Jobs: IQ and cognitive demands
Published IQ averages exist for only a few jobs: doctors about 120, lawyers 113 to 120, nurses about 107. For the other 74 roles we give an editorial benchmark for how much reasoning the work demands. It is a guide to fit and learning curve, not a cutoff.
Doctors average about 120. What's yours?
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Jobs with published IQ figures
- Average IQ of dentistsClosest published group120
- Average IQ of doctorsMiddle 50%: 112 to 127120
- Average IQ of surgeonsClosest published group120
- Average IQ of professorsMiddle 50%: 106 to 125116
- Average IQ of electrical engineersMiddle 50%: 103 to 121113
- Average IQ of lawyersMiddle 50%: 109 to 124113
- Average IQ of mechanical engineersClosest published group110
- Average IQ of software developersMiddle 50%: 102 to 120110
- Average IQ of software engineersMiddle 50%: 102 to 120110
- Average IQ of actuariesClosest published group109
- Average IQ of civil engineersClosest published group109
- Average IQ of nursesMiddle 50%: 99 to 117107
All 86 jobs by demand benchmark
| Job | Industry | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Actuary | Finance | 120 |
| CEO | Business | 120 |
| Professor | Education | 120 |
| AI Engineer | STEM | 115 |
| Chemist | STEM | 115 |
| Civil Engineer | STEM | 115 |
| Data Scientist | STEM | 115 |
| Electrical Engineer | STEM | 115 |
| Mechanical Engineer | STEM | 115 |
| Software Engineer | STEM | 115 |
| Accountant | Finance | 110 |
| Teacher | Education | 105 |
| Actor | Service | 100 |
| Air Traffic Controller | Service | 100 |
| Architect | Service | 100 |
| Art Director | Service | 100 |
| Athlete | Service | 100 |
| Biologist | Service | 100 |
| Blockchain Developer | STEM | 100 |
| Carpenter | Service | 100 |
| Chef | Hospitality | 100 |
| Coach | Service | 100 |
| Construction Manager | Business | 100 |
| Content Creator | Service | 100 |
| Copywriter | Service | 100 |
| Counselor | Service | 100 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | Service | 100 |
| Dentist | Service | 100 |
| Detective | Service | 100 |
| Digital Marketer | Service | 100 |
| Diplomat | Service | 100 |
| Editor | Service | 100 |
| Electrician | Service | 100 |
| EMT | Service | 100 |
| Entrepreneur | Service | 100 |
| Event Planner | Service | 100 |
| Executive Assistant | Business | 100 |
| Farmer | Service | 100 |
| Fashion Designer | Creative | 100 |
| Financial Analyst | Service | 100 |
| Firefighter | Service | 100 |
| Flight Attendant | Service | 100 |
| General Practitioner | Service | 100 |
| Geologist | Service | 100 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | 100 |
| Hotel Manager | Business | 100 |
| HR Manager | Business | 100 |
| Influencer | Service | 100 |
| Interior Designer | Creative | 100 |
| Investment Banker | Service | 100 |
| Journalist | Service | 100 |
| Judge | Service | 100 |
| Lawyer | Service | 100 |
| Librarian | Service | 100 |
| Management Consultant | Service | 100 |
| Musician | Service | 100 |
| Non-profit Manager | Business | 100 |
| Nurse | Service | 100 |
| Operations Manager | Business | 100 |
| Paralegal | Service | 100 |
| Personal Trainer | Service | 100 |
| Pharmacist | Service | 100 |
| Photographer | Service | 100 |
| Physical Therapist | Service | 100 |
| Physicist | Service | 100 |
| Pilot | Service | 100 |
| Plumber | Skilled Trades | 100 |
| Police Officer | Service | 100 |
| Product Manager | Business | 100 |
| Psychologist | Service | 100 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Service | 100 |
| Real Estate Agent | Service | 100 |
| Recruiter | Service | 100 |
| Researcher | Service | 100 |
| Sales Representative | Service | 100 |
| Social Media Manager | Business | 100 |
| Social Worker | Service | 100 |
| Software Developer | STEM | 100 |
| Surgeon | Service | 100 |
| Systems Administrator | Service | 100 |
| Translator | Service | 100 |
| Urban Planner | Service | 100 |
| UX Designer | Creative | 100 |
| Veterinarian | Service | 100 |
| Videographer | Service | 100 |
| Zoologist | Service | 100 |
Benchmarks are LifeScore editorial ratings of a role's reasoning demands, not measured averages or hiring requirements.
How to read these numbers
A sourced average describes the middle of a group. Every job has people well above and well below it, and the spread inside a job is far larger than the gap between jobs.
A benchmark is our rough guide to how much learning and reasoning a role asks for. It is not a measure of human worth, and it should never be used to rule a career in or out. Qualifications, practice, interest and temperament matter at least as much.
For the evidence behind the sourced figures, see average IQ by profession.
Keep exploring
- Average IQ by professionSourced figures and benchmarks by band
- Average IQ by college majorEvery major, ranked
- Average IQ by universityEstimates and student profiles
- Career guides by personalityJobs that suit each trait
What's your IQ?
Know your own number before you compare it with any job: 25 visual reasoning questions.
25 questions · about 12 minutes