I was recently perusing the 2013 Gallup survey on “Honesty/Ethics in Professions.” Those who participated in Gallup’s survey where give a simple prompt: “Please tell me how you would rate the honest and ethical standards of people in these different fields- very high, high, average, low or very low.” The resulting ranking was based on what percentage of those surveyed thought the profession had very high/high ethical standards.
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I wanted to see what professions or careers make the grade when it comes to both respectability and respectable pay. Here is a look at jobs that rank high and low in ethics and what people get paid to work in those positions. The median salary statistics from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics released earlier in 2014.
Top Ten Honesty/Ethics
1. Nurses – 82% rated them very high/high on ethics; $65,470 (median salary for a Registered Nurse)
2. Pharmacists – 70%; $116,670
3. Grade School Teachers – 70%; $53,090
4. Medical Doctors – 69%; $187,200
5. Military Officers – 69%; Varies
6. Police Officers – 54%; $56,980
7. Clergy – 47%; $19,780
8. Day Care Providers – 46%; Less than $25,00
9. Judges – 45%; $102,980
10. Nursing Home Operators – 32%; $88,580
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Bottom Ten in Honest/Ethics
10. Local Office Holders – 23% rated them very high/high on ethics; Part-time pay-$20,000+
9. Business Executives – 22%; $168,140
8. Newspaper Reporters – 21%; $53,880 (Editors, reporters, etc.)
7. Lawyers – 20%; $113,530
6. TV Reporters – 20%; $35,870 (non anchors)
5. Advertising Practitioners – 14%; $119,480
4. State Office Holders – 14%; $43,000-$179,000
3. Car Salesmen – 9%; $63,800 (WSJ.com)
2. Members of Congress – 8%; $174,000 (payscale.com)
1. Lobbyists – 6%; $101,529 (11.Salary.com)
We all know there is good and bad in all occupations, but there are some takeaways here. Most of the professions or careers that rank high on the ethics test deal with our basic hierarchy of needs. The top contenders all play a role in the general public’s, health, wealth and safety. Just a little food for thought for millennials decided what career path they will choose and others who are considering a career change.
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