Two weeks ago, when Ben Higgins sent Caila home, you could almost hear software salespeople’s hearts break throughout the country. Ben Higgins, a software salesperson, had felt an instant connection to Caila, also a software salesperson. Even in the strange, accelerated world of The Bachelor, having a commonality like this can help kick start a relationship.

This got us thinking: what career choices have led to the most past winners and runners-up?

Is there a certain profession that gives a contestant an edge? Is there an occupation we see more than others?

To answer this question, we sifted through twenty seasons of the hit ABC reality show. We tallied the occupations of the bachelor, the winner of the final rose and the runner-up.

Continue reading to see the breakdown of careers by each season or you can skip ahead to the results and find out what profession is most successful on the Bachelor. Hint: It’s not Chicken Enthusiasts.

Bonus: Check out our FREE job descriptions!

Career Choices that Win The Bachelor

The Bachelor, Season 1

Bachelor: Alex Michel, Management Consultant

Alex Michel, Management Consultant Winner: Amanda Marsh, Actress

Amanda Marsh, Actress Runner-Up: Trista Rehn, Miami Heat Cheerleader

The Bachelor, Season 2

Bachelor: Aaron Buerge, VP of Bank Chain

Aaron Buerge, VP of Bank Chain Winner: Helene Eksterowicz, School Psychologist

Runner-Up: Brooke Smith, Student

The Bachelor, Season 3

Bachelor: Andrew Firestone, Sales Manager for Firestone Family Estates

Andrew Firestone, Sales Manager for Firestone Family Estates Winner: Jen Schefft, Account Manager

Jen Schefft, Account Manager Runner-Up: Kirsten Buschbacher, Merchandiser

The Bachelor, Season 4

Bachelor: Bob Guiney, Mortgage Company Founder

Bob Guiney, Mortgage Company Founder Winner: Estella Gardinier, Sales Representative

Estella Gardinier, Sales Representative Runner-Up: Kelly Jo Kuharski, Unknown

The Bachelor, Season 5

Bachelor: Jesse Palmer, Canadian American College Football Player

Jesse Palmer, Canadian American College Football Player Winner: Jessica Bowlin, Student

Jessica Bowlin, Student Runner-Up: Tara Huckeby, General Contractor

The Bachelor, Season 6

Bachelor: Byron Velvick, Pro Bass Fisherman

Byron Velvick, Pro Bass Fisherman Winner: Mary Delgado, Sales Manager

Mary Delgado, Sales Manager Runner-Up: Tanya Michel, Teacher

The Bachelor, Season 7

Bachelor: Charlie O’Connell, Actor

Charlie O’Connell, Actor Winner: Sarah Brice, Labor & Delivery Nurse

Sarah Brice, Labor & Delivery Nurse Runner-Up: Krisily Kennedy, Salon Coordinator, Former Miss Rhode Island USA

The Bachelor, Season 8

Bachelor: Travis Lane Stork, Medical Doctor

Travis Lane Stork, Medical Doctor Winner: Sarah Stone, Kindergarten Teacher

Sarah Stone, Kindergarten Teacher Runner-Up: Moana Dixon, Distribution Manager

The Bachelor, Season 9

Bachelor: Lorenzo Borghese, Cosmetics Entrepreneur

Lorenzo Borghese, Cosmetics Entrepreneur Winner: Jennifer Wilson, Teacher

Jennifer Wilson, Teacher Runner-Up: Sadie Murray, Publicist

The Bachelor, Season 10

Bachelor: Andrew Baldwin, Naval Officer

Andrew Baldwin, Naval Officer Winner: Tessa Horst, Social Worker

Tessa Horst, Social Worker Runner-Up: Bevin Nicole Powers, Assistant

The Bachelor, Season 11

Bachelor: Brad Womack, Bar Owner

Brad Womack, Bar Owner Winner: None!

None! Runner-Up: DeAnna Pappas, Realtor & Jenni Croft, Phoenix Suns Cheerleader

The Bachelor, Season 12

Bachelor: Matt Grant, Global Financier

Matt Grant, Global Financier Winner: Shayne Lamas, Actress

Shayne Lamas, Actress Runner-Up: Chelsea Wanstrath, Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

The Bachelor, Season 13

Bachelor: Jason Mesnick, Account Executive

Jason Mesnick, Account Executive Winner: Melissa Rycroft, Sales Representative

Melissa Rycroft, Sales Representative Runner-Up: Molly Malaney, Department Store Buyer

The Bachelor, Season 14

Bachelor: Jake Pavelka, Commercial Pilot

Jake Pavelka, Commercial Pilot Winner: Vienna Girardi, Marketing Representative

Vienna Girardi, Marketing Representative Runner-Up: Tenley Molzahn: College Admissions

The Bachelor, Season 15

Bachelor: Brad Womack, Bar Owner

Brad Womack, Bar Owner Winner: Emily Maynard, Children’s Hospital Event Planner

Emily Maynard, Children’s Hospital Event Planner Runner-Up: Chantal O’Brien, Executive Assistant

The Bachelor, Season 16

Bachelor: Ben Flajnik, Winemaker

Ben Flajnik, Winemaker Winner: Courtney Robinson, Model

Courtney Robinson, Model Runner-Up: Lindzi Cox, Business Development Manager

The Bachelor, Season 17

Bachelor: Sean Lowe, Insurance Agent

Sean Lowe, Insurance Agent Winner: Catherine Giudici, Graphic Designer

Catherine Giudici, Graphic Designer Runner-Up: Lindsay Yenter, Substitute Teacher

The Bachelor, Season 18

Bachelor: Juan Pablo Galavis, Former Professional Soccer Player

Juan Pablo Galavis, Former Professional Soccer Player Winner: Nikki Ferrell, Pediatric Nurse

Nikki Ferrell, Pediatric Nurse Runner-Up: Claire Crawley, Hairstylist

The Bachelor, Season 19

Bachelor: Chris Soules, Farmer

Chris Soules, Farmer Winner: Whitney Bischoff, Fertility Nurse

Whitney Bischoff, Fertility Nurse Runner-Up: Becca Tilley, Chiropractic Assistant

The Bachelor, Season 20

Bachelor: Ben Higgins, Software Salesperson

Ben Higgins, Software Salesperson Finalist #1: Joelle “Jojo” Fletcher, Real Estate Developer

Joelle “Jojo” Fletcher, Real Estate Developer Finalist #2: Lauren Bushnell, Flight Attendant

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Results of the most successful careers on The Bachelor

Below is a chart displaying a categorization of all the careers of the runner-up and winners of The Bachelor. We classified all 40 occupations into 24 different categories.

The three most successful occupations for contestants on The Bachelor are:

Sales & Marketing Nursing Teaching

There have been five winners working in the field of sales & marketing. In addition to that, two of the Bachelors themselves came from a sales background. Second, with three winners, is the nursing field. Finally, two winners and two finalists throughout the history of The Bachelor have been teachers.

Also, why do you think these career choices are so over-indexed as winners and runner-ups on The Bachelor?