NationStates Jolt Archive

COMMENTARY: Not all that many surprises here. The only one that might be just a bit unexpected is the sudden rise in teachers' prestige. What's your profession and where do you think it ranks?

Mine was military officer, currently rated at 51%.


Firefighters, Nurses, Docs
Seen as Most Prestigious Occupations (http://www.military.com/Careers/Content1?file=careersNewsPrestigious_072706.htm&area=Reference&ESRC=fasttrack.nl)


ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Firefighters, doctors, and nurses are seen as prestigious occupations by U.S. adults, while business executives, stockbrokers and real estate agents are seen at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to having prestigious occupations.

These are some of the results of the annual Harris Poll measuring public perceptions of 23 professions and occupations, conducted by telephone between July 5 and 11, 2006, by Harris Interactive(R) among a nationwide sample of 1,020 U.S. adults.

Six occupations are perceived to have "very great" prestige by at least half of all adults -- firefighters (63 percent), doctors (58 percent), nurses (55 percent), scientists (54 percent), teachers (52 percent) and military officers (51 percent). They are followed by police officers (43 percent) and priests/ministers/clergymen (40 percent).

By way of contrast, the list includes nine occupations, which are perceived by less than 20 percent of adults to have "very great" prestige, with one of these under 10 percent. The lowest ratings for "very great prestige" go to real estate brokers (6 percent), stockbrokers (11 percent), business executives (11 percent), actors (12 percent), union leaders (12 percent), journalists (12 percent) bankers (17 percent), accountants (17 percent), and entertainers (18 percent).

This year, farmers were included on the list of occupations for the first time. Just over one-third of adults (36 percent) say that farming is an occupation of very great prestige, while 15 percent say it has hardly any prestige at all.

There are three occupations that are perceived by one-quarter or more of adults to have "hardly any prestige at all." These include union leaders (25 percent), real estate brokers (32 percent) and actors (37 percent).

Changes over the last quarter century

Harris Interactive has been asking about the prestige of different professions and occupations since 1977. Over the 29 years since then, there have been some interesting changes:

* Those who see teachers as having "very great" prestige has risen 23 points from 29 percent to 52 percent.

* Those who say lawyers have "very great" prestige has fallen 15 points, from 36 percent to 21 percent.

* Scientists fell 12 points from 66 percent to 54 percent.

* Business executives fell seven points from 18 percent to 11 percent.

* Doctors fell three points from 61 percent to 58 percent.

*Athletes fell three points from 26 percent to 23 percent.

* Teachers are the only occupation, among the 11 tracked since 1977, to see a rise in prestige.

Changes since last year:

* Firefighters increased seven points from 56 percent to 63 percent. Over the past two years, they rose to a total of 15 points from 48 percent to 63 percent.

* Nurses rose five points from 50 percent to 55 percent.

* Teachers rose five points from 31 percent to 26 percent.

Hm.. didn't see interstate truck driving on the list.. or my previous occupations, butcher or dishwasher.. but I'm sure they're all considered among the most prestigious, right? :)

Frankly, I'm surprised military officers get that much "prestige."

* Teachers rose five points from 31 percent to 26 percent.

31 + 5 = 26?

Hm.. didn't see interstate truck driving on the list.. or my previous occupations, butcher or dishwasher.. but I'm sure they're all considered among the most prestigious, right? :)
Riiiight! They're probably somewhere near the statistical center of the pack. :)

31 + 5 = 26?

Thats why teachers are loosing respect, they can't even teach basic math.

31 + 5 = 26?
Heh! I didn't notice that. They probably just got the figures reversed in the article. :p

Frankly, I'm surprised military officers get that much "prestige."
Fankly, I'm a bit distressed they didn't get more! :)

I don't even want to know the ranking of musician. (I'm guessing below 5%)

Oh well....

I don't even want to know the ranking of musician. (I'm guessing below 5%)

Oh well....

