News & Trending Jobs & Career News

10 Professions With Terrible Reputations for Ripping People Off

Not every job is well respected, even if it pays the bills, and some professions are really mistrusted.

three young designers using a laptop together at work
Updated May 28, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

When it comes to our hard-earned money, we want to be sure we're making the most of it and boosting our bank accounts. Bankers, for instance, are supposed to help us manage it, but many Americans actually don't trust them.

And bankers are not alone. There are a ton of professions our there we simply don't trust — some even down to single digits.

Here are 10 professions that earn surprisingly low marks for honesty and trust, according to a Gallup survey.

Earn money online by taking surveys

$55,000 might sound crazy … but with a company called Survey Junkie, it’s possible to get your share of it every day by taking their surveys in your extra time.

Follow these simple steps to start earning:

  1. Sign up for an account with Survey Junkie here.
  2. Take surveys.
  3. Repeat daily and get paid for sharing your opinion!

P.S.: You can cash out with as little as $5 through PayPal or bank transfer, or transfer to gift cards from a number of stores.

Get your share of $55,000 daily by signing up here

Police officers

dechevm/Adobe heavy armed police officers

Police work is dangerous, stressful, and demanding, with round-the-clock shifts being part of the norm. Ideally, the police keep people safe and keep the criminal elements of society at bay.

While not at the bottom of the list, public trust in the policing profession has been eroding for years. Just over half of Americans, 53%, give them high marks.

Clergy

oneinchpunch/Adobe priest reading and praying in the church

Clergy run the show at houses of worship. They conduct services and other spiritual functions for congregations of believers in various religions and faiths.

They’re also sometimes called upon for moral guidance, but surprisingly, they aren’t trusted by the majority of Americans, clocking in at just 36% of Americans giving them high marks for honesty.

Journalists

Svitlana/Adobe TV reporter presenting the news outdoors

A journalist’s or reporter’s entire career revolves around making sure the public is aware of current events and other important information. For that to work as intended, people need to view them as trustworthy. But that’s just not the case.

Only 14% of the public rated TV reporters as highly honest, with print journalists slightly better regarded at 17%.

Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt

Credit card debt is suffocating. It constantly weighs on your mind and controls every choice you make. You can end up emotionally and even physically drained from it. And even though you make regular payments, it feels like you can never make any progress because of the interest.

National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.1

How to get National Debt Relief to help you resolve your debt: Sign up for a free debt assessment here. (Do not skip this step!) By signing up for a free assessment, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling your debt, but only if you schedule the assessment.

Try it

Bankers

bnenin/Adobe banker checking the insurance policy of his client

Banking covers a vast swath of financial service employment. It’s everything from tellers (who have a median annual salary of $36,310), to loan officers ($63,380 per year) and financial analysts ($95,570 a year median pay).

The number of jobs under the “banking” umbrella doesn’t change the fact that only 27% of Americans trust the profession.

Lawyers

LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe judge holding eyeglasses listens to prosecutor standing near attorney

You don’t need to be a legal eagle to see this one coming. Lawyers advise and represent their clients — individuals, businesses, and government — on all forms of legal matters that affect their success, their freedoms, and their wealth.

Nonetheless, less than a quarter of Americans trust them: 19%.

Business executives

Monkey Business/Adobe businesspeople having board meeting around glass table

Broadly, business executives are the managers who develop strategies to make sure their company or organization hits its goals.

These executives hold positions in every industry, and they’re well compensated. That doesn’t mean people trust them, however. Business execs come in at 15%.

Advertisers

Jacob Lund/Adobe creative professionals discussing new project in meeting

Like any salesman, advertisers work to convince you to buy a product or service, whether you need it — or even want it — or not. Not surprisingly, advertisers are rated pretty low for honesty and trust, with only 11% of Americans giving them credit for it.

Members of Congress

pressmaster/Adobe male member of congress expressing his opinion

Regardless of the party or chamber a politician is a part of, members of Congress are near the bottom of the barrel as far as American trust goes, with only 9% of Americans giving them high marks for honesty and trustworthiness.

Car dealers

Nebojsa/Adobe managers in elegant suit looking on camera

Car salesmen are, by now, a caricature of the dishonest salesman. Indeed, only 8% of the public gives them “high” or “very high” marks in honesty and ethics. However, they're no longer at the very bottom of the list.

Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account

Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!2

With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!

This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.

Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.

Apply for a Discover Cashback Checking account today

Political Lobbyists

Microgen/Adobe businessman in suit ready to read on stage

Drumroll, please: The least trusted job in America is…lobbyist. If members of Congress get low marks for honesty, those whose job it is to tell them what to think get even lower marks: only 5% of Americans rank them highly for honesty and trustworthiness.

Bottom line

NDABCREATIVITY/Adobe architects working on project in office

As the saying goes, it’s a living — even if the public doesn’t trust it.

But there are professions that are highly trusted by Americans and lower your financial stress rather than add to it. One, in particular, stands out: Nurses are at the top of the list, with 81% of the public ranking them highly for honesty and trust. 

In fact, nurses are far and away more trusted than second-place pick medical doctors, who come in at 67%.

Not every profession is well respected, but if it’s what you love, enjoy it. You’ll just have to get used to others’ initial reactions when you answer that question: “What do you do?”


Author Details

Will Vitka

Will Vitka is a D.C. area reporter and writer. He previously worked for WTOP, The New York Post, Stuff Magazine, and CBS News.