Russians disregard most lucrative professions

The public do not regard the Russian show business as lucrative or prestigious

Not every lucrative occupation is considered a prestigious one in Russia. On the other hand, not every prestigious occupation reportedly pays in Russia. Being a judge or a prosecutor is quite prestigious work, according to the latest opinion poll by the Levada Center. The poll shows that nearly a third (29%) of Russians think highly of the above occupations even though they do not pay as much as work in the banking sector or private entrepreneurship. Sixteen percent of the respondents regard highly the occupation of a doctor or a pharmacist though only 7% of the respondents believe that medical occupations pay. Only 9% believe that private entrepreneurship is prestigious work. Meanwhile, 21% believe that private entrepreneurship pays.

Respondents are inclined to see positions of governmental bureaucrats, ministers, and deputies in the State Duma as being more lucrative than prestigious (12% to 8%). Russians regard highly a somewhat vague and composite position of a director or a manager regardless of occupation. Managerial positions are believed to be prestigious by 17% of the respondents while 13% believe that managers make good money. The public do not regard the Russian show business as lucrative or prestigious. Just a small percentage of the polled (4% and 6%) take opposing viewpoint.

Apart from good prospects for making big money, criminality of occupations also relates to dangers involved. Being a member of law enforcement agencies is the most criminal job, according to 38% of the respondents. Twenty nine percent of the polled believe it is the most dangerous job as well. Bureaucrats and representatives of the legislative and executive branches of the government are the runners-up on the list of the most criminal occupations in Russia. Nineteen percent of the respondents are confident that government ministers, Duma deputies, and public servants are involved in criminal activities while 12% of the respondents believe that the above occupations pay the best. Fourteen percent of the respondents put a composite of a member of the underworld (bandit, swindler, racketeer, contract killer, drug trafficker, terrorist) to a position No3 on the list of the most criminal occupations in Russia. Likewise, 14% of the polled believe that Russian entrepreneurs tend to break the law.

Speaking to Vremya Novostei, Alexei Grazhdankin, deputy director of the Levada Center, said that the latest opinion poll had had no prefab definitions to choose from and therefore the respondents had come up with occupations in accordance with their own ideas. That is why the final list has a number of occupations which will never be included in the official lists of the Russian Ministry of Education. “The poll shows that 14% of the respondents believe that being a thief or a swindler is a full-blown occupation in this country,” said Mr. Grazhdankin.

There is one more interesting thing about the latest opinion poll, according to Mr. Grazhdankin. The respondents singled out only doctors among those who have a prestigious occupation that does not pay so well at the same time. “The remaining three most numerous groups in terms of occupation i.e. engineers, teachers, and accountants – they were not mentioned at all in any capacity,” said Mr. Grazhdankin. According to him, this is a clear indication of plummeting standards of the Russian higher professional education.