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Is your job on this list of careers ranked from most to least likely to have an affair?
By Hannah Kern and Madelyn Rennie — Written on Apr 03, 2020
If you have ;concerns that your romantic partner, husband or wife might have an affair some day, it turns out one of the best ways to know might actually be looking at what professional field people are experts in.
All relationships go through their share of ups and downs, but while extramarital affairs are one of the top fears among married couples, it's important to remember that not everyone tries to solve their marital problems by cheating with another man or woman whose bed they can escape to whenever trouble at home is brewing.
Believe it or not, many people do attempt to work through their problems with their partner.
And while researchers have traditionally had a tough time nailing down an scientifically reliable estimate of how men and women cheat on their significant other (especially when so many people today have different definitions of what cheating even means), they have been able to establish that certain factors do make some people more likely to be unfaithful than others might be.
Paul K. Piff, a social psychologist at the University of California at Berkeley, found that people of a higher socioeconomic status "may be more likely to engage in lying, cheating and other kinds of unethical activity than those in lower classes."
After all, it takes a certain kind of person to cheat on the one they claim to love.
Not everyone can stomach betraying someone who put all of their trust in them. In fact, an overwhelming majority of people have a pretty negative outlook on cheating and infidelity.
However, there are definitely people out there who have no problem cheating on their significant other — or who can at least reason with themselves enough to feel OK about it.
There are a couple different tells that can give you an idea of whether or not someone is bound to be a cheater. One of these signs is what they do for a living.
Check out this list of 9 professions that are full of potential cheaters, ranked in order of most to least likely to have extramarital affairs.
1. Finance (brokers, bankers, analysts)
There's just something about the culture of banking that lends itself toward making otherwise fairly decent people do bad things.
Perhaps the social norms in the banking industry are more lenient to dishonest behavior and contribute about the reputation of loss in the industry. Either way, bankers are a little fishy.
2. Aviation (pilots, flight attendants)
Nothing against pilots or flight attendants, I’m sure many of them are quite the upstanding citizens, but they have a job that doesn’t make having an affair all that difficult to hide. They’re constantly jetting off to new places and meeting new people.
And when you consider that 70% of women who cheat confess that affairs usually end badly and therefore make things awkward if it was with someone you still work with, cheating with a pilot or flight attendant during a layover can mean never have to deal with them again.
3. Healthcare (doctors, nurses)
Think about it. Doctors work long hours, they have a perfect excuse for being difficult to get ahold of, and they work closely with their patients and staff. Because doctors work such long hours, sometimes even overnight, their significant other may not expect them to be home at any certain time.
Being in the medical field can also leave a person feeling overwhelmed and emotionally stressed, and let's face it, most people don't make great decisions in that state of mind. Being a doctor, nurse, any kind of medical professional can be very demanding, and non-medical individuals may not be able to fully understand all the work and demands that come with it.
Maybe that's why so many doctors are divorced?
4. Business (CEOs, managers, secretaries)
Let's face it: powerful men cheat. Because they can. I don't mean all of them, of course. Don't get me wrong. But we have all seen more than a few examples, especially lately.
When it comes down to it, a lot of these men are both chasing after their need for status and achievement, as well as cashing in on it once they have it. Having an affair with a much younger woman certainly accomplishes both of these needs, don't you think? Many of these men don't possess self-knowledge, because no one is willing to hold them accountable.
People who have self-knowledge are able to understand the reasons for their desires, and as a result, are able to control their impulses.
5. Sports (athletes, instructors, representatives)
People love athletes. It’s just a fact. Athletes are strong, muscular, and generally put on a pedestal. People idolize athletes, and many women have no problem at all throwing themselves at them, even when everyone in the world knows that the man in question is married.
In one article published by a high-profile publicist, stories were divulged about how he couldn't believe the number of attractive women who would just walk up to his clients and say some of the most forward things — and offer even more! It could be pretty hard for a man to continuously turn these offers down.
Many guys can only hold out for so long before he’d finally cave — even if he’s got a good woman at home.
6. Arts (musicians, models, actors, photographers)
Much like athletes, musicians have a lot of followers, groupies and whatnot. When they’re always on the road and meeting fans who would give anything to be with them, how can they be expected to say no?
Many musicians are young and think that they've got their whole lives ahead of them to settle down and get serious with someone. They tend to be rather selfish and immature, and they don't necessarily think about how their actions could affect someone else — like their partner.
It can be easy to get lost in the "rock star" lifestyle, and they do say it gets lonely on the road... maybe even lonely enough to turn their back on the one they love.
7. Nightlife (DJs, dancers, waiters)
These jobs require long hours and long nights. If you're a DJ or a waiter at any popular venue, you're more than likely working around a bar. Bars attract people. Lots of people. Bars also have alcohol. And lots of it.
What happens when you put a bunch of drunk people together in the same room? A lot of stupid, soon-to-be regretted things are likely to occur. So it makes sense when you think about it.
Dancing, bars, alcohol ... you get the idea.
8. Communications (journalists, public relations, communicators)
This one is kind of a no-brainer. People in the communications field travel a lot. When do they have time to see their husbands or wives?
And when you're gone away from your partner for so long, chances are you're probably going to cheat on them, let's just be honest. If you're around people all the time and always traveling, yeah, it's pretty likely.
You're also working very closely with your co-workers and people in communications tend to be quite adventurous. What's more adventurous than committing adultery?
9. Legal (lawyers, secretaries, prosecutors, judges)
It’s no secret that lawyers are stereotyped as cold-hearted people who aren’t afraid to bend the truth if it serves their "cause."
Not that they’re all full-blown liars or anything, but they certainly know how to make excuses and justify things in a way that benefits themselves.
Lawyers are experts at bending and manipulating the truth to fit whatever story they've conjured up.
They're also used to gathering up helpful facts and evidence that could support the case that they're making, whether it be in the courtroom or in their personal relationships.
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Hannah Kern and Madelyn Rennie are both frequent contributors to YourTango.