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Pay for professionals

30 Jun 2020

Q. Do you think the following workers are not paid enough, paid about right, or paid too much for the work they do?

  Not paid enough Pay is about right Paid too much Unsure
Nurses 54% 28% 9% 9%
Early childhood teachers 45% 32% 11% 13%
Primary and secondary school teachers 40% 37% 11% 11%
Tradespeople 13% 51% 25% 11%
Bankers 4% 28% 57% 10%
Lawyers 3% 24% 64% 9%

 

TOTAL: AREN’T PAID ENOUGH Total Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention
Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
Nurses 54% 50% 59% 44% 49% 68% 62% 48% 69% 59%
Early childhood teachers 45% 39% 50% 39% 43% 51% 49% 40% 59% 39%
Primary and secondary school teachers 40% 36% 44% 40% 47% 45% 45% 35% 58% 38%
Tradespeople 13% 13% 13% 17% 12% 11% 15% 11% 14% 16%
Bankers 4% 5% 4% 9% 4% 1% 4% 6% 2% 1%
Lawyers 3% 3% 3% 7% 2% 0% 3% 3% 3% 3^%
Base (n) 1,085 533 552 335 374 376 339 417 92 126
  • Participants say that nurses (54%), early childhood teachers (45%) and primary/secondary school teachers (40%) aren’t paid enough; while tradespeople are paid about right (51%), bankers and lawyers are paid too much (57% and 64% respectively).
  • Women, participants over 55 and Greens voters are more likely to say nurses (59%, 68% and 69% respectively), primary/secondary school teachers (44%, 45% and 58%) and early childhood teachers (50%, 51% and 59%) aren’t paid enough.
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