I don't know if this question may be confusing to some of you; so I will try to explain myself as well as I can.
I have been interested in informatics and technology all my life. When I was young I started learning how to code. I spent time tinkering around developing little projects involving servers and OSs. Eventually, and unsuprisingly I started to study coding and went on to get a degree with a solid grade.
Now I find myself in my 20s in the first development related work experience I've ever had. I got this job quite soon after finishing my studies. I'm currently developing for a website development company.
The problem is that I keep getting the same annoying questions from coworkers, bosses, friends and/or people I get to know:
"Do you like your job?"
"How is it working on something you really like?"
or the most annoying:
"How is it getting paid for something you would do for free?".
The reason I find those questions so annoying are that people seem utterly confused, and some cases even annoyed when I tell them that I don't enjoy it THAT much, that it's only a job for me.
I still love learning new stuff and tinkering on my own technologies and stuff that I'm interested in, but my job (in general) doesn't excite me THAT much. So I have been feeling a uncomfortable when being presented with these kinds of questions.
Since apparently you HAVE to love your work when working in the IT/Development industry. However I don't think that me not "loving" my job is causing any trouble with my performance or the quality of my work. This is because that as a job, I take it very seriously and I put in the required effort. However clearly it doesn't seem to be enough for most people; they all seem to be pressuring me to conform to something that I don't agree with. I'm fairly certain that this same kind of behaviour is directed at people in other industries. Like for example cashiers, construction workers or regular administrative workers. Each of which ar eall equally valid jobs.
So how should I reply to those sorts of questions? How do I tell the people that to me, my job is just that, a job?