Most Single Americans Look for Partners With These Career Values and Passions: New Dating Poll

February 1, 2025 journo

A survey of 2,000 single Americans revealed that 56% of respondents agreed it’s important that their partners have the same career values that they do.

In terms of ambition, 44% would prefer someone whose career ambitions were the same as their own, while 34% are looking for someone who is even more ambitious.

Regarding salary, 39% of all respondents—which were equally divided between men and women—said they would prefer to be an equal “breadwinner” with their partners. Unsurprisingly, this was much more common for women, with 45% of females preferring salaries to be equal, compared to 33% of men.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of the dating app The League, the survey also looked at the most desirable careers for 2025.

29% of men and women agreed that those in the health care field make the best partners, while careers in education ranked as the second most attractive for the men surveyed (28%).

21% of women are interested in dating an entrepreneur, 19% were interested in an educator, while finance guys and artists were desirable for 18%.

Also ranking in the top most dateable jobs for both genders are lawyers (24%), scientists (16%), and careers in tech, like web or software developers (14%).

The poll also explored the ideal time to have “the career conversation” with potential partners. Nearly a quarter of respondents (22%) said that, ideally, they’ll have a conversation about goals and aspirations before going on a first date—but most will bring up the conversation by the end of their first date.

“Transparency is more attractive than ever,” said Rachel DeAlto, a dating expert at The League. “While there may be no perfect time to talk about careers and ambitions, bringing it up in conversation sooner than later in the dating process allows singles to determine if they share similar values and life goals from the start.”

Despite many respondents being eager to speak with potential partners about their career, that doesn’t mean single Americans are “all work and no play.” 40% of singles surveyed want their potential partners to have a passion for what they’re doing but also prioritize a work/life balance.

Additionally, over one in five respondents are looking for partners who have a desire to leave a positive impact on society or other people.

64% are willing to date someone in graduate school, further demonstrating the appeal of having drive and goals, no matter where your career is at the moment.

“When partners share similar aspirations and value the same things in life, they’re better equipped to support and understand each other. The key is to stay open to finding that alignment,” said DeAlto.

On the flip side, constant burn-out (32%), long overtime hours (29%) and switching jobs every year (25%) are some of the top career “red flags.” Interestingly, being an “influencer” was also a “red flag” for more than one in five respondents (22%).

WHAT CAREER VALUES ARE IMPORTANT IN A POTENTIAL NEW PARTNER?