Should footballers be paid more than nurses?

Answer 1

Yes, the skills and athleticism necessary to be a professional footballer are rarer than those needed to be a successful nurse so they are in higher demand and have a higher market value - hence they should earn more. Everyone would agree though that for the sake of social justice, redistribution of wealth and as a recognition of the relative contributions to society footballers should be far more heavily taxed whilst nurses should only be taxed to the extent of any other worker.

The only way to avoid market value determining salary would be through socialistic economics which have proved largely unsuccessful are currently heavily out of fashion.

Answer 2

Yes. It's a simple case of economic supply and demand. More or less anyone could be a nurse if they wanted to be. But very very few are good enough to be a top level professional footballer. Just think about it for a second - how many hundreds of thousands of young lads want and dream to be a footballer and how many actually make it? A tiny handful. I'm not saying it's right, but it's a law of economics. Footballers are in an industry awash with money, and only the very very best ever get anywhere near the required standard. Hence they can command and demand their huge salaries.

Answer 3

Ummm...i say yes and no...OBVIOUSLY, compared to saving lives, playing a sport does not compare BUT entertainment, exercise, someone to look up to, hard work, determination and discipline are all a part of football..so the sport does contribute alot to society. It gives kids something to do, to stay away from trouble and maybe something to keep them in school, it gives older people a reason to get together on sundays, to have fun and socialize. Plus the big famous football stars are so high profile, when they give to a charity, or organize a fundraiser, MILLIONS of people follow their lead and people help other people. I'm not saying that nurses and doctors should make less, but it works this way....and i dont think that nurses and doctors should make millions, because then most people would be in the field for the $$ and thats a pretty scary thought, considering you may take a trip to ER one day. =0) its a good feeling to know that some people are in the profession of helping others, to help others and thats it...makes it easier to sleep at night ;0) gooood question tho!

Answer 4

In an ideal world they should not be higher paid than nurses.
However, I thought it was an interesting question to point out football players rather than other sport's athletes or even musicians, celebrities, producers, etc.

However let's look at the big picture here. Why are football players paid so much? First off it's PROFESSIONAL players! Secondly, they get paid a ton of money because of the media rights that big media companies such as CBS, ESPN, or ABC, etc pay the NFL to be able to show NFL games on their networks. This money used to go to mostly the NFL and Team Owners, however after revisions to the Collective Bargaining Agreement the players have been getting a larger chunk of that money for salaries, incentives, etc. (This has been seen in the huge disparity between what athletes used to get paid 20-30 years ago and what they get paid now) Why? Because they have a huge audience, and hence the network can sell their advertising blocks for even more money. That explains where the money comes from.

Now look at which job, yes I said job, is much harder to get yourself into? What does a nursing program entail? High School and usually a 2 year higher education program (of course there are much higher levels you can get into but those are usually after experience is gained) Now ask yourself how hard is it to get into Nursing School? What do you think the odds are for someone trying to get into Nursing School? Really Really Good. Now look at the opposite. According to a 2005 NCAA study, few will realize this dream. "About 5.8%, or approximately one in 17, of all high school senior boys playing interscholastic football," the study concluded, "will go on to play football at an NCAA-member institution." The odds of a high school footballer playing professionally are even longer, according to the study — approximately 9 in 10,000. The actual odds are probably even worse because the study did not distinguish between scholarship players and walk-ons.

Now I'm not debating who's job is more important but rather explaining why the pay discrepancies exist and why they should. I mean after all I'm for paying nurses more but where does that money come from? From the consumer, us, who already have an overly exorbent healthcare cost displayed by having over 50 million uninsured Americans.

Answer 5

personally no but based on the fact that footballers get paid the amount they do because the endorse products and their own football team in merchandise they deserve to get their equal share. For example if Manchester United earned 60 million a month because of the football teams success in football matches wouldn't it be far for the players to get atleast 3million or so of it each? rather than 2,000 a year because of nurses.

Answer 6

Nope!

To be honest, the sight of 22 grown men running around after one ball is sad, why not give them all a ball each and have done with it!

Where as, nurses, well WHO actually nurses today? Its a long time since I seen one make a bed, or feed a patient, or anything of the true nursing skills.

They appear to hang around the reception desk, only moving when the bells are rung, and waiting to go home, with one eye on the medication and the other on the chocolates that grateful families leave for them.

I am not kidding!!! I was a patient only recently and landed up taking fellow patients to the loo, and feeding the poor souls who were either to old, confused or ill to eat or the meals simply remained where they were left on a table at the end of the beds, only to be picked up again an hour later and binned. And ,as to given liquid, water? Nope, considering we are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, I never saw a patient drink ONE!!!

So at the moment, NONE OF THEM ARE WORTH A LIGHT.

Now SURGEONS, they are worth their weight in GOLD!!!

(I feel better for that rant- not that it will make any difference of course ! thank you)

Answer 7

I think that nurses and carers do a far better job than yon multi-million pound fitba' guys. On the whole, the wage system in the UK is offy silly. Nobody seems to get any credit for working to their peak performance. I bet that yon fitba' guys wid huv nae chance o' beating the true proffessionals. Jings, they moan if they huv tae go tae wurk any more than three days a week!!! Nurses and carers can put in more than thier fair share withoot any extra benefits. It's aboot time that these dedicated folk were rewarded wi' the correct dosh fur all thier efforts...

Answer 8

very good question.....in my opinion both are contributing to society in their own way. footballers unite and bring communitites together (but also cause divisions between peoples) whereas nurses care and look after ill people. i think that nurses, paramedics, firemen should be paid more than they do currently as they serve the greater good to society :)

Answer 9

No way!! It's a shame our nurses are not better paid!! Shame on the government 4 this.

Answer 10

It depends on what you value more. If you value making money more, then the footballers sure do bring it in for the owners of the team. If you value life more, then nurses should make more for the lives they save and mend daily.