The Most and Least Trusted Professions in the US

Trust is a vital component in any professional relationship, and it varies significantly from one occupation to another. As we navigate through various interactions in our lives, from medical appointments to legal consultations, the level of confidence we place in different professionals can impact our decisions and experiences.

Ever wondered which occupations garner the most trust from the American public? Or are you curious about those that have some work to do in the trust department? Gallop polled over 1,000 adults on their opinions of the honesty and ethics of people in 18 select professions. Stacker then took the data and ranked various professions from least trusted to most trusted.

18. Telemarketers

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 2%
--- High: 4%
--- Average: 33%
--- Low: 34%
--- Very low: 25%

Telemarketing can be a legitimate and effective means for businesses to reach potential customers. However, it's unfortunate that this industry is often exploited by unscrupulous individuals and organizations seeking to perpetrate scams. Fraudulent telemarketers use deceptive, unfair, or otherwise unlawful practices to trick unsuspecting individuals into parting with their hard-earned money or personal information.

These scams can range from fake charity solicitations to bogus investment opportunities, lottery swindles, and more. It's crucial for consumers to stay vigilant, recognize the red flags, and take necessary precautions when dealing with unsolicited calls to protect themselves from falling victim to such scams.

17. Members of Congress

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 2%
--- High: 7%
--- Average: 28%
--- Low: 37%
--- Very low: 25%

According to Gallop, Americans' distrust of elected officials has increased in recent years. Those polled said that congress members were out of touch, beholden to special interests, and corrupt. It's not great that they get the same "very low" percentage as telemarketers!

16. Car Salespeople

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 2%
--- High: 8%
--- Average: 44%
--- Low: 31%
--- Very low: 13%

Across the board, salespeople are viewed negatively in the US as consumers feel they will lie to make a sale. Those polled have especially low expectations from car salespeople.

15. Business Executives

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 2%
--- High: 12%
--- Average: 48%
--- Low: 25%
--- Very low: 11%

There's a trust gap between workers and their employers and executive-level businesspeople. A third of Americans do not trust business executives to be upfront and honest.

14. Advertising Practitioners

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 2%
--- High: 13%
--- Average: 42%
--- Low: 31%
--- Very low: 10%

Polling found that Americans distrust advertisements and those who create them. Many feel that ads are exaggerated and deceitful in their promises.

13. Lawyers

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 3%
--- High: 18%
--- Average: 50%
--- Low: 19%
--- Very low: 9%

How many lawyer jokes have you heard in your lifetime? It should come as no surprise that lawyers are some of the least trusted professionals out there. Many can't get behind lawyers who represent clients they know are guilty. Others don't like being talked down to by lawyers they've employed in the past.

12. Journalists

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 3%
--- High: 20%
--- Average: 35%
--- Low: 24%
--- Very low: 18%

Journalists have been criticized for generations because readers feel they aren't objective. With the rise of cable news, the 24-hour news cycle, and partisan online publications, trust has only decreased.

11. Labor Union Leaders (Tie)

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 7%
--- High: 17%
--- Average: 42%
--- Low: 22%
--- Very low: 9%

Stacker notes that a Gallop poll from 2022 found that approval of labor unions was 71%, their highest approval rating since 1965! While many approve of unions in general, their leadership is another story. Many point to Teamsters Union leader Jimmy Hoffa, who had connections with the mob and embezzled money from the union's pension fund. Further, the United Auto Workers union leadership has often been embroiled in scandal.

10. Real Estate Agents (Tie)

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 4%
--- High: 20%
--- Average: 55%
--- Low: 15%
--- Very low: 4%

The National Association of Realtors has a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that its members must follow. However, agents make money off of the commission of a sale. This means that they profit more as the price increases. Most realtors are ethical, but a recent class-action lawsuit is peeling back the veil over their deceptive practices.

RELATED: 25 Most Meaningful Jobs in America

9. Bankers

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 5%
--- High: 21%
--- Average: 54%
--- Low: 15%
--- Very low: 5%

After taxpayers had to bail out big banks during the Great Recession, a bad taste has been left in many consumers' mouths. Many see the banking industry as dirty and untrustworthy; by extension, bankers are not seen favorably.

8. Clergy

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 8%
--- High: 26%
--- Average: 45%
--- Low: 13%
--- Very low: 4%

Every couple of years, a major scandal about the Roman Catholic Church seems to break. The authoritarian-style leadership of the church and its ability to disregard criminality are damaging the image of clergy in the US. The Roman Catholic Church is not the only denomination with widespread illegality. Recent scandals have turned many Protestants away from the church altogether.

