People cheat on their partners for different reasons. There are also varying levels of cheating, from microcheating to full-blown affairs.
Some evidence even suggests that intelligent people are more likely to want to cheat on their partners.
New survey data from Ashley Madison, the leading dating website that helps married people have affairs, has shown people with certain careers are more likely to be unfaithful to their partners. They asked 1,074 members of Ashley Madison to fill out a survey about their jobs.
Despite straying from their partners, respondents of the survey had a different attitude towards their careers. nearly half (44%) said they never switch jobs, and those who did said they only did it once every 10 years.
Here were the top 12 careers for infidelity from the survey, for both men and women:
12. Men — Social work
2% of male participants were social workers.
12. Women — Politics
Just 1% of female respondents worked in politics.
11. Men — Agriculture
3% of male cheaters worked in agriculture, such as farming.
11. Women — Arts and entertainment
4% of female cheaters were in the arts or entertainment industry.
10. Men — Arts and entertainment
Arts and entertainment had a 3% turnout for male cheaters too.
10. Women — Legal
4% of female cheaters were in the legal profession.
9. Men — Education
4% of male cheaters were in education - professors, teachers, and lecturers.
9. Women — Trades
Women in trades, like building and plumbing, made up 4% of cheaters.
8. Men — Legal
4% of male respondents worked in law, too.
8. Women — Marketing and communications
Women in marketing and communications made up 4% of female cheaters.
7. Men — Medical
Men in the medical profession, such as doctors and nurses, made up 5% of male cheaters.
7. Women — I.T.
8% of female cheaters worked in I.T.
6. Men — Marketing and communications
6% of male cheaters worked in marketing and communications.
6. Women — Retail and hospitality
9% of female cheaters worked in retail or hospitality, such as in shops or the hotel industry.
5. Men — Finance
8% of cheating men worked in finance.
5. Women — Social work
Social work had women cheaters too, with it being the career choice for 9% of female respondents.
4. Men — Retail and hospitality
8% of male respondents were in retail or hospitality - waiters, bartenders, baristas, and hotel workers.
4. Women — Finance
Women financiers made up 9% of female cheaters.
3. Men and women — Entrepreneurs
Being an entrepreneur was the third most popular career choice for both male and female cheaters. One reason for this could be because entrepreneurial people like things their own way and on their own terms, and so "are likely to take charge of their sex life the way they do their business," the survey suggested.
2. Men — I.T.
Men in I.T. made up 12% of male cheaters.
2. Women — Education
Women teachers were the second most common cheaters, making up 12% of female respondents.
1. Men — Trades
Men who worked in trades took the top spot for cheating. They made up 29% of male respondents.
"Jobs in trades often mean irregular hours and are often structured in shift work meaning it's easier for men to fly under the radar when it comes to sneaking around with an affair partner," said Isabella Mise, Director of Communications at Ashley Madison.
1. Women — Medical
The number 1 spot for women was taken by the medical profession. 23% of women were doctors or nurses.
"A combination of long hours of potential stress mixed with a natural reaction to stress just might be the reason these women in the medical profession seek out an affair," said Mise.