How ethical is your profession? Odds are you're more respected by your peers than those in media & politics:
Bottom Line: The annual look at our perception of professions produced plenty of semi-surprises and a lot of information that speaks to our displeasure with politicians and the people who report on them. In Gallup's annual study of Honest and Ethics standards in professions here are some highlights on how we view notable professions. The options were High, average, low. The numbers I'm getting ready to share are based on those who believe professions have a high level of ethical behavior.
- Most ethical profession: Nursing - 82%
- Least ethical profession: Lobbyist - 8%
It's interesting that nursing is currently viewed to be the most ethical profession in the country. Not necessarily because it's not deserved but mostly because I don't think most people would reach for that answer if asked. Notably nurses are viewed as being 17% more ethical than the doctors they work with. Here are the top five professions for ethics right now according to us:
- Nurses: 82%
- Military officers: 71%
- Teachers: 66%
- Doctors: 65%
- Pharmacists: 62%
What's somewhat unfortunate, and likely a byproduct these of these professions having been politicized, is that police officers fell outside that top five at 56%. What does it say when those who fight for and maintain our country's freedom are only viewed as being highly ethical by 71% of Americans - while those who protect us in our daily life at home are only being given the benefit of the doubt by just over half of us? That's too bad and likely a byproduct of the very media that scored extremely poorly.
- Newspapers only scored 25%
- TV reporters just 23% (they didn't survey radio reporting or I would share that info with you)
All told we're a pretty skeptical bunch of people these. Only 27% of professions surveyed scored above 50%. Notable professions that fell below that mark were:
- Day care providers: 46%
- Judges: 43%
- Clergy: 42%
As for the bottom three...Congress: 12%, Car Salespeople: 10%, and the aforementioned lobbyists at 8%.