Occupational prestige

Occupational prestige also known as job prestige refers to the consensual nature of rating a job based on the collective belief of its worthiness. The consensual nature of rating a job based on the collective belief of its worthiness. Prestige is the measurement of the desirability of an occupation in terms of socioeconomic rewards.

Prestige reflects factual, scientific knowledge about the material rewards attached to certain occupations. However, depending on whom you ask, the definitions can change. Many equate job prestige in terms of money, while others base it on education, and a third group bases it on how much a person's job helps society.

It used to be that having a college degree automatically meant you would probably attain a prestigious job as well. Researchers argue that this is no longer the case because many more people now receive some higher education. 

Also, prestige used to be based on age, wealth and education, and today a great factor in the calculation of occupational prestige is how a certain job helps humanity. People were given index cards with about or so jobs listed on them and had to rank them, while others base it on education from most to least prestigious.