Since 1977, the Harris Poll has been releasing survey results on what professions Americans consider “prestigious.” Every year, I eagerly check to see if engineers have moved up the list, and every year I find that they haven’t. In fact, over the last 33 years, they’ve dropped from fifth to ninth place.

Which professions have consistently stayed in the top two spots? Scientists and doctors. What exactly is a scientist in the public’s mind? More importantly, are engineering achievements like sending a man to the moon or purifying the environment being attributed solely to scientists?

Rarely do high-profile political leaders, university elites, or mainstream media professionals mention engineering. Instead, their dialogue focuses on the nation’s need to improve its scientific base and encourage bright youngsters to study science. Overlooked is Theodore von Karman’s adage, “A scientist studies what is; an engineer creates what never was.” No wonder the average person confuses what scientists and engineers actually do.

In 2003, with the shock of 9/11 fresh in the public’s mind, Harris pollsters introduced two new categories: firefighters and nurses. Both challenged scientists and doctors for top billing. In 2006, firefighters took the number one spot away from scientists and continue to have the highest “very great prestige” rating. Similarly, nurses rank next to or slightly below doctors.

Except possibly for medical specialists and Nobel-prize-winning scientists, the professions at the top of the “very-great-prestige” list are not necessarily the nation’s highest money earners. Surprisingly (or not so), that distinction belongs to those at the bottom of the prestige list — actors, rock stars, entertainers, sports figures, political insiders, and business tycoons.

Joining firefighters, scientists, doctors, and nurses — and ahead of engineers in prestige — are military and police officers, teachers, and the clergy. These honorable occupations deserve admiration, but are they more prestigious than engineers and their achievements? I beg to differ. After all, engineers help create wealth and protect everyone’s standard of living.

To me, the Harris list indicates the affection and respect Americans have for its professions, but it’s a far cry from being an accurate gauge of real prestige. However, because it is today’s gold standard, engineers would do well to learn from it.

Henry Michel, while chairman emeritus of Parsons Brinckerhoff, related this story: When he worked in Italy years ago, he lived in a compound of four houses. Each place was supplied with maids according to the rank of the home’s inhabitant. Rankings stemmed from the prestige of the individual’s profession. At this time, few households in Italy had electric clothes dryers. A perk for senior maids was not only being assigned to the most prestigious occupant, but also getting the best clotheslines — those that had the most sunshine. In Michel’s compound lived a doctor, a public official, and a lawyer with their families. But it was Michel’s maid who got the best clotheslines, so respected were engineers in Europe.

In America, engineers may suffer from a public perception problem — our maids would not get the best clotheslines — yet we have a more vital concern. Ask the people who know only too well how talented, competent, and essential engineers are. Public officials, developers, industrial chieftains, architects, and contractors call us in to provide the “how” on solving complicated problems. But that usually happens after the “why” and “what” have been determined. If we’re not present when the agenda is set, we structural engineers must live with that agenda. That means others determine our roles and, often, our fees. And, when these projects are complete, we get a footnote in the credits while kudos get showered on our employers.

This corresponds to what Americans think of engineers. Surveys like the Harris Poll indicate we rate high for integrity and competence, but we’re also regarded as stodgy, too technical, too narrowly focused, and out of touch. We’re “back-room people,” not policy makers. Most Americans wouldn’t mind if their daughters or sons married engineers. Still, in the big picture, our names are hidden in the fine print that no one reads.

Until we fix this visibility/image problem, engineers will continue to slip further down the list of occupations considered “most prestigious.”

Keep doing innovative work, of course, but stop being humble about it! Be leaders, not followers, and constantly let people outside of engineering know what you’re doing while declaring that, more often than not, so-called scientific breakthroughs are actually engineering accomplishments.

Let’s get back to Michel’s European model and be contenders for the best clotheslines.

Richard G. Weingardt, P.E., is CEO and chairman of Richard Weingardt Consultants, Inc., a Denver-based structural engineering firm. He can be reached via e-mail at rweingardt@gostructural.com.