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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Teachers may feel underpaid and unappreciated, but judging from the results of a career survey, they're inspiring a very tough crowd: teenagers.
The Gallup Youth Survey found that teaching is a top career choice for teens, ranking as high as "doctor" -- a frequent favorite – and just above "lawyer," another frequent mention.
Gallup pollsters asked more than 1,000 kids aged 13 through 17, "What kind of work do you think you will do for a career?" They then asked them to give their top 3 choices.
Among the other top 10 job picks, the teens said they would like to have a career in sports, science/biology, architecture, business, the military, engineering and nursing.
Results have always differed between the sexes. For instance, a military career has never been a top-10 choice among girls, but it is a perennial favorite among boys. Likewise, nursing is often a popular choice with girls, but has never made the boys' top-10 list.
Teaching was the No. 1 pick among teenage girls this year (in past surveys it consistently appeared in their top 10). Lawyer and doctor came in at Nos. 2 and 3.
The top pick for boys, meanwhile, was a career in a sports field (a first in the history of the survey), followed by medicine and architecture.
Other top 10 picks for girls were nurse, fashion designer, scientist/biologist, author/writer, veterinarian, artist and a job in the medical field (e.g., lab technician).
The rest of the top-10 list for boys, meanwhile, included engineer, teacher, businessman, lawyer, and jobs in the military, science/biology and computers.
The Gallup Youth Survey was first conducted in 1977. At that time the top career choice for boys was "skilled worker," such as a carpenter, plumber or electrician. For girls, the top pick was secretary.
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Paying for college is challenge No. 1 when it comes to pursuing one's dream career. But most students don't pay full fare, even at the top schools. To see why, click here.
For a look at the college degrees that command the highest starting salaries, click here.
And to see how the class of 2005 is faring in their job search, click here.
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