Jobs List: How Hormones Influence Career Choices

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: Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock)

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

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