Profession and Occupation
What is Profession?
Professions have work ethics and a
special professional stature.
Responsibility lies with the individual,
given the extensive training and the
consistent compensations received for
their work.
Examples of professions are
doctors, lawyers, financial
experts, and professors. These
people are paid for what they
know and how they act on what
they know.
 What is Occupation?
An occupation defines the type of activity Examples of occupations are
undertaken by a person to earn his livelihood.
Theoretically, these are jobs anybody can perform at drivers, shopkeepers, dog walkers,
one point, as no special and long-term training is
necessary. In most companies, the wages of these
clerks, receptionists, or delivery
people are low to medium and it mainly depends on workers. In a sense, this is what
how much they can produce. They always answer to
someone else and they have an average social
occupies your time and what you
status. get paid to do.
Occupation v Profession

The main difference between occupation and profession is

that occupation is an activity undertaken by the person to
earn his livelihood. It can be business or employment that a
person undertakes to make money whereas profession is an
activity that needs specialized training, knowledge,
qualification, and skills.
 Differences

Point of Difference Occupation Profession

Main Difference Occupation is something A profession is something
that immerses your time and you prepare for and get paid
pays you for it. to do.

Training No specific training required. Much training is required,

from higher education too
expensive training and
specialization.

Basis of Salaries Salaries are low to mean; Salaries are high and based
there is an absolute to how on how well-prepared the
much you can make. professional is.

Pays For Pays for your time.
Rate of Independence There is no independence.
Opportunities A person can have several
occupations throughout his
life.
Pays for what you know.
A professional is completely
independent.
In the profession, a person
usually have just one job.
Point of Difference Occupation Profession
Respect and Status There are low respect and There are very high respect
status in occupation and status in a profession.

Responsibilities In occupation, there are no In the profession, there are

responsibilities.. many responsibilities.

Ethical Code The occupation has no moral There is a moral or ethical

or ethical work code. work code as well as a
regulated status in the
profession.