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In the annual Roy Morgan Image of Professions survey 89% (unchanged in a year) of Australians aged 14 and over rate Nurses as the most ethical and honest profession — the 16th year in a row since Nurses were first included on the survey in 1994.

Pharmacists (85%, up 1%), Doctors (79%, down 3%) and School teachers (73%, down 3%) have been consistently ranked near the top while Engineers (69%, unchanged); Dentists (68%, down 1%) also regularly rate highly.

Comparing 2010 results to the 2009 results show that the image of less than half the professions declined between 2009 and 2010. Of 30 professions surveyed in both years, 12 saw declines in 2010, seven professions were unchanged over the year and 11 professions rose over the year.

The largest decliners over the year were led by State Supreme Court Judges (64%, down 4%) and High Court Judges (63%, down 4%). Other big decliners included Police (62%, down 3%); Federal MPs (16%, down 3%) and State MPs (16%, down 2%); Stockbrokers (12%, down 3%); Doctors (79%, down 3%) and School teachers (73%, down 3%).

Analysis by State of how Australians feel about Police reveals that Victorians (60%, down 8%), Queenslanders (54%, down 7%) and Western Australians (66%, down 7%) are most responsible for the overall fall, despite a surprising rise for New South Welshmen (63%, up 3%).

Many professions also rose strongly over the year with the strongest rise shown by Public opinion pollsters (27%, up 4%) and Talk-back radio announcers (19%, up 4%). Other professions to rise included Insurance brokers (14%, up 3%); Lawyers (32%, up 2%); Directors of Public Companies (19%, up 2%); TV Reporters (16%, up 2%) and Newspaper Journalists (11%, up 2%).

Although both professions achieved their first rises of more than 1% since 2003, Advertising people (8%, up 2%) and Car Salesman (5%, up 2%) still remained as the two professions the least number of Australian regard as the most ethical and honest.

Gary Morgan says:

“Roy Morgan’s annual Image of Professions survey for 2010 shows significant falls for some of Australia’s most respected professions over the past 30 years. State Supreme Court Judges (64%, down 4%), High Court Judges (63%, down 4%) and Police (62%, down 3%) have all fallen strongly this year.

 “It is likely that at least part of the fall in respect for these professions is due to the success of the TV series ‘Underbelly’ and its dire portrayal of corruption throughout Australia’s judicial and policing system.

“It is no surprise to see the medical professions of Nurses (89%, unchanged), Pharmacists (85%, up 1%) and Doctors (79%, down 3%) considered as the most ethical and honest professions. Of concern to religions in Australia however will be the continued slide in respect for Ministers of Religion (44%, down 1% and down 9% since 2004) — now at a record low since first being measured in 1996 and falling for a record equalling fifth survey in a row.”

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)?”

These are the main findings of a Roy Morgan telephone survey conducted on the nights of June 16/17, 2010, with 672 Australian men and women aged 14 and over.

