The impact of sex-role socialization on career-related status orientations was examined in an attempt to specify, by sex, differential reference group influence and motivational variations. Data were derived from a larger data-set on mobility and achievement orientations of a random sample of 1970 senior students stratified according to residence of school (urban-rural), size of senior class, race, and school type. This study was limited to information on white males (N=1,221) and females (N=1,241). Regression models were used to test a series of research hypotheses developed from sex-role socialization literature. Covariance analysis assessed both main and interaction effects of sex. The empirical findings supported the general theme of sex-role socialization, showing that males received more college encouragement and achievement training from parents and had more materialistic orientations than female counterparts. Though low status achievements characterized females who received minimum amounts of parental and peer encouragement to go to college and who had low academic performance and parental achievement training, no similar male trend was observed. While personal competitiveness positively influenced male status orientation, it played no role for the female. However, females with a strong materialistic orientation tended to have higher status education orientations than males. (RS)