Average IQ by Profession
Typical estimates by occupation
This literature began with the US Army's WWII testing program: Harrell & Harrell (1945) published mean scores by civilian occupation for tens of thousands of recruits, and later studies (notably Hauser's 2002 analysis of the General Social Survey) kept finding the same structure. Converted to the modern IQ scale, the pattern looks like this:
| Occupation group | Typical reported mean | Typical range found |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, professors, attorneys | ≈ 125 | ~105 to 135+ |
| Engineers | ≈ 120–125 | ~100 to 135+ |
| Accountants, scientists (applied) | ≈ 118–122 | ~100 to 135 |
| Teachers, registered nurses | ≈ 110–115 | ~95 to 130 |
| Managers, sales professionals | ≈ 108–115 | ~90 to 130 |
| Clerical and administrative | ≈ 105–110 | ~90 to 125 |
| Electricians, machinists, skilled trades | ≈ 100–110 | ~85 to 125 |
| Drivers, equipment operators | ≈ 95–100 | ~80 to 125 |
| General laborers | ≈ 90–95 | ~80 to 120+ |
Synthesized from Harrell & Harrell (1945, AGCT data, rescaled), Hauser (2002) and later reviews. Treat as rough historical estimates: samples skew male and American, and few modern studies administer real IQ tests across occupations.
The overlap is the finding
In the original WWII data, truck drivers ranged from roughly the 16th percentile to the 98th — nearly the whole distribution inside one job title. The same holds at the top: "physicians average 125" coexists with plenty of physicians scoring near 105 and some near 140. Occupation means are weak evidence about any individual, in both directions: a high score doesn't install you in a profession, and an average one doesn't bar you from it.
Threshold, not ladder
The data are better read as a threshold model than a ladder. Each field has a level of cognitive demand below which the training pipeline (degrees, licensing exams) becomes very hard to pass — but above that level, additional points predict less and less. Research on professional achievement repeatedly finds that past roughly the 120 mark, conscientiousness, accumulated skill and opportunity dominate outcomes. This is also why the highest-mean professions sit at 125, not 140: past the threshold, selection stops selecting on IQ.
So what are genuinely "high-IQ jobs"?
If the question is which work most rewards raw fluid reasoning: research mathematics and theoretical science, algorithm-heavy software work, quantitative finance, and the more abstract corners of law, medicine and engineering. If the question is which jobs require a high score — none do, formally. The honest career takeaway from a score in the 130 range is about fit (seek problem-solving latitude, avoid rote environments), not permission. And the takeaway from 100 is that the door to skilled, well-paid work is determined by training you can actually control. Income tells the same story: the IQ–income correlation is a modest 0.2–0.3, and wealth shows almost none once income is held constant.
Where would you land on this table?
35 puzzles, 25 minutes, honest norms — then read what your range does (and doesn't) mean for work.
Start the Free IQ TestIQ and professions — common questions
Which profession has the highest average IQ?
In the classic occupational data and its modern successors, university professors, physicians and research scientists post the highest averages — typically around 125, not the 140s people expect. Selective professions concentrate the upper-middle of the distribution; they do not consist of rare geniuses.
What IQ do you need to become a doctor?
There is no cutoff, and the range among practicing physicians is wide. Medical students average roughly 120–125 in published estimates, but the demands filter mostly through grades and admission tests rather than any IQ threshold — and conscientiousness is at least as decisive across a medical career.
Does a high IQ guarantee a high income?
No. IQ correlates with income around 0.2–0.3 — real but modest. A well-known analysis (Zagorsky, 2007) found that once income is accounted for, IQ has essentially no relationship with accumulated wealth. Above the demands of a given field, additional points buy surprisingly little.
Can someone with an average IQ succeed in a "high-IQ" profession?
The occupational ranges say yes — every demanding profession includes people scoring near 100, and the WWII data that started this literature found truck drivers spanning nearly the entire distribution. Entry filters (exams, degrees) are the real obstacle course, and preparation moves those more than raw ability at the margin.