5 Most Respected Professions in the US

4. Teachers

IM Score: 37

The 2018 Global Teacher Status Index, released by the Varkey Foundation, sheds light on the varying degrees of respect for teachers across 35 countries. China and Malaysia have perfect scores of 100 and 93.3, respectively, considering the teaching profession on par with doctors. In contrast, the United States ranked 16th with a score of 39.7, placing it below countries like Taiwan, Russia, and Indonesia. Notably, the US public perception of teachers contrasts with that of teachers themselves, as respondents equated the role of teachers to that of librarians. In contrast, teachers ranked their status at 37.1 out of 100, lower than the public’s perception at 48.7.

The index also revealed disparities in parental encouragement for teaching careers, with more than half of parents in China, India, Ghana, and Malaysia providing positive encouragement, compared to less than 8% in Israel and Russia. In the US, 42% of parents would encourage their children to pursue teaching despite believing teachers are underpaid.