Who is worth what?

[Gordanus]

We keep seeing surveys saying that politicians and journalists are seen as untrustworthy, or that solicitors and estate agents are the most hated professions, but I haven't seen a survey saying who should earn what. What jobs should be accorded the greatest value in society? Should the top earners in our society be who they currently are? Should everybody be paid the same basic wage as some radical priest proposed some years ago? Should a hospital cleaner be paid as much as a doctor? Should a child-carer whether a stay-at-home mother or a minder be paid as much as a nurse? As a doctor?
Should people's pay be related to their part in the production of goods? Should service jobs (teacher, doctor, waiter) pay less than product-producing (factory worker, manufacturing-company director) jobs?

 

[CGorman]

In my view the current system - supply and demand - is the most efficent method out there, it promotes working harder, gaining skills, education an allocates human capital most efficently. Working out how much people actually deserve from a social contribution standpoint would only do one thing - create more work for economists and (under supply and demand) inflate their saleries! Like communism I think this is a nice theory... but not very practical.

As for me, I'm priceless!

 

[Purple]

What jobs should be accorded the greatest value in society?

mine

Should the top earners in our society be who they currently are?

no, I should be up there with them.

Should everybody be paid the same basic wage as some radical priest proposed some years ago?

NO!!

Should a hospital cleaner be paid as much as a doctor?

During the night the cleaners get paid substantially more than the doctors who are on with them but the real answer is no.

Should a child-carer whether a stay-at-home mother or a minder be paid as much as a nurse?

Why not, they do much the same job Actually no, they should not. While child minding is important unless the minder has a significant educational input into the child’s life and is formally employed I don't think they do a job that is on par with that done by even general nurses.

As a doctor?

No

Should people's pay be related to their part in the production of goods?

Absolutely! (I work in manufacturing).

Should service jobs (teacher, doctor, waiter) pay less than product-producing (factory worker, manufacturing-company director) jobs?

See above.
CGorman is right; the current system, coupled with a social safety net, is about the best we have come up with. In theory communism is great but it doesn’t work.
As they say; in theory, theory and practice are the same but in practice they aren’t.

 

[CGorman]

"Under Capitalism, man exploits man, under communism, its just the opposite.

 

[daithi]

..and while money isn't everything, everything is money...daithi