Jobs List: How Hormones Influence Career Choices

By Live Science Staff
published

female firefighter stands in front of fire truck.
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. (Image credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-187633p1.html">Monkey Business Images </a> | <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com">Shutterstock</a>)

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.

[Read full story on hormones and career choices]

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

Live Science Staff
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