Nursing Ranked the Most Honest & Ethical Profession for the 25th Year in a Row

For an impressive 25th consecutive year, nursing has been rated the most ethical and honest profession in the United States, according to the latest Gallup Honesty and Ethics poll conducted December 1–15, 2025.

In the most recent survey, 75% of U.S. adults rated nurses as having “very high” or “high” honesty and ethical standards. While that figure represents a continued decline from pandemic-era highs, it still places nurses well ahead of every other profession measured.

Overall, Americans appear increasingly cautious about who they place their trust in. Ethics ratings across nearly all professions are at or near historic lows — making nursing’s continued #1 ranking all the more notable.

Who’s at the Top

Gallup has tracked Americans’ perceptions of professional honesty and ethics since 1976, with nurses added to the list in 1999. Since then, nurses have held the top spot every year except one — 2001, following the September 11 attacks, when firefighters ranked first.

In the 2025 poll, just four professions earned majority-level positive ethics ratings:

• Nurses: 75%
• Military veterans: 67% (newly added profession in 2025)
• Medical doctors: 57%
• Pharmacists: 53%

Source: Gallup

Nurses continue to significantly outperform other healthcare professionals. Although still highly trusted, medical doctors and pharmacists have seen notable declines, falling 20 and 18 points respectively from their pandemic-era peaks in 2020.

Despite their enduring lead, nurses’ current rating is near the lowest Gallup has ever recorded for the profession, trailing their all-time high by 14 points, which was reached during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professions With Declining Trust

The 2025 poll highlights a broader erosion of trust across American society:

• Seven of the 21 professions measured reached new or tied record-low ethics ratings
• An additional eight professions are statistically close to their lowest points ever recorded
• The average positive ethics rating across 11 long-tracked professions has fallen to 29%, the lowest in Gallup’s history

Even professions traditionally viewed favorably — including high school teachers, clergy members, police officers, and business executives — experienced further declines this year.

Who’s at the Bottom

At the bottom of the ethics rankings, perceptions remain bleak:

• Telemarketers: 5%
• Members of Congress: 7%
• Car salespeople: 7%

Members of Congress and telemarketers are the only professions viewed as having low or very low ethics by a majority of Americans.

Political Divides in Trust

Political affiliation plays a growing role in how Americans view professional ethics. Notably:

• Democrats rate nurses 17 points higher than Republicans
• Democrats also view medical doctors significantly more positively
• Republicans express higher trust in police officers, military veterans, clergy, and stockbrokers

Despite these divides, nurses remain the most trusted profession across the political spectrum.

What This Means for Nursing

While trust in institutions and professions continues to decline nationwide, nursing stands out as a rare constant. Even amid falling ratings and heightened public skepticism, nurses continue to earn Americans’ confidence year after year.

However, the downward trend since the pandemic underscores a critical reality: public trust is fragile — even for the most respected professions.

Nursing Opportunities Ahead

Looking ahead, the nursing profession is poised for continued growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

As demand rises, opportunities for career advancement, specialization, and increased earning potential are expected to follow — reinforcing nursing’s role as not only the most trusted profession, but one of the most essential.

🤔Nurses, share your thoughts about this below.