A recent poll carried out by Gallup, Inc. found notable declines in public perceptions of “honesty and ethical standards” across 23 professions. In 2019, 66% of respondents rated engineers as high or very high on the scale, falling to 60% in 2023. Engineers maintained their position as the second most trusted group on the list, second only to nurses (falling from 85% to 78% over the same period) and just ahead of dentists, medical doctors, and pharmacists. Ratings for college teachers took a larger dip, falling from 49% (2019) to 42% (2023). The results also show notable differences in ratings based on the educational attainment and political orientation of survey respondents. For more details, see Gallup’s summary: Ethics Ratings of Nearly All Professions Down in U.S.
