For boys, the second top choice was science and engineering. Being a carpenter is no longer in the top 10 list, and teaching has also dropped in popularity, with boys now more likely to consider a high-paying career in tech.

Catherine McAuley Westmead student Majerin Pieris, 15, knew she wanted to be a doctor aged 10, after seeing a battlefield doctor depicted in a war film.

“I saw how essential doctors and medical personnel are to saving people’s lives,” she said.

She acknowledged the job came with the potential to earn a high salary but said her aspiration was not motivated by that.

“It comes with benefits as well, but for me, what really matters is helping people,” she said.

Baulkham Hills High School careers adviser Chris Buchli said some students who attended the selective school were influenced strongly by family perceptions when it came to choosing a job and cited financial return as among the reasons for their choices.

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While there may have been a decline in interest in becoming a school teacher, Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights career adviser Michelle McCallum said scholarships, incentives, early entry attracted some students to education degrees.

Clancy Catholic College West Hoxton careers adviser Anne Weeks said at her school, more students were now interested in cosmetic nursing while traditional fields such as law remained popular.

“Industries such as the beauty industry have seen huge growth and also a change in customer base to much younger clients, so this has created more opportunities and career paths,” she said.

In her 13 years in the job there had been a shift away from the traditional caring professions despite demand for workers in areas such as teaching and aged care.

“The caring professions are perceived as low pay for hard work: not an attractive proposition for this generation,” she said.

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