Although the gender gap in career choice seems to be closing, we still observe gender segregation in the workforce. Women have a stronger preference in “people” jobs while more men are represented in “things” jobs (Su, Rounds, & Armstrong, 2009). South Korea is no exception. For example, 96.7% of nurses and dental hygienists are women, while only 1.3% of driver jobs are taken by women (Korea Statistics, 2013). Scholars around the world have tackled with this question for decades and various factors, such as biological, social, cognitive, and cultural factors, seem to be in play. In the current study, we focus on values as one factor that might explain individuals’ career choice. We had three goals. First, we tried to examine individuals’ perception about already-existing occupations. We asked individuals to rate on how much of a value can be afforded within a given occupation. Second, we ask individuals what values that they endorse most. We tested if there are any gender differences shown in value endorsement. Third, we tested if personal values explain any variance in showing interest in gender-typed occupations. Results revealed that individuals perceived masculine occupations to afford more money, power, and altruism, while they perceived feminine occupations to afford more family value. Girls/women were more likely than boys/men to endorse all four values. We also found that boys were less likely to show interest in female-typed occupations, and those who endorsed more altruism values showed more interest in female-typed occupations. Adults were less likely than children to express interest in feminine occupations.
