Nurses continue to stand out as the most trusted profession in the U.S., even as confidence slips across much of the workforce. Seventy-five percent of Americans rate nurses’ honesty and ethics as “very high” or “high,” according to Gallup’s latest survey.
That top ranking isn’t new. Nurses have led Gallup’s ethics ratings every year since 1999, except for one year after the 9/11 attacks, when firefighters briefly ranked first.
Doctors and pharmacists remain among the few professions trusted by a majority of Americans. Fifty-seven percent rate medical doctors highly for ethics, while 53% say the same about pharmacists. Still, both have fallen sharply from their pandemic-era highs.
Pandemic trust continues to fade
Gallup’s data show that trust surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, then steadily declined. Nurses’ current rating sits near the low end of their historical range and is 14 points below their 2020 peak. Doctors and pharmacists have dropped even more, down 20 and 18 points from their highs.
Seven of the 21 professions measured in December reached new low points or tied previous lows. Pharmacists, high school teachers, clergy members, and business executives all slipped to record lows. Police officers saw the steepest one-year decline, falling seven points.
Trust remains limited across professions
Only four professions earn high ethics ratings from a majority of Americans: nurses, military veterans, medical doctors, and pharmacists. Veterans, added to the list this year, earned a 67% positive rating.
At the bottom of the rankings, telemarketers and members of Congress remain deeply unpopular. Just 5% rate telemarketers highly, while only 7% say the same about Congress and car salespeople.
Several other professions lean negative overall, including journalists, bankers, lawyers, real estate agents, and business executives. In most cases, more Americans rate their ethics as low than high.
Long-term averages hit a low
Gallup also tracks a core group of 11 professions each year. The average positive ethics rating across that group now stands at 29%, the lowest point in the trend’s history.
That average topped 40% in the early 2000s and rose again during the pandemic. Since then, it has steadily declined.
Partisan divides shape perceptions
Political identity plays a major role in how Americans view professional ethics. Republicans rate police officers, veterans, clergy, and stockbrokers far more positively than Democrats. Democrats give much higher ratings to teachers, journalists, union leaders, nurses, and doctors.
For several professions — including bankers, lawyers, pharmacists, and members of Congress — both parties largely agree, and those views remain negative.
Nurses continue to lead the nation in perceived honesty and ethics, a position they’ve held for more than two decades. But the broader picture shows shrinking trust across many professions, with overall ratings now near historic lows.
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