Many Brits believe that doctors, nurses, firefighters and soldiers have a harder job than the prime minister - despite all receiving a significantly lower salary.
The Prime Minister makes £164,080 a year, which is more than five times the average salary for a full-time employee in the UK at £32,280 per year.
Six in 10 people believe that it is more difficult to be a surgeon than the prime minister, with only 17 per cent believing that being a surgeon is easier. The average salary for a surgeon in the UK stands at around £90,200, according to Jobted UK.
The figures come after a YouGov poll asked people how they think the job of prime minister compares to other jobs in terms of difficulty. Some 52 per cent of Brits said they believe nurses have it harder than the PM, with 29 per cent believing that nursing is an easier role.
A majority (51 per cent) also felt that being a firefighter or soldier was more difficult than being the head of government. Only 29 per cent and 28 per cent of people said they believed these roles were easier. The results come as some fire stations have had to temporarily close due to staffing issues as firefighters threaten strike action over their working conditions.
Some 45 per cent of people said they believed it was harder to be a GP than the PM, with 32 per cent saying they felt the PM’s role was more difficult. Only 41 per cent said being an army general was more difficult, compared to the 26 per cent who thought the opposite way.
There were some roles where people felt more divided. About four in ten people said being a social worker (40 per cent harder, 39 per cent easier), police officer (41 per cent vs 39 per cent) or farmer (41 per cent vs 39 per cent) were either more simple or difficult than running the country.
Half of people felt that being the PM was easier than being a teacher (vs 32 per cent). Similarly, 47 per cent of people believed that the role of a headteacher was easier than the PM’s. The average salary for a qualified teacher in the UK, according to the Department of Education, is around £33,405.
In terms of other executive and leadership roles, many Britons felt that being PM was harder, in some ways, than running a larger business. Four in 10 people said they felt that being PM was more difficult than the CEO of a large company, compared to the 20 cent who said the opposite.
Britons also believed that being a professional football player was easier than the PM (81 per cent), with only 7 per cent believing being a footballer was harder. Being an office worker (75 per cent), waiter (74 per cent) or supermarket worker (74 per cent) were also rated easier than being PM, with no more than 14 per cent for any of the three positions believing the roles to be harder than PM.
The full list of roles voted harder or easier than being PM is below.
- GP: 45% thought harder, 32% thought easier
- Surgeon: 61% thought harder, 17% thought easier
- Teacher: 32% thought harder, 50% thought easier
- Nurse: 52% thought harder, 29% thought easier
- Firefighter: 51% thought harder, 29% thought easier
- Police officer: 41% thought harder, 39% thought easier
- Construction worker: 21% thought harder, 63% thought easier
- Small business owner: 35% thought harder, 44% thought easier
- Professional footballer: 7% thought harder, 81% thought easier
- Supermarket worker: 13% thought harder, 74% thought easier
- Headteacher: 31% thought harder, 47% thought easier
- Investment banker: 11% thought harder, 64% thought easier
- Council leader: 11% thought harder, 64% thought easier
- Office worker: 8% thought harder, 75% thought easier
- Cleaner: 14% thought harder, 72% thought easier
- Social worker: 40% thought harder, 39% thought easier
- Journalist: 10% thought harder, 73% thought easier
- CEO of a large company: 20% thought harder, 43% thought easier
- Farmer: 39% thought harder, 42% thought easier
- General in the army: 41% thought harder, 26% thought easier
- Lawyer: 26% thought harder, 49% thought easier
- Chef: 17% thought harder, 67% thought easier
- Waiter: 13% thought harder, 74% thought easier
- Soldier: 51% thought harder, 28% thought easier
READ NEXT:
- Awaab's Law: A step towards victory in the name of the little boy whose tragic death will lead to major change
- Popular Victorian hotel in Blackpool 'set for demolition' - but no-one knows why
- CCTV captures last known sighting of man who went missing after walking across field
- 'Evri kept ignoring me so I told them their driver set my house on fire'
- Widower wins £2.5million country house in a raffle
