Rank the prestige of these professions - Doctor, Lawyer, Banker, Teacher, Engineer, Business Owner...

No, Lawyers are some of the least respected people in this country. They are the cause of the increases in insurance premiums which make it almost unaffordable. They do nothing but increase the need for more Lawyers and create wealth for themselves and increase the cost of all goods and services in this country.

This would be a better world if there were no lawyers.

"Prestige" in the eyes of Americans depends mostly on salary.

As far as "importance", which I'd base on "contributions to society", here is my list:

1. Engineer - Almost everything you use in your day-to-day life was engineered. You car, you computer, your shoes, your vitamin pills, you cell phone, your notepad, the roads you drive to work, etc etc etc. Without engineers, modern society would not exist. Engineers are usually very smart and contribute in other ways as well.

2. Doctor - Your go to "guy" (or "girl") for health problems. They solve these problems and have a huge impact on "quality of life".

3. Teacher - They educate and inspire future doctors and engineers. A noble cause. An educated populace is important.

4. Police - Without them, all chaos would break lose. Some hate on the police, but I am glad they are around to incarcerate the scum of the Earth. I would argue the average policeman has a more dangerous/risky job than the average military person.

5. Military - Similar to the police, they keep all hell from breaking lose. But they don't have to do much in peacetime. For police there is no such thing as "peacetime". That is why I rate police a nod higher.

6. Business Owner - These guys are enablers of innovation. They employ people and provide for their food, housing, health insure, etc. But they can often be greedy and irresponsible (case in point: financial crisis).

7. Banker - Moves capital/manages money for engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, police departments, business owners. In that sense they are useful. But they are greedy bastards (case in point: financial crisis).

8. Lawyer - Most lawyers are in it for the money, pure and simple. Only a select few fight on behalf of noble causes. Most are leeches.

9. Salesman - In it for the money. If they are selling a good product that they believe in I guess that could be good.

10. Marketing - In it for the money. Tries to get people to buy crap they don't need, is bad for their health, bad for communities, etc. All in the name of making money!

Lawyers are way above police since they have to sort out the chaos they often leave behind, and that suggests that judges should also be somewhere on this list.

And architects, who I would say are more like engineering managers, although they do (or should) have artistic skill as well.

But I agree 100% with your 1, 2, and 3.

Quit trying to rank everything. If you want to rank something, rank runners based on their performance. Professinos are all necessary to the effective function of society as a whole. None is any more prestigeous than another. All that matters is that each person on each day performs to the best of his ability based on his God given talents! Prestige is just pride and pride will destroy you. Be humble!

Doctor

Lawyer

Engineer

Military

Business Owner (higher if a quality business)

Banker

Teacher

Marketing

Police

Salesman (Could be higher depending on what they're selling)

Reall all of these depend on the individual and specific job. A general doctor is Podunk USA is going to be less prestigious than a high ranking military man/woman or large business owner, just as a Swat team coordinator is going to higher than the owner of a local motel.

1. Doctor

2. Engineer

3. Teacher

4. Police

5. Business Owner

6. Military

7. Lawyer (depends what kind of lawyer)

8. Business Owner

9. Banker (depends on what kind of banking)

10. Salesman

Some of these occupations are pretty broad categories. For example, a banker could be a personal banker at your local branch or be the CEO of Bank of America. Or a teacher could be a second grade teacher or a distinguished professor at a top university.

1. Military

2. Engineer

3. Doctor

4. Business Owner

5. Teacher

6. Police

7. Banker

8. Marketing

9. Salesman

10.Lawyer

I wonder how many people really consider how varied a career 'lawyer' is.....to regard a lawyer working in corporations, arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, etc as a leech who has no social product is just sort of ridiculous.

We're not all ambulance chasers, guys!

corporate lawyers are the worst.

Banker

Doctor

Lawyer

Military

Business Owner

Engineer

Police

Salesman

Teacher

Marketing

I would put military at the top, but I think of honor and prestige differently.

MD Student wrote:

Based solely on prestige, not my opinion but what I feel the majority of Ameirica feels.

1. Military

2. Business Owner

3. Doctor

4. Banker

5. Teacher

6. Police

7. Engineer

8. Marketing

9. Lawyer

10. Salesman

how could you possibly put military at the top? Just because everyone loves to say "i support the troops" doesn't mean it's a prestigious job. we all know that the majority of military people are only in there because they can't do anything else worthwhile. and this coming from a guy whose dad was a lawyer in the military, so i am well aware that there are very capable soldiers too.

this has nothing to do with how important the job is. it's how "prestigious" it is. there is nothing prestigious about crawling around in the dirt and being sent of to a VA when you go crazy. then where are all of the "i support the troops" sticker people?

your listing is way off, and looks like you have been biased by populist BS on CNN or something.

I agree there's no prestige with military service. It's basically the default career for those who have no other direction. How I'd rank them:

Doctor

Lawyer

Engineer

Business Owner

Teacher

Banker

Police

Military

Salesman

Marketing

I'm going to base 'prestige' based off of what the public thinks, and that is based upon education and salary. Business owner is kind of vague, you could have a start-up, or you could run a family restaurant.

1. Doctor

2. Lawyer

3. Banker

4. Engineer

5. Marketing/Ads (Joke of a profession if I ever heard of one, though admittedly, there is more to it than 'Mad Men' would have you believe)

6. Police (Depends on if you're a newbie or a detective)

7. Salesman (Selling knives or supercomputers, depends on the product)

8. Teacher

9. Business Owner

10. Military (sorry but so many military people are just chumps who couldn't go to college)

Doesn't most of the public think bankers are overpaid douchebags?

sub onesy wrote:

Doesn't most of the public think bankers are overpaid douchebags?

only the bankers on TV. the bankers most of us know are normal people. and even if people think of them as greedy, making more money adds to any perceived "prestige." I think most of you guys just don't know what that word means.

also, in response to all of the dumbasses saying lawyers are assholes that everyone hates:

stop being such morons and watching dumb movies. the majority of lawyers are not ambulance chasers or out there defending executive criminals. when people list off what a kid could be with hard work, it is not at all uncommon to go: "...a doctor, a lawyer,...." It is without a doubt one of the most prestigious professions in this country.

most lawyers are good normal people. and if they are smart, they make very good money. they also can do a lot of good for society and are completely necessary.

I'll agree with you for the most part about engineers. But every engineer I've ever met can do only that. They are not "very smart" in any fields other than math and science. But they really do think that makes them an expert at everything!

I went to one of the best engineering schools in the country. (I am not an engineer, however.) I tutored some of those engineers at writing and I edited the paper, to which some tried to contribute. I NEVER met an engineer who could write for beans.

They are generally uncultured. But they make nice bridges. Oh well.

Doctor

Engineer

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Military - a well trained militia deserves the support and respect of our country.

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Teacher - Most appear to come from the bottom third of their class. They seem to have little knowledge of math, english or history. Maybe that is why our students in the US rank in the bottom third in world rankings.

1. exercise physiologist