaller cities such as Richard's Bay, Durban and East London, have a higher percentage of happy employees than larger cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg.

There could be a range of reasons for this including better work-life balance, less stress and less traffic.