Using 137 Radcliffe alumnae and a national sample of 763 women, this study tested two hypotheses: (1) the achievement motive of women is associated with age and family situation; (2) for those woman whose families are established, achievement motivation is associated with paid employment and return to work. The Radcliffe group wrote Thematic Apperception Test-type stories which were scored for achievement motive; the nationwide group were analyzed by education, age, achievement motive; and employment status. The first hypothesis held true for the Radcliffe sample and the college educated subset of the national sample. The second hypothesis was rejected, for work status and achievement motive were independent for the population in general. Interaction among work status, education, and age was highly significant, indicating that employment patterns by age are different for women of different educational backgrounds. However, for women of each educational level, increased in achievement motive appeared to be followed by return to paid employment some years later. Benefits under Social Security may account for employment changes. The notion of mass media manipulation of women's motives also proved relevant. (author/ly)