The Ten Worst Jobs In America Today

There are bad jobs and then there are really bad jobs. In America today, most people are fortunate to work in air conditioned spaces with relatively normal people performing tasks that are somewhat interesting. For other Americans, however, a life of pure simple drudgery awaits them every morning they wake and head out for another day at their job. These ten jobs highlighted are the worst of the bunch.

Butchers

Whether working in the slaughterhouses killing hundreds of animals a day to satisfy the growing demands of American consumers, or in the back of grocery stores carving joints of bloodied meat for packaging, the job of the butcher can be described at best as bleak. Pay is usually low and the instruments of the trade present real hazards that can kill the user if not properly used. Worst of all, the pay has been stagnant for several years, hovering at just around $30,000 per year.

Dairy Farmers

All farmers have it rough, but the worst among them has to be dairy farmers. These unfortunate souls have to get up early, usually before sunrise, to milk cows only to do it again in the evening. They have to do this regardless of the outside conditions. So whether it is thirty degrees below zero or a steaming 110 Fahrenheit, the dairy farmer has to attend to his cows. Beyond that, they also have to attend to all the needs of the cattle, from keeping them well fed to treating health problems. For their many hours of work, the average dairy farmer earns just over $30,000

Dishwasher

These unfortunate people have the task of cleaning our slop off the plates when we’re finished at the restaurant. They typically spend hours on their feet doing repetitious tasks that are absolutely mind numbingly boring. At the end of the day, most dishwashers earn barely above minimum wage with the average salary at $18,000 per year.

Lumberjack

Is there anything worse than a job that is physically demanding, horrendously unsafe, and doesn’t pay well either? Well, you have all those things and more within the lumberjack profession. These men use chainsaws and other dangerous machinery to cut and transport lumber so we can build houses and other structures. They work long hours on their feet in inhospitable environments. For all their trouble, they get paid about $32,000 per year.

Waiters / Waitresses

In some states, these people aren’t even guaranteed to make minