While the extent to which individuals engage in and enjoy cognitive abilities, commonly known as need for cognition (NFC), has been suggested to promote adaptive behaviors associated with well-being, there has not been a systematic examination of the strength of the relationship between NFC and well-being. This meta-analysis sought to examine the association between NFC and well-being. Based on 108 effect sizes extracted from 52 samples (50 records), a small to medium positive relationship (r = .20, 95% CI [.16, .23], p < .001) between NFC and well-being was observed. Sub-group analyses revealed that NFC was associated with different aspects of well-being, including life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, purpose in life, self-acceptance, personal growth, environmental mastery, positive relations with others, autonomy, depression, anxiety and stress (|r|s = [.07, .45]). Exploratory moderation analyses showed that age moderated the relationship between NFC and well-being, whereby the positive relationship was stronger in younger samples. The gender proportion of the sample also moderated the relationship between NFC and well-being for certain specific measures of well-being, whereby the positive relationship between NFC and well-being was stronger among females.