| Table 7-13 |
| Prestige of various occupations: Selected years, 1977–2006 |
| (Percent) |
| |
| Occupation |
|
1977 |
|
1982 |
|
1992 |
|
1997 |
|
1998 |
|
2000 |
|
2001 |
|
2002 |
|
2003 |
|
2004 |
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
| |
| Doctor |
|
61 |
|
55 |
|
50 |
|
52 |
|
61 |
|
61 |
|
61 |
|
50 |
|
52 |
|
52 |
|
54 |
|
58 |
| Scientist |
|
66 |
|
59 |
|
57 |
|
51 |
|
55 |
|
56 |
|
53 |
|
51 |
|
57 |
|
52 |
|
56 |
|
54 |
| Teacher |
|
29 |
|
28 |
|
41 |
|
49 |
|
53 |
|
53 |
|
54 |
|
47 |
|
49 |
|
48 |
|
47 |
|
52 |
| Military officer |
|
NA |
|
22 |
|
32 |
|
29 |
|
34 |
|
42 |
|
40 |
|
47 |
|
46 |
|
47 |
|
49 |
|
51 |
| Police officer |
|
NA |
|
NA |
|
34 |
|
36 |
|
41 |
|
38 |
|
37 |
|
40 |
|
42 |
|
40 |
|
40 |
|
43 |
| Priest/minister/clergyman |
|
41 |
|
42 |
|
38 |
|
45 |
|
46 |
|
45 |
|
43 |
|
36 |
|
38 |
|
32 |
|
36 |
|
40 |
| Engineer |
|
34 |
|
30 |
|
37 |
|
32 |
|
34 |
|
32 |
|
36 |
|
34 |
|
28 |
|
29 |
|
34 |
|
34 |
| Member of Congress |
|
NA |
|
NA |
|
24 |
|
23 |
|
25 |
|
33 |
|
24 |
|
27 |
|
30 |
|
31 |
|
26 |
|
28 |
| Architect |
|
NA |
|
NA |
|
NA |
|
NA |
|
26 |
|
26 |
|
28 |
|
27 |
|
24 |
|
20 |
|
27 |
|
27 |
| Athlete |
|
26 |
|
20 |
|
18 |
|
21 |
|
20 |
|
21 |
|
22 |
|
21 |
|
17 |
|
21 |
|
23 |
|
23 |
| Lawyer |
|
36 |
|
30 |
|
25 |
|
19 |
|
23 |
|
21 |
|
18 |
|
15 |
|
17 |
|
17 |
|
18 |
|
21 |
| Entertainer |
|
18 |
|
16 |
|
17 |
|
18 |
|
19 |
|
21 |
|
20 |
|
19 |
|
17 |
|
16 |
|
18 |
|
18 |
| Accountant |
|
NA |
|
13 |
|
14 |
|
18 |
|
17 |
|
14 |
|
15 |
|
13 |
|
15 |
|
10 |
|
13 |
|
17 |
| Banker |
|
17 |
|
17 |
|
17 |
|
15 |
|
18 |
|
15 |
|
16 |
|
15 |
|
14 |
|
15 |
|
15 |
|
17 |
| Journalist |
|
17 |
|
16 |
|
15 |
|
15 |
|
15 |
|
16 |
|
18 |
|
19 |
|
15 |
|
14 |
|
14 |
|
16 |
| Union leader |
|
NA |
|
NA |
|
12 |
|
14 |
|
16 |
|
16 |
|
17 |
|
14 |
|
15 |
|
16 |
|
15 |
|
12 |
| Business executive |
|
18 |
|
16 |
|
19 |
|
16 |
|
18 |
|
15 |
|
12 |
|
18 |
|
18 |
|
19 |
|
15 |
|
11 |
| |
NA = not available, question not asked
NOTES: Based on "very great prestige" responses to: I am going to read off a number of different occupations. For each, would you tell me if you feel it is an occupation of very great prestige, considerable prestige, some prestige, or hardly any prestige at all?
SOURCE: Firefighters, doctors and nurses top list as "most prestigious occupations", according to latest Harris Poll, The Harris Poll #58, Harris Interactive (26 July 2006), http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=685, accessed 7 August 2006. Science and Engineering Indicators 2008 |
|
Source Data