Balancing Work and Marriage: Job Stress and Marital Satisfaction in Dual-Career Couples

Although the literature on work-family interactions is expanding, to our knowledge, significant gaps remain in understanding how job stress relates to the marital satisfaction of dual-career couples. Most of these studies primarily concentrate on individual stressors or overlook the complex interactions between personal and relational factors, specifically within a non-Western context. In this regard, the current study aims to enhance our understanding of the relationship between job stress and marital satisfaction among dual-career couples in Türkiye. Accordingly, the job stress and marital satisfaction levels of 108 dual-career couples (N= 216, aged between 23 and 58 years old) living in Türkiye were investigated. Data were collected via A Job Stress Scale-20, Marital Satisfaction Scale, and a demographic form. The Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was used to analyze data. Results revealed that wives’ job stress significantly predicted wives’ marital satisfaction and husbands’ job stress significantly predicted husbands’ marital satisfaction. None of the partner effects were significant. The findings were discussed in relation to existing literature, and further research suggestions and relevant practical implications were pointed out.