Dave Ramsey Surveyed 10,167 Wealthy Americans. This Career Produced the Most Millionaires.

Danielle Liverance

Fri, June 19, 2026 astatine 12:37 PM CDT 4 min read

Quick Read

• Engineers topped Ramsey's survey of 10,167 millionaires, but teachers outranked doctors, proving that accordant redeeming alternatively than precocious income is what builds lasting wealth.

• One-third of surveyed millionaires ne'er earned six figures successful a azygous year, making savings complaint the existent wealth-building engine.

• Ramsey caps rent astatine 25% of take-home wage and recommends automating 15% of gross income into status accounts earlier manner creep strikes.

• A caller survey identified 1 azygous wont that doubled Americans' status savings and moved status from dream, to reality. Read much here.

On a caller occurrence of The Ramsey Show, Dave Ramsey told a 22-year-old caller named Mark thing astir caller graduates ne'er hear: "We did the largest survey a millionaire's ever done, people 10,167 of them. One of the things we researched was what occupations showed up the astir often among millionaires. Number 1 concern among millionaires? Engineer." Mark, calling successful connected June 15 aft landing his archetypal electrical engineering occupation successful Lincoln, Nebraska astatine $89,000 a year, was asking however overmuch rent helium could afford. The header uncovering looks similar vocation advice, but it is truly a behaviour story. If you instrumentality it that way, you hazard choosing a large oregon a occupation for the incorrect crushed and missing the existent mechanic that built the wealthiness successful Ramsey's data.

The verdict: the occupation rubric is simply a hint to behaviour

Ramsey's assertion is close but casual to misread. Engineer was the astir often occurring concern successful his National Study of Millionaires, elaborate successful Baby Steps Millionaires. The afloat apical five, successful order, were engineer, accountant, teacher, concern and sales, and attorney. Medical doctors did not marque the apical five. The teacher introduction is the giveaway. Teaching is not a high-income field, yet it outranks medicine. That lone makes consciousness erstwhile you judge the study's ain conclusion: astir one-third of the millionaires surveyed ne'er earned a six-figure income successful a azygous year. Consistent behaviour did the dense lifting.

Read: Data Shows One Habit Doubles American's Savings And Boosts Retirement

Most Americans drastically underestimate however overmuch they request to discontinue and overestimate however prepared they are. But information shows that people with 1 habit person much than treble the savings of those who don't.

The mechanic underneath is boring and powerful: a precocious savings complaint compounded for a agelong time. Mark's $89,000 starting wage sits good supra the $37.53/hour mean for full backstage workers successful May 2026 and astir treble the $1,235 median play net for full-time workers successful Q1 2026. The income gives him room. The behaviour decides whether that country becomes wealthiness oregon evaporates into lifestyle.