These are the main findings of a Roy Morgan telephone survey conducted on the nights of April 16-18, 2013, with 645 Australian men and women aged 14 and over.
A large majority, 90% (unchanged in three years) of Australians aged 14 and over rate
Nurses as the most ethical and honest profession — the 19th year in a row since
Nurses were first included on the survey in 1994.
Of all 30 professions surveyed in 2013 a large majority, twenty-one, increased while only four professions declined and five professions were unchanged.
Other professions that also gained high ratings for ethics and honesty in 2013, including
Doctors (88%, up 5%),
Pharmacists (84%, down 4%),
Engineers (76%, up 6%),
School Teachers (76%, unchanged),
Dentists (74%, down 1%),
High Court Judges (73%, up 3%),
State Supreme Court Judges (70%, up 1%),
Police (69%, unchanged) and
University Lecturers (68%, up 3%).
Federal MPs (14%, up 4%) and
State MPs (13%, up 3%) both gained after last year recording their lowest ratings for ethics and honesty since 1998.
Ministers of Religion (44%, up 1%) recovered slightly from recording their lowest ever rating for ethics and honesty since being included on the survey in 1996.
The lowest ranked profession is once again
Car Salesmen (4%, up 2%) — a position they have held for over 30 years. The next lowest were
Advertising people (9%, up 1%) and
Real Estate Agents (12%, up 3% - their highest rating since the survey began in 1979).
Gary Morgan says:
"Roy Morgan's annual Image of Professions survey for 2013 shows a majority of professions (21) recorded rises in their ratings for 'ethics and honesty' over the past year with Nurses (90%, unchanged from 2012) still leading the way as Australia's most respected profession for very high or high 'ethics and honesty'.
"Other professions in the medical field once again scored well with high ratings for 'ethics and honesty' including Doctors (88%, up 5%) Pharmacists (84%, down 4%), and Dentists (74%, down 1%). Engineers (76%, up 6%) scored their highest ever rating alongside School teachers (76%, unchanged) while High Court Judges (73%, up 3%) were the only other profession to rate above 70%.
"Once again Car Salesman (4%, up 2%) rank at the bottom of the list — a position they have held for over 30 years. The only other profession in single digits for 'ethics and honesty' is Advertising people (9%, up 1%) just behind Real Estate Agents (12%, up 3%) — which despite the low rating is a record high."
These are the main findings of a Roy Morgan telephone survey conducted on the nights of April 16-18, 2013, with 645 Australian men and women aged 14 and over.
Respondents were asked: "As I say different occupations, could you please say — from what you know or have heard - which rating best describes how you, yourself, would rate or score people in various occupations for honesty and ethical standards (Very High, High, Average, Low, Very Low)?"
|
|
"Very high" or "High"
ratings for Ethics and Honesty: All Australians 14+ *Not included in poll
|
|
Occupations
|
'89 |
'90 |
'91 |
'92 |
'93 |
'94 |
'95 |
'96 |
'97 |
'98 |
'99 |
'00 |
'01 |
'02 |
'03 |
'04 |
'05 |
'07 |
'08 |
'09 |
'10 |
'11 |
'12 |
'13 |
Dif |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
1 |
Nurses
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
86 |
86 |
87 |
86 |
88 |
89 |
88 |
90 |
90 |
94 |
90 |
89 |
91 |
89 |
89 |
89 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
- |
2 |
Doctors
|
62 |
70 |
69 |
69 |
65 |
66 |
69 |
72 |
66 |
69 |
74 |
71 |
75 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
79 |
81 |
79 |
82 |
79 |
87 |
83 |
88 |
+5 |
3 |
Pharmacists
|
76 |
72 |
76 |
79 |
78 |
78 |
79 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
86 |
83 |
83 |
89 |
87 |
86 |
84 |
85 |
86 |
84 |
85 |
87 |
88 |
84 |
-4 |
4 |
Engineers
|
56 |
55 |
57 |
58 |
56 |
57 |
59 |
56 |
54 |
57 |
57 |
59 |
64 |
67 |
69 |
69 |
68 |
71 |
72 |
69 |
69 |
71 |
70 |
76 |
+6 |
5 |
School teachers
|
57 |
61 |
59 |
62 |
61 |
65 |
69 |
68 |
64 |
71 |
71 |
70 |
74 |
79 |
79 |
77 |
74 |
78 |
78 |
76 |
73 |
76 |
76 |
76 |
- |
6 |
Dentists
|
65 |
62 |
64 |
66 |
62 |
60 |
65 |
65 |
60 |
61 |
65 |
64 |
65 |
67 |
71 |
71 |
67 |
69 |
70 |
69 |
68 |
76 |
75 |
74 |
-1 |
7 |
High Court Judges
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
61 |
60 |
63 |
65 |
71 |
63 |
64 |
67 |
66 |
67 |
63 |
75 |
70 |
73 |
