Infidelity is often tied to complex personal dynamics, but new research suggests that occupation and employment status may play a significant role in men’s likelihood to cheat. A study published by the Institute for Family Studies, authored by researcher Wendy Wang, analyzed data from the General Social Survey (GSS). The findings reveal that men in high-power positions – such as CEOs, surgeons, and physicians – and those who are unemployed, are more likely to be unfaithful compared to other men.
What Does The Study Say About Professions and Infidelity
According to Wang’s analysis, 18% of men in top professional roles admitted to having been unfaithful to their spouses. The study suggests that authority, status, and opportunity may contribute to these higher rates of extramarital activity.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, unemployed men between the ages of 25 and 54 also showed a higher tendency toward infidelity. The survey data indicates that roughly one in five unemployed men reported engaging in extramarital sex.
New data shows prime-age men and women are about equally likely to cheat. @FamStudies: https://t.co/8W46lWpgr8 pic.twitter.com/wF9qGwStLh
— Wendy Wang (@WendyRWang) August 25, 2025
Previous studies have suggested that men without jobs, or those financially dependent on their wives, may struggle with feelings of inadequacy or insecurity. These circumstances can lead some to seek validation outside of their relationships.
But job prestige matters. Men in high-status jobs are about 2x more likely to cheat than those in mid-tier roles. And men who are not working are also more likely to cheat.
My full analysis @FamStudies: https://t.co/8W46lWpgr8 pic.twitter.com/ciZdqa4q6t
— Wendy Wang (@WendyRWang) August 25, 2025
Infidelity Among Women Shows Different Patterns
While men are more frequently criticized for infidelity, the study highlights that women also engage in extramarital affairs. Based on GSS data, 14% of women reported cheating on their partner.
Also interesting: the patten is different for prime-age women. Women in low-prestige jobs are about twice as likely to cheat as those in high-status roles. @FamStudies: pic.twitter.com/5zhDylOwkN
— Wendy Wang (@WendyRWang) August 25, 2025
However, the occupational patterns differ from men. Women in low-prestige jobs were found to be more likely to cheat (21%) compared to women in higher-status roles (9%) – the reverse of the male trend.
Experts Outline Signs Of Cheating
Professional “honey trapper” Madeline Smith, who specializes in exposing unfaithful partners, shared in a blog, the behavioral signs that could indicate a man is cheating.
One red flag, she explained in a column for the Daily Mail, is secrecy around phone usage.
“When you’re out for dinner, or just on the sofa watching TV, does your man leave his phone face up or face down?” Smith asked. “It may seem trivial, but ask yourself – what could possibly flash up that he doesn’t want anyone to see?”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
