What a person does for a living can tell you a lot about their political persuasions.

Using data from the Federal Election Commission, Verdant Labs noticed that some professions tend to bend certain directions with their campaign contributions.

A majority of doctors are Democrats, but surgeons and dentists are overwhelmingly Republican. Among doctors, pediatricians mostly are Democrats, while urologists favor the Republican Party.

Some aren’t surprising at all: environmentalists (Democrat), oil workers (Republican).

But who knew flight attendants swing Democratic, while pilots like the GOP? Or that the Democratic Party can count on carpenters for support, but not plumbers? Perhaps it’s a throwback to President Richard Nixon’s White House Plumbers, who searched for leaks to the press.

Republicans have within their ranks exterminators, car salesmen, Catholic priests and talk show hosts. Yoga instructors, Episcopal priests, chefs and professional poker players lean Democratic.

Farmers are mostly Republicans, but retired farmers are mostly Democrats. Most truck drivers are Republicans, but locomotive engineers and taxi drivers are overwhelmingly Democrats.

Members of the Marines and Air Force are more likely to be Republicans than members of the Navy and Army.

Bank officers are mostly Republicans, but a majority of bank tellers are Democrats. Dog trainers lean Democratic, while horse trainers are half and half. Locksmiths are overwhelmingly Republican while sheet metal workers and pipefitters are mostly Democrats.

Bartenders, waiters, waitresses and baristas are mostly Democrats, but restaurant managers tend Republican. A majority of gas station owners are Democrats, while grocers and pawnbrokers lean Republican.

Hairdressers, housekeepers and travel agents tend Democratic. Professional poker players are almost all Democrats, but professional golfers are mostly Republicans.

All types of scientists tend to be Democrats…except geologists.

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Democratic vs. Republican Occupations (Verdant Labs)