The common motivation factors at work are money, recognition, power, job satisfaction, experience, and human interactions.

You have different motivation factors than your colleagues.  Money may be the greatest motivation factor for you, but money is not an important motivating factor for your colleagues.

Many interns want to gain valuable working experience.  Their motivation factor for work is the exposure in their internship.  The way to motivate interns is to let them take part in as many projects as possible.  To them, gaining experience is the most important motivating factor.

The motivating factor for those folks in their 20s or early 30s is money.  To them, money is the most important motivation for work.  If you ask them to choose between a job that gives them more money but less job satisfaction, and a job that gives lesser money but more job satisfaction, they will choose the job that pays more money.  They are willing to work hard at a job that they do not like, because money is an important motivating factor.  They can work long hours, in order to make more money.

The motivating factor for those in the mid-30s is career satisfaction.  Money does not motivate them to work in a job that they do not like.  They want a job that gives deep satisfaction since they know what they want out of life.  Job satisfaction becomes the most important motivation. 

Many folks willingly take a huge pay cut when they make a career switch.  Many banking professionals resign from the high paying but demanding jobs, to enter the teaching profession.  They want to teach the youngsters.  They want the job satisfaction that comes with nurturing talents.  Job satisfaction is the most motivating factor behind their decisions to make less money.

Many engineers resign from their high paying jobs to live the life that they want.  They take on jobs that pay lesser money.  Some former engineers become taxi drivers, they like the freedom that taxi drivers have.  Some of them sell insurance.  Some of them become nurses.  All of them know that money no longer motivates them to stay in a job that they do not like.  Their motivation factor changes as they amass more money.

Many people know that power and money are their sole motivation factor in career.  They want to climb steadily up the corporate ladder, and gain more power and money.  A higher position means more power.  They are never satisfied being the followers.  They want to be the leader.  Power and money motivates them to climb higher and higher.  Power and money are important motivation factors in their work.

They aim for the Chief Executive Officer position.  They want to sit in the Chief Executive Officer office.  They want to lead and command the whole company.  They desire the sweet and intoxicating power that comes from holding the Chief Executive Officer position.  The money, share options, and other peaks that come with the job are very desirable.

To some other people, power and money do not motivates them to do a better job.  They are contented to stay in the same jobs forever.  They are contented to work with the nice colleagues.  They are happy to serve the customers and earn a word of praise from them everyday.  They work for money, but money does not motivate them.  The motivation factors are the human interactions with their customers and their colleagues.  A nice supervisor who treats them as friends also motivates them to perform better at work.

What is your motivating factor at work?  Does money motivate you?  Does power motivate you?  Is job satisfaction the most important motivating factor?

As long as you know what motivates you, and as long as you get your rewards, you will be contented and happy with your job.