This study examined the quality of teachers' work lives, teachers' job satisfaction, and the relationship between teachers' work experiences and their wider network of life experiences. Age was used as a key explanatory variable in each phase of this analysis. Data analyzed were from three sets of national surveys: (1) the 1969 Survey of Working Conditions and the l973 and l977 Quality of Employment Surveys; (2) the l97l and l978 Quality of American Life Surveys; and (3) the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience, l966-l977. Teachers' responses to questions were compared primarily to the responses of other college educated workers. The questions related to: (1) work motivation; (2) the frequency and severity of work-related problems; (3) job satisfaction; (4) job mobility and security; (5) adequacy of fringe benefits and pay; (6) the impact of working conditions upon the well-being of workers; and (7) satisfaction with life as a whole. Conclusions are offered as hypotheses to be tested by further research. A bibliography and two research papers are appended to the report; one paper is a critical analysis of mid-life developmental theory, while the other discusses the relationships among teachers' needs and aspirations and the quality of their employment. (JD)