Steve Ruark/AP
- Despite having a prestigious or respected reputation, many careers don’t pay as much as people think they should.
- Jobs that save lives on a daily basis can appear drastically underpaid when compared to more perceivably glamorous jobs like sports stars, actors, and politicians.
- Despite the fact that firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and more have a high perceived monetary value, they are actually paid lower salaries, on average.
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Despite having a prestigious or respected reputation, many careers don’t pay as much as you think they would, or even should.
Jobs that save lives on a daily basis can appear drastically underpaid when compared to more perceivably glamorous jobs like sports stars, actors, and politicians. The truth is — some of the most heroic jobs are actually paid the least.
Read more: 15 jobs in the US that are chronically underpaid
A recent survey by Vantis Life reports that Americans believe jobs associated with being "heroic" or "trustworthy" should also be paid the most. Respondents said they believe doctors should be paid the most, along with firefighters, police officers, soldiers, nurses, and other impactful careers. The analysts at Vantis Life pointed out, however, that despite the fact that some jobs have a high perceived monetary value among respondents, many of them are paid lower salaries.
Business Insider consulted average salaries on Payscale to determine how various jobs’ perceived social value relates to their actual pay.
Here are 6 jobs Americans believe should be paid the most, but actually pay under $52K:
Police officer
AP/Rich Pedroncelli
Average pay: $51,380
Police officers work tirelessly every day to preserve the peace and ensure public safety. Due to this fact, many people believe police officers should be paid highly for their heroic actions. However, this is rarely the case.
Firefighter
Associated Press
Average pay: $47,684
Firefighters are regarded as one of the most dangerous and heroic professions — they ranked as the second-most heroic profession in the Vantis Life survey. Despite saving lives, firefighters are not paid highly.
Teacher
ShutterstockMonkey Business Images
Average pay: $47,372
Teachers are widely regarded as one of the most underpaid jobs when considering their contributions to society. Despite the fact that teachers were perceived as one of the most trusted and heroic professions in the Vantis Life study, they are nevertheless paid lower salaries for their work. Efforts are being made, however, to increase teachers’ salaries.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Erin McDowell)