The most overpaid and underpaid jobs in the UK – according to fellow Brits
How much a particular job pays is often part of the attraction for those wanting to do it, but it also plays a role in how the occupation is perceived in society.
For many, some occupations receive more than they deserve, and others don’t receive a salary that matches their contribution to society. So, which jobs’ salaries do Britons think are most above and below what they should be?
A new poll by YouGov shows male professional footballers are seen as the most overpaid, with 93% of Britons feeling they get paid more than they should, including 86% who feel they are overpaid by a lot. Company directors, MPs, and bankers are also seen as being overpaid by more than three-quarters of Britons (76-78%).
Actors are seen as overgenerously remunerated by 57% of Britons, while 51% place barristers in the same category. The public also tends to see accountants (47%) and train drivers (43%) as overpaid, though a third of Britons (32-34%) feel either occupation is paid about the right amount.
At the other end of the pay scale, 83% of Britons feel that care workers are underpaid, with more than seven in ten saying so of cleaners (78%), nurses (74%), and shop assistants (72%) as well. Ambulance staff deserve a raise for 66% of the public, while farmers and factory workers aren’t getting a fair wage, according to 61% and 55% of the public, respectively.
Around half of the public (48-51%) feel that teachers and firefighters aren’t paid enough, though roughly three in ten (28-33%) feel either job gets the pay they deserve.
Of the jobs polled, it is tradespeople who are overall seen as receiving the fairest wage, with 50% of Britons saying they are paid about the right amount, while roughly similar numbers say they are overpaid (19%) and underpaid (23%). Nearly half of the public (46-48%) also feel that builders and bus drivers are paid about right.
Professions where Britons are more divided include both civil servants and journalists, with around a third (34-35%) feeling they are overpaid and 28% believing they are paid about right. The public is also somewhat split over police officers, with 35% feeling they are fairly paid and 42% feeling they’re underpaid.
Contribution to society
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Britons’ perceptions of various jobs’ pay are linked to how much that job is perceived to contribute to society.
Among the 30 occupations polled, there is a clear correlation, with the jobs most seen as contributing a great deal to society tending to be seen as being overpaid, and vice versa.
For instance, among the jobs most seen as being underpaid, around three-quarters of Britons (75-76%) feel nurses and ambulance staff contribute a great deal to society, with 64% saying the same of care workers. Nearly half of the public (46%) see cleaners as contributing a great deal to British society, with 40% saying the same of shop assistants.
By contrast, just 4-7% of Britons feel that the top ‘overpaid’ professions, i.e., bankers, company directors, male footballers, and MPs, contribute a huge amount to British society.
But it’s not a perfect correlation. While nearly half of Britons (45%) see senior doctors as contributing a great deal to society, they also tend to be seen as overpaid (+14 net score). On the other hand, just 9% see professional female footballers as being major contributors to society, but the public tends to see them as being underpaid (-14 net score), a key contrast to professional male footballers.