7. Judges

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 8%
--- High: 31%
--- Average: 42%
--- Low: 13%
--- Very low: 6%

Judges are viewed more favorably than legislators, but there's still plenty of distrust. This is especially true regarding Supreme Court Justices. Those polled feel the Justices hand down rulings along partisan lines instead of relying on the Constitution, legal precedent, and law.

6. Accountants

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 7%
--- High: 34%
--- Average: 50%
--- Low: 6%
--- Very low: 1%

Accounts help businesses and individuals file and pay their taxes. Most states require CPAs to pass an ethics exam before they can practice. However, as Stacker notes, in 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission fined the giant accounting firm Ernst & Young $100 million after discovering its employees cheated on ethics exams.

5. Police Officers

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 13%
--- High: 37%
--- Average: 32%
--- Low: 11%
--- Very low: 7%

Overall trust in police officers is high when compared to other professions on this list. However, the Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on the racism inherent in policing. Trust in police officers is at an all-time low.

4. High School Teachers

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 14%
--- High: 39%
--- Average: 31%
--- Low: 12%
--- Very low: 3%

High school teachers rank highly as trustworthy and ethical. However, they are polling lower than ever before since Gallop started asking about them in 2002. The politicization of the classroom in recent years, in which, state legislators have passed an unprecedented number of laws that dictate what can and can't be taught at school, is turning parents against teachers and public school on an institutional level.

3. Pharmacists

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 14%
--- High: 44%
--- Average: 34%
--- Low: 5%
--- Very low: 2%

As more and more people gain access to health insurance and health care, views in pharmacists have risen. These professionals offer an invaluable service to their patients and often take time to offer personalized care.

2. Medical Doctors

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 17%
--- High: 45%
--- Average: 28%
--- Low: 7%
--- Very low: 3%

According to Gallop, people tend to rank their personal doctors more highly than they do the profession as a whole. There's a lot of distrust out there among people of color and other marginalized groups. Lack of representation, unequal treatment, and a history of racial targeting in the medical profession make many skeptical.

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1. Nurses

- Public opinion of honesty and ethical standards in this profession:
--- Very high: 29%
--- High: 50%
--- Average: 17%
--- Low: 3%
--- Very low: 1%

No society could function without nurses. These health care professionals are the beating heart of the healthcare system. Because patients interact more with nurses than any other individuals in health care, they tend to rank higher than all others. The COVID-19 pandemic and the pivotal role nurses played only bolstered Americans favorable views of them.

It's worth noting that trust is a subjective and multifaceted concept. Personal experiences, societal norms, and media portrayals can influence it. The professions we've examined today have shown varying degrees of public trust, reflecting the diverse perspectives across America. Whether you're contemplating a career change or simply interested in societal perceptions, remember trust is earned, and every profession has the potential to build or rebuild it.

For even more about American views on professionals, keep reading. Take a look at the most meaningful jobs in the US.

Discover the Most Meaningful Jobs Below and Prepare to Want to Make a Career Change

Music Directors and Composers

- Median pay: $46,500
- High meaning: 88%
- High satisfaction: 80%

People passionate about music find their work profoundly personal as it allows them to express themselves through art. Further, symphonies, choirs, and the like bring people together in a unique way. However, they don't make a ton of money.

Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists

- Median pay: $60,800
- High meaning: 88%
- High satisfaction: 78%

Psychologists working with children can help identify learning disabilities, cognitive problems, and mental health disorders. These professionals can work in the school setting or in outpatient facilities.

Pediatricians

- Median pay: $149,000
- High meaning: 88%
- High satisfaction: 89%

Here's a profession that pays well and helps serve the greater good. Pediatricians can diagnose an array of health problems and keep kids feeling their best.

Mental Health Counselors

- Median pay: $40,700
- High meaning: 89%
- High satisfaction: 70%

Counselors employ cognitive therapy to help improve the lives of their patients. They can also help diagnose and manage a variety of disorders. These individuals often make a lasting impact on someone's life, which makes this job rank highly for meaning.

Physicians

- Median pay: $225,000
- High meaning: 89%
- High satisfaction: 80%

High pay, meaning, and satisfaction make being a physician or surgeon appealing. After all, these folks save lives every day. It doesn't get more meaningful than that!

Education Administrators for Preschool and Early Child Care

- Median pay: $33,200
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 81%

While the pay might be low, education administrators oversee the welfare of our country's children. They also help shape the activities and programs for children and foster a learning environment.

Physical Therapists

- Median pay: $73,400
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 79%

Following an injury, surgery, or illness, physical therapists are there to help rehabilitate their patients. These professionals help to improve people's lives.