Surely that ranks as 'Entertainer'? Presuming that your music does actually entertain, that is.

31 + 5 = 26?
Not math teachers, I guess.

Too bad that the "prestige" of a given profession isn't reflected in the paychecks more often. :(

Hey, where's the IT people?

I dont think Doctors deserve that much prestige. I've been ill for almost 9 months now and most of the dr I have encountered deserve a kick in hte balls. THey are glorified internal plumbers who are paid too much. Don't know what they are taking about, forget to tell you side effects of surgery and look down your top. Not all of them are like that I know. But you have to work hard to gain prestige in my book. It doesn't just come with the job title.

Hey, where's the IT people?

Oh we're just scum we are... :(

I hate to nitpick, but a poll based on 1,020 people isn't too relevant to me.

* Those who say lawyers have "very great" prestige has fallen 15 points, from 36 percent to 21 percent.

hehe, we're screwed

* Teachers rose five points from 31 percent to 26 percent.

Not math teachers though, I suppose.

I hate to nitpick, but a poll based on 1,020 people isn't too relevant to me.

1000 people or so is actually pretty standard for pollsters, most political polls are not any bigger.

1000 people or so is actually pretty standard for pollsters, most political polls are not any bigger.

It's people they are probably phone polls - invasive things.

Too bad that the "prestige" of a given profession isn't reflected in the paychecks more often. :(

What, so that those who work in higher prestige jobs get lower paychecks?

What, so that those who work in higher prestige jobs get lower paychecks?
No, I was hoping for the opposite. Teachers, nurses, scientists, firefighters, police officers...it'd be nice if their perceived "prestige" actually translated into real-world currency more often.

* Scientists fell 12 points from 66 percent to 54 percent.


i wonder if/how much religious pastors etc have changed in respect...

journalists (12 percent)

We're so hated. :(

We're so hated. :(

I did notice it didn't mention politicians though.

No, I was hoping for the opposite. Teachers, nurses, scientists, firefighters, police officers...it'd be nice if their perceived "prestige" actually translated into real-world currency more often.

So, an incredibly low prestige job like sewarage worker should receive an incredibly low pay packet?

The problem with basing wages on prestige is that prestige is just opinion. I would be very surprised if the prestige of firefighters in the USA didn't skyrocket following the attack on the WTC, but did this mean that they should be earning more when their work remained substantially unchanged?

We're so hated. :(
LMAO! I wonder why that is?

i wonder if/how much religious pastors etc have changed in respect...
Downward rather steeply, I would imagine.

Hey, where's the IT people?
No shit … not only did I protect our infrastructure from two major attacks in the last month but I also researched followed up and testified in 4 criminal harassment and 1 assault and battery case based on information retrieved from research of our email system


Add on top of that my military consulting …

I did notice it didn't mention politicians though.
They apparently don't count negative numbers. :D

No, I was hoping for the opposite. Teachers, nurses, scientists, firefighters, police officers...it'd be nice if their perceived "prestige" actually translated into real-world currency more often.
Although it's far from perfect, the marketplace sets salaries. The greater the demand for a particular skill set, the higher the salary ... generally speaking.

I would rather rank someone on their personal attributes if I'm going to respect them, rather than respect their "profession".

The word makes it sound like we're grading hookers.

So, an incredibly low prestige job like sewarage worker should receive an incredibly low pay packet?

The problem with basing wages on prestige is that prestige is just opinion. I would be very surprised if the prestige of firefighters in the USA didn't skyrocket following the attack on the WTC, but did this mean that they should be earning more when their work remained substantially unchanged?
The way I was looking at it, people should back up their feelings of "prestige" by paying those positions more. If you recognize that teachers are very important and valuable, then how about you pay them enough so that their family can live above the poverty line? If so many people agree that nurses are important and valuable, then how come the nurses in the hospital where I work are currently having to fight to earn a living wage?

In other words, if people say they believe that a certain job is of great value, then I would hope they'd be willing to express their appreciation in a concrete manner. I'm going for internal consistency, here.

