When you were in kindergarten or first grade, do you remember your teacher asking you what you wanted to be when you grow up? Aside from fairy princesses and dinosaurs, most kids said they wanted to be doctors, police officers, and firefighters, right? Why do you think those were the first careers that came to the minds of children? Because despite being so young, even children recognize those careers as some of the most respected and prestigious careers, and they aspire to be that.

Fast forward to today… When people ask you what you do for a living, do they look impressed, or does their facial expression say “that’s it?” First and foremost, the opinion of others shouldn’t matter when you’re making an honest living for yourself, but when you have high aspirations, there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in what you do for a living.

Whether you’re putting your life on the line, saving the lives of others, or improving technology to make everyone’s lives easier, take a look at some of what society deems as the most prestigious and respected professions in America.

Doctor

From the moment you enter grad school and your residency up until the very moment you’re tweaking your professional CV to get your very first job as a doctor, there’s a heavy responsibility sitting on your shoulders to carry the weight of the world.

As a doctor, regardless of your specialty, you’re exposing yourself to various diseases, working longer than normal hours, and are ultimately, responsible for the lives of your patients, which can be a heavy burden to carry, especially when you lose a patient.

People don’t really stop to think about the pressures that doctors face on a daily basis, but with great responsibilities, comes great reward. Not only can doctors make over $200,000 annually, but they also get to make a world of difference in the quality of life of their patients. Alternatively if you are looking for a less stressful medical job you should look for other options and consider comparison the salary of a medical assistant to a nurse or physical therapist.

Police Officer

Police officers are respected in two aspects: fear and reverence; it’s a bittersweet form of respect but still respected nonetheless.

Police officers put their lives on the line every day responding to traffic accidents, domestic abuse incidents, and crime scenes. Just think about the things they see on a daily basis, especially the homicide unit… It takes a special type of person to be able to work in that type of environment, and it’s definitely not cut out for everyone.

Despite there being recent issues with the general public’s trust in law enforcement, they are still highly ranked as a well-respected profession bringing order and justice to society.

Grade School Teacher

If you have school-aged children, you gain a deep appreciation for teachers and all they do to ensure your child is properly educated. Since the emergence of the pandemic and closing of schools, parents got a dose of what teachers experience on a daily basis, and let’s just say, most parents couldn’t wait until schools opened back up!

Teachers are truly the backbone of America; without them, we wouldn’t have the smarts or even motivation to want better for ourselves. They drive you to learn, and when students don’t know something they’ve taught, it drives them to help them understand.

Even though teachers undergo extensive education and training, to teach truly is a career field that’s more about the reward than the money. When asked what’s the most rewarding aspect of teaching, most teachers state “seeing the ‘light bulb’ come one when a student finally understands a lesson they’ve had trouble with.”

Agricultural Engineer

Agricultural engineers are professionals who literally make the world go round. In this field, they’re responsible for solving environmental issues, forestry, and the processes of agricultural products. In most cases, agricultural engineers work in an office setting but sometimes are required to travel to different job locations, depending on which area of agriculture they’re in. It can be a dirty job at times but rewarding in the aspect of knowing you’re making an environmental difference in the world.

There are more prestigious careers not listed here but the above-mentioned are definitely seen to the world as well-respected. If you are working in any of these career fields, not only will there always be a high demand for the services you provide, but society will forever have reverence for you and what you bring to the world.