Doctors ranked most prestigious in the eyes of the public in the Harris poll of 1,010 adults, with 61 percent of participants rating them as having "great prestige," followed by scientists (56 percent), teachers (53 percent), and ministers and clergy (45 percent), according to the telephone survey.

Toward the bottom of the prestige scale were journalists and labor union leaders, viewed by just 16 percent as having "great prestige," followed by bankers, who tied with businessmen with 15 percent, all of whom edged out accountants for the bottom spot at 14 percent, Harris said.

The poll also found that over the years, teachers have gained the most prestige in the eyes of the public, Harris reported, rated by 53 percent today as having "great prestige" up from just 29 percent in 1977. Military officers have jumped up the prestige scale from 22 percent in 1982 to 42 percent today, as have members of Congress, up from 24 percent in 1992 to 33 percent now, Harris said.

Lawyers have lost the most prestige in the public's eyes, down from 36 percent in 1977 to only 21 percent today, and scientists, who slipped from 66 percent in 1977 to 56 percent now.

The complete survey results are available at www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=111

-- SmartPros News Staff

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