10 Most Dishonest Professions in America

The land of the free and the home of the brave is based on reputable heroic vocations like firefighters, and top-class doctors and nurses, but what about most dishonest professions in America? They too exist. In fact, every successful country in the world needs to have a few of those shady professions which make things spin when that would otherwise be impossible. Whether by finding the loopholes in regulations or by directly bending the rules to their own needs, these people have received both praise and scorn time and again. Sometimes they have to do that for the higher good, but other times they are breaking the laws or exhibiting very low moral standards and ethics out of their selfish desires.

These people are often dealing with recognizable brands just like America itself is a brand for many a good and bad things at the same time. Speaking of brands, here’s a list of 10 common words you didn’t realize were brand names. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? People generally have their own perceptions of any given profession – especially if they have had the dealings with some of their representatives in the past. Media sometimes spins the public opinion in one profession’s favor or the other way around, but results can’t be hidden in the modern era where information is widely available and usually free.

We have gathered our data from Gallup. This consulting and analytic company deals with a wide range of research topics which they use as leverage when working with large companies. They have been conducting this poll of honesty and ethics for a wide range of professions since 1976. Results varied over the years, but some things have remained constant over the long periods of time. People in America never trusted politicians, but they have always had a positive opinion of firefighters, nurses, dentists, engineers, teachers, pharmacists, medical doctors and veterinarians, for instance.

We have gathered Gallup’s data in a single database and decided to use the last available year for rankings. They haven’t rated the same professions every single year, and some haven’t been rated since 2011. Those professions with highest percentages of low and very low opinions delivered by a classic Likert scale will be rated as 10 most dishonest professions in America. Given the state of the US economy, results probably won’t come as a surprise. Still, as mentioned above – some things have never really changed in both upper and lower ends of Gallup’s scales.

10. Insurance Salespeople

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 36%

Insurance salespeople and lawyers are usually trading places between them on a regular basis. While solicitors are enjoying slightly better support from the people lately, insurance salespeople aren’t. Out of those 36% of negative opinions, 8% were very negative, and 28% were slightly less negative. 49% of people are still undecided on the matter and have an average opinion, while only 13% of people hold insurance salespeople in high esteem, and 2% of Americans hold them in very high esteem. Definitely not enough to avoid being ranked in the top 10, and likely not enough to help them keep their jobs, but still they persist.

9. State Officeholders

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 37%

2013 ratings state that 13% of people have very low opinion of state officeholders, while 24% have a low opinion of them. 46% of Americans have an average opinion on the matter, and only 12% and 2% of them have high or very high opinions of their state officials respectively. Politicians never really enjoyed American people’s trust, and things are rarely different in other parts of the world too. This is a thing that just goes with the job, and there’s either very little they can do, or they just aren’t trying enough. If they don’t want to or think that they don’t need to change the public perception of them, state officeholders don’t even deserve better.

8. Stockbrokers

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 39%

Stockbrokers are even less trusted than insurance salespeople and state officeholders. Only 11% of Americans hold them in high regard; 9% with high opinion and only 2% with a very high opinion. With 2% of undecided and 48% of people with an average opinion, this leaves stockbrokers with 30% of negative and 9% of extremely negative reviews. Given the state of the American economy and the fact that they directly impact it to some extent, this doesn’t really come as a surprise.

7. Labor Union Leaders

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 41%

In the end, Frank Sobotka of The Wire ended up a shady, but a good guy. The question is: “How would people perceive him if they didn’t know his good side”? Most people don’t know personal details when it comes to deciding whether to trust someone. This is why Labor Union Leaders are perceived as sellouts by 13% and 28% of Americans who have very low and low opinion of them respectively. 37% of Americans have a neutral opinion, and only 16% and 1% have high and very high opinions of labor union leaders respectively, and would put their own jobs in union leader’s care.

6. Advertising Practitioners

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 42%

Advertising practitioner is a complex term to describe people who deal in marketing. There are more than a few professions that qualify for advertising practitioners, but they all have their hands in shaping our opinions and bending it to their and their contractor’s will. This is the main reason why most Americans think less of them than they do for the majority of other vocations. Only 8% and 2% have a high and very high opinion of advertising practitioners respectively, and 44% of people have remained neutral on the matter. On the other hand, 31% of people are less than favorable towards them, to say the least, while 11% of Americans probably change the channel during commercial breaks.

5. Senators

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 45%

Being politicians on a high level, it’s no wonder why senators take the mid-spot on our list of 10 most dishonest professions in America. 39% of people are inclined to give them a chance by giving them neutral ratings. 12% of people believe that their senators are doing a good job, and 2% of Americans think that they are doing even more than that. However, 33% of Americans probably think that they’re garbage, while we wouldn’t say what the final 12% of people think. Some things are better left to your imagination.

4. Car Salespeople

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 45%

It’s probably unfair towards car salesmen, but it’s the truth. Unless they’re selling a top-class $100,000 and above luxury car, they’ll have to use their tricks and omit to give you the whole picture. Every affordable family car has its downside – some of which are significant. If you’re not aware of specific car’s cons, you’re left to the mercy of the people only 8% of Americans think good of. 6% of those are high opinions, and 2% are very high, while there’s also 46% of neutrals. However, 31% of Americans probably wouldn’t help car salespeople cross the street, while 14% of them would probably run them over with the same car they have sold them.

3. Telemarketers

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 53%

Where to even begin with telemarketers? It’s not their fault, really, but they can be utterly annoying. Not so annoying maybe, but invasive and not respectful of one’s privacy for certain. This might be the reason why only 6% and 2% of people in the US have the sympathy towards them. 38% have been nice enough not to give them neither positive nor negative ratings, but 37% of people who have rated them low weren’t that polite. Finally, 16% of Americans have admitted that they hate telemarketers (not openly, though – only figuratively).

2. Lobbyists

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 56%

Lobbyists are another group of people with a wide array of duties, but this still doesn’t change the perception which says that common Americans see their vocation as disparage. Still they earn top dollar, nevertheless. When you crunch the numbers, you’ll see that only 5% of Americans have a somewhat good opinion of them, and only 1% of people understand their importance and fully support them. 31% of people have decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, but as seen above, more than half of those surveyed have decided to speak their mind openly. 30% of all those questioned have a low opinion of lobbyists, while 26% would probably give them a stick if the opportunity presented itself.

1. Members of Congress

Percentage of people with very low/low opinion: 61%

Numbers sometimes speak much more than words. Americans have clearly stated what they think of those sitting all day in cushy Washington DC chairs and do much less than they’re supposed to – considering their salaries. Only 6% of Americans hold their respective congressmen in high regard, and only 1% of people would vote for them again by giving them their full support. 30% of Americans have decided to give them an average rating, but 37% of them have decided to scorn them. Finally, 24% of Americans definitely wouldn’t vote them again, ant that’s an understatement.

This is the list of 10 most dishonest professions in America that rarely changes much – especially at the top. While some professions manage to enter this infamous top 10 on occasion, most of the vocations with political background are a long-time tenants. Same goes for people who are supposed to shape our thoughts through marketing and for those who are supposed to sell us something that either isn’t good enough, or comes with way too much fine print. On the other hand, you’ll never see a doctor or a teacher on this list; let alone a fearsome firefighter who puts his life on the line to help others.