Jobs List: How Hormones Influence Career Choices

Women with high levels of a male sex hormone were more likely than others to choose hands-on jobs such as a firefighter rather than "people" jobs, such as a teacher. CREDIT: Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock View full size image

In a new study published in the September 2011 issue of the journal Hormones and Behavior, researchers asked a group of 125 individuals, whose ages ranged from 9 to 26, to rank 64 jobs based on their like, dislike or indifference to.

There were clear differences in job rankings depending whether the women had congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a genetic condition in which the body produces high levels of the male hormone androgen. Men with and without CAH chose similar jobs.

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Jobs preferred by women with CAH and men with or without CAH:

• Auto mechanic
• Carpenter
• Electrician
• Jet pilot
• Biologist
• Chemist
• Astronomer
• Rancher
• Farmer
• Mechanical engineer

Jobs preferred by females without CAH:

• Clothes designer
• Teacher
• Interior Decorator
• Dancer
• Photographer
• Social worker
• School principal
• Day care worker
• Musician
• Realtor

Next, the researchers plan to look at older individuals in real-life situations to see if the result