First-Line Supervisors (Police and Detective Management)

- Median pay: $69,200
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 85%

While many of these jobs are public-facing, police and detective managers and supervisors often work behind the scenes to keep their departments running smoothly.

Medical Appliance Technicians

- Median pay: $37,900
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 78%

Without medical devices, doctors and surgeons could not remedy many ailments. These folks take a great deal of meaning from their work as they are helping others to feel their best.

Family and General Practitioners

- Median pay: $165,000
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 78%

Unlike surgeons or pediatricians, family, and general practitioners often treat families over a long period of time, forging close bonds with their patients. These doctors treat everything from the flu to chronic illnesses like diabetes.

Counselors (Unspecified Area of Focus)

- Median pay: $34,000
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 77%

Counselors who responded that their job was more general and did not specify an area of focus in the survey said their jobs felt meaningful. These people listen with the intent to identify all manner of mental health issues.

Speech-Language Pathologists

- Median pay: $65,700
- High meaning: 90%
- High satisfaction: 79%

Sometimes referred to as SLPs, speech-language pathologists help their patients with speech and language disorders as well as with communication more broadly and even swallowing. Because they can have a direct impact on someone's day-to-day life, these folks ranked their meaning very highly.

Epidemiologists

- Median pay: $69,000
- High meaning: 91%
- High satisfaction: 77%

Epidemiologists rank their meaning very high because they don't help a handful of people, but instead, entire societies. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it's that these people are key players in helping us survive a plague.

Kindergarten Teachers (Not Including Special Education)

- Median pay: $39,000
- High meaning: 91%
- High satisfaction: 81%

Teaching young children can be very rewarding for educators. Those teaching kindergarten classrooms rank their meaning very highly.

Occupational Therapists

- Median pay: $64,400
- High meaning: 91%
- High satisfaction: 77%

Occupational therapists help make a positive impact on the lives of their patients, helping them to care for themselves and regain their capabilities.

Rehabilitation Counselors

- Median pay: $39,100
- High meaning: 91%
- High satisfaction: 74%

With the opioid epidemic, we have seen just how critical rehabilitation counselors are for treating people who have become dependent on substances. Further, the counselors don't only work with those who have substance abuse. They can help their patients overcome physical, mental, developmental, or emotional disabilities.

Anesthesiologists

- Median pay: $273,000
- High meaning: 91%
- High satisfaction: 83%

Surgery would be much more painful for both patients and surgeons without the work of anesthesiologists who help prepare patients for procedures. Not only is this job meaningful, it also pays extremely well.

Psychiatrists

- Median pay: $197,000
- High meaning: 92%
- High satisfaction: 85%

Some disorders can not be treated with cognitive and behavioral therapy alone. Psychiatrists help diagnose and treat these disorders and care for their patients mental health and well being.

Chiropractors

- Median pay: $60,100
- High meaning: 92%
- High satisfaction: 70%

Unlike many other healthcare providers, chiropractors can get immediate gratification by performing a simple adjustment or alignment. Helping patients feel their best every day gives this profession a high-meaning rating.

Radiation Therapists

- Median pay: $70,200
- High meaning: 93%
- High satisfaction: 86%

Radiation therapists experience as much heartbreak as joy after a patient recovers from months of treatment. Treating cancer patients is a rewarding job, according to those surveyed.

Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators

- Median pay: $76,700
- High meaning: 95%
- High satisfaction: 88%

Principals, superintendents, athletic directors, and school administrators get lumped into this category. Administrators find their jobs more rewarding than teachers at these institutions do.

Religious Activities Directors

- Median pay: $37,600
- High meaning: 96%
- High satisfaction: 84%

Though the pay is low, religious directors rank their meaning very high. After all, this is a "higher calling," so they likely feel they are benefiting others as much as themselves.

Surgeons

- Median pay: $304,000
- High meaning: 96%
- High satisfaction: 83%

Surgeons receive the highest median pay of any job on this list and are ranked as the third most meaningful job. Saving lived daily has to be rewarding.

Postsecondary English and Literature Teachers

- Median pay: $43,600
- High meaning: 96%
- High satisfaction: 74%

Who among us has had an English literature professor that made an impact? In the college setting, these educators can forge intellectual bonds with their students and help shape their professional life.

Clergy

- Median pay: $46,600
- High meaning: 98%
- High satisfaction: 90%

It should come as no surprise that those with deeply religious sentiments feel rewarded for their work. Members of clergy rank their meaning the highest on the list. The salary might not be great but that's not why they are in it.

There you go! Now you know the professions that people find the most meaningful. It's an excellent resource for those considering a career change, as you can now see the folks who feel that their work makes the most impact. Healthcare professionals, educators, and more feel rewarded for their hard work. We know we are thankful for them!