Vocational interests across 20 years of adulthood: Stability, change, and the role of work experiences

•Rank-order and profile stability of vocational interests were high in adulthood.•Men increased in Realistic and Investigative and decreased in Artistic interests.•Women increased in Enterprising interests and decreased in Artistic interests.•Individual differences in change were often correlated between interest types.•Vocational variables accounted for unique variance in vocational interest change.

Vocational interests demonstrate high rank-order stability during childhood and adolescence. However, few studies have investigated the development of vocational interests into adulthood. The present study examined rank-order and profile stability, mean-level and correlated change, and individual differences in change in RIASEC scores across 20 years of adulthood. In addition, life events were examined as moderators of change. Rank-order stability was strong across vocational interest dimensions. Mean-level changes also occurred, with increases in Realistic interests and decreases in Investigative interests for men, increases in Enterprising interests for women, and decreases in Artistic interests for men and women. Individual differences in change indicated that not everyone changed in the same manner, with occupational experiences, such as job loss, related to greater change.