	"Very high" or "High" ratings for Ethics and Honesty:												All Australians 14+                   *Not included in poll
	Occupations	‘79	‘81	‘83	‘84	‘85	‘86	‘87	‘88	‘89	‘90	‘91	‘92	‘93	‘94	‘95	‘96	‘97	‘98	‘99	‘00	‘01	'02	'03	‘04	‘05	’07	‘08	'09	‘10	Dif
		%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
1	Nurses	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	86	86	87	86	88	89	88	90	90	94	90	89	91	89	89	89	-
2	Pharmacists	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	76	76	72	76	79	78	78	79	80	80	80	86	83	83	89	87	86	84	85	86	84	85	+1
3	Doctors	62	63	64	64	64	63	65	67	62	70	69	69	65	66	69	72	66	69	74	71	75	80	80	80	79	81	79	82	79	-3
4	School teachers	54	55	55	55	54	57	56	55	57	61	59	62	61	65	69	68	64	71	71	70	74	79	79	77	74	78	78	76	73	-3
5	Engineers	53	56	53	53	53	56	56	56	56	55	57	58	56	57	59	56	54	57	57	59	64	67	69	69	68	71	72	69	69	-
6	Dentists	61	62	61	62	65	63	65	68	65	62	64	66	62	60	65	65	60	61	65	64	65	67	71	71	67	69	70	69	68	-1
7	State Supreme Court Judges	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	61	61	64	66	72	65	65	68	67	68	64	-4
8	High Court Judges	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	61	60	63	65	71	63	64	67	66	67	63	-4
9	Police	48	56	53	53	53	56	56	53	53	54	54	53	54	56	59	55	55	60	62	62	58	65	64	64	65	65	66	65	62	-3
10	University lecturers	51	51	52	51	51	51	51	53	52	53	56	55	53	54	52	50	52	57	56	54	64	66	64	66	64	67	67	61	60	-1
11	Accountants	*	51	47	48	47	50	50	47	46	47	46	47	46	42	45	46	43	43	49	45	51	45	50	51	50	48	54	51	50	-1
12	Ministers of Religion	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	59	55	56	58	56	54	48	48	53	52	51	50	45	44	-1
13	Bank managers	66	61	62	61	58	60	58	54	50	49	40	44	41	37	39	37	32	36	33	26	30	29	35	35	35	33	33	33	33	-
14	Lawyers	41	38	41	44	41	39	41	41	41	37	38	34	32	30	32	29	29	26	34	29	32	30	31	33	32	36	35	30	32	+2
15	Public servants	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	30	29	28	28	-
16	Public opinion pollsters	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	34	33	29	30	35	35	27	29	38	31	31	27	29	23	27	+4
17	Financial planners	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	25	25	-
18	Talk-back radio announcers	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	18	14	17	17	21	17	19	17	18	15	19	+4
19	Directors of public companies	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	20	18	20	20	17	18	17	20	18	17	16	17	23	18	21	22	17	19	+2
20	TV reporters	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	16	17	15	14	15	16	13	12	11	12	14	12	18	18	17	19	17	13	16	14	16	+2
21	Business executives	22	22	18	22	19	23	24	21	20	19	15	17	16	17	17	17	16	18	22	17	19	17	19	23	15	18	21	16	16	-
22	State MPs	20	16	20	17	14	17	12	14	15	11	10	10	11	10	12	12	9	7	13	12	14	17	17	19	13	16	20	18	16	-2
23	Federal MPs	16	15	19	19	13	16	13	14	15	13	10	10	11	10	9	13	9	7	13	11	16	16	17	20	15	16	23	19	16	-3
24	Union leaders	8	8	8	6	6	5	7	7	9	8	7	8	9	9	10	9	12	13	11	12	14	11	15	17	19	16	17	14	15	+1
25	Insurance brokers	*	*	*	*	*	13	15	13	13	12	10	12	10	11	10	9	12	11	14	11	14	10	15	15	13	11	15	11	14	+3
26	Stock brokers	*	*	*	*	*	19	20	18	18	15	14	15	15	15	13	16	15	15	19	16	18	14	17	19	14	17	18	15	12	-3
27	Newspaper journalists	14	13	11	11	11	12	11	11	9	10	8	7	8	8	8	7	7	9	9	7	13	9	12	12	11	12	14	9	11	+2
28	Estate agents	*	*	11	9	10	10	11	11	11	11	9	9	10	9	11	10	10	8	11	10	8	8	11	10	10	9	10	10	10	-
29	Advertising people	11	9	9	9	8	11	11	8	9	7	8	9	9	8	10	7	8	7	9	10	8	10	13	12	10	9	9	6	8	+2
30	Car salesmen	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	3	3	2	3	3	3	3	2	3	3	2	3	5	4	3	4	4	3	5	+2

For further information:

Gary Morgan:                Office +61 3 9224 5213    Mobile +61 411 129 094

Michele Levine:             Office + 61 3 9224 5215    Mobile +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.

Sample Size	Percentage Estimate
	40%-60%	25% or 75%	10% or 90%	5% or 95%
500	±4.5	±3.9	±2.7	±1.9
1,000	±3.2	±2.7	±1.9	±1.4

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