>> In many contexts a "professional" occupation is one that is governed either by the government or a self-regulating body. Accountants, electricians, doctors,

>> In many contexts a "professional" occupation is one that is governed either by the government or a self-regulating body. Accountants, electricians, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. True, but as I edited my comment to say, these bodies can be self-serving as easily as they can serve the public. People already working in a field can inflate their wages by making it harder to enter that field.