+3 |
8 |
State Supreme Court Judges
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
61 |
61 |
64 |
66 |
72 |
65 |
65 |
68 |
67 |
68 |
64 |
75 |
69 |
70 |
+1 |
9 |
Police
|
53 |
54 |
54 |
53 |
54 |
56 |
59 |
55 |
55 |
60 |
62 |
62 |
58 |
65 |
64 |
64 |
65 |
65 |
66 |
65 |
62 |
69 |
69 |
69 |
- |
10 |
University lecturers
|
52 |
53 |
56 |
55 |
53 |
54 |
52 |
50 |
52 |
57 |
56 |
54 |
64 |
66 |
64 |
66 |
64 |
67 |
67 |
61 |
60 |
61 |
65 |
68 |
+3 |
11 |
Accountants
|
46 |
47 |
46 |
47 |
46 |
42 |
45 |
46 |
43 |
43 |
49 |
45 |
51 |
45 |
50 |
51 |
50 |
48 |
54 |
51 |
50 |
54 |
49 |
49 |
- |
12 |
Ministers of Religion
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
59 |
55 |
56 |
58 |
56 |
54 |
48 |
48 |
53 |
52 |
51 |
50 |
45 |
44 |
51 |
43 |
44 |
+1 |
13 |
Bank managers
|
50 |
49 |
40 |
44 |
41 |
37 |
39 |
37 |
32 |
36 |
33 |
26 |
30 |
29 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
40 |
37 |
38 |
+1 |
14 |
Lawyers
|
41 |
37 |
38 |
34 |
32 |
30 |
32 |
29 |
29 |
26 |
34 |
29 |
32 |
30 |
31 |
33 |
32 |
36 |
35 |
30 |
32 |
38 |
30 |
36 |
+6 |
15 |
Public servants
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
30 |
29 |
28 |
28 |
30 |
33 |
36 |
+3 |
16 |
Public opinion pollsters
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
34 |
33 |
29 |
30 |
35 |
35 |
27 |
29 |
38 |
31 |
31 |
27 |
29 |
23 |
27 |
34 |
28 |
33 |
+5 |
17 |
Directors of Public Companies
|
* |
* |
* |
20 |
18 |
20 |
20 |
17 |
18 |
17 |
20 |
18 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
23 |
18 |
21 |
22 |
17 |
19 |
24 |
20 |
26 |
+6 |
18 |
Financial planners
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
25 |
25 |
28 |
26 |
25 |
-1 |
19 |
Business executives
|
20 |
19 |
15 |
17 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
16 |
18 |
22 |
17 |
19 |
17 |
19 |
23 |
15 |
18 |
21 |
16 |
16 |
18 |
18 |
22 |
+4 |
20 |
Newspaper Journalists
|
9 |
10 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
13 |
9 |
12 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
9 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
19 |
+7 |
21 |
TV Reporters
|
16 |
17 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
13 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
19 |
17 |
13 |
16 |
14 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
18 |
+4 |
22 |
Talk-back radio
announcers
|
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
18 |
14 |
17 |
17 |
21 |
17 |
19 |
17 |
18 |
15 |
19 |
17 |
17 |
16 |
-1 |
23 |
Stock brokers
|
18 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
13 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
19 |
16 |
18 |
14 |
17 |
19 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
14 |
13 |
15 |
+2 |
24 |
Union leaders
|
9 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
11 |
15 |
17 |
19 |
16 |
17 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
15 |
15 |
- |
25 |
Federal MPs
|
15 |
13 |
10 |
10 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
13 |
9 |
7 |
13 |
11 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
20 |
15 |
16 |
23 |
19 |
16 |
14 |
10 |
14 |
+4 |
26 |
Insurance brokers
|
13 |
12 |
10 |
12 |
10 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
12 |
11 |
14 |
11 |
14 |
10 |
15 |
15 |
13 |
11 |
15 |
11 |
14 |
12 |
10 |
13 |
+3 |
27 |
State MPs
|
15 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
11 |
10 |
12 |
12 |
9 |
7 |
13 |
12 |
14 |
17 |
17 |
19 |
13 |
16 |
20 |
18 |
16 |
12 |
10 |
13 |
+3 |
28 |
Real Estate Agents
|
11 |
11 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
11 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
7 |
9 |
12 |
+3 |
29 |
Advertising people
|
9 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
10 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
10 |
13 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
6 |
8 |
5 |
8 |
9 |
+1 |
30 |
Car Salesmen
|
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
+2 |
Download the full table and a copy of this release
|
Office |
Mobile |
Gary Morgan: |
+ 61 3 9224 5213 |
+ 61 411 129 094 |
Michele Levine: |
+ 61 3 9224 5215 |
+ 61 411 129 093 |
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. The following table gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. The figures are approximate and for general guidance only, and assume a simple random sample. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.