Hahahaha, yes, I have so much prestige as a teacher...that's what they pay you with by the way...prestige, not dollars...that I decided to just flip over to the opposite side of the spectrum, become a lawyer, and NOT get paid in prestige.

Hahahaha, yes, I have so much prestige as a teacher...that's what they pay you with by the way...prestige, not dollars...that I decided to just flip over to the opposite side of the spectrum, become a lawyer, and NOT get paid in prestige.
Yeah, that's what I was getting at.

I'm not advocating that we CUT the pay of people in prestige-less jobs. Indeed, I'd love to see some of our priorities change, in terms of what is and is not considered "prestigious." But that's a very long battle to fight.

In the mean time, I'd love to see people at least be consistent about the beliefs they say they hold! If they say they value teachers, then why the hell won't they pay them more? If scientists are believed to hold "prestigious" positions, then why has funding for research been gutted so severely?

I hate to nitpick, but a poll based on 1,020 people isn't too relevant to me.
You must not have paid attention in statistics class.

Teachers, nurses, scientists, firefighters, police officers...it'd be nice if their perceived "prestige" actually translated into real-world currency more often.

You are, of course, a completely disinterested party here, and only advocate larger wages for scientists out of the goodness of your heart?

31 + 5 = 26?

Actually teachers rose 5 points from 47 to 52 points.


Heres more data from the actual poll by Harris Interactive

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/

Hahahaha, yes, I have so much prestige as a teacher...that's what they pay you with by the way...prestige, not dollars...that I decided to just flip over to the opposite side of the spectrum, become a lawyer, and NOT get paid in prestige.

Do it, come over to the dark side.

We're not bad people......really.

That being said, I do think teachers should be paid more. I know I couldn't work for that salary.

My mother who has been teaching for well over thirty years makes roughly 2/3 of what a fresh out of lawschool attorney makes.

LMAO! I wonder why that is?

Because a handful of opinionated assholes who call themselves journalists taint the reputation of the rest of us.

You must not have paid attention in statistics class.

No but who trusts statistics anyway?

No but who trusts statistics anyway?

Statisticians, for one.

All of these statistics are based on the Clown which always gets 100%. :D

Statisticians, for one.

Yeah, well you know the thing about statisticians? Encase their feet in a block of ice and set fire to their hair, and they'll tell you 'On average, this is quite comfortable'.

All of these statistics are based on the Clown which always gets 100%. :D

Ergo, Clown != Entertainer.

Oh wait, hardly news.

Yeah, well you know the thing about statisticians? Encase their feet in a block of ice and set fire to their hair, and they'll tell you 'On average, this is quite comfortable'.

YAY! :D

Ergo, Clown != Entertainer.

Oh wait, hardly news.

I protest being crammed into the same group as strippers and musicians. Unless I get some free samples. :)

Downward rather steeply, I would imagine.
i'm not so sure, but then i'm not actually american so my experience is all second-hand...

Although it's far from perfect, the marketplace sets salaries. The greater the demand for a particular skill set, the higher the salary ... generally speaking.

Sometimes, however, it just boils down to tradition. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers are starting to be in great demand in the biotech industry. However, we are generally paid less than any other type of engineer. Why? Basically, it is because most biotech companies are run by biologists - who have traditionally had lower salaries than engineers. As such, bioengineers get paid closer to a biologist salary, despite their engineering skillset.

58% for me then. :)

Yeah, well you know the thing about statisticians? Encase their feet in a block of ice and set fire to their hair, and they'll tell you 'On average, this is quite comfortable'.

Which, I suppose, is technically correct. The thing is, people expect statistics to do more than they do, and when they can't, call statistics worthless or stupid.

Statistics do what they do, which is say "this happens X amount of the time, Y amount of people say this", the conclusions one draws from that are not necessarily the field of statistics. Statistics do what they do, and to expect them to do more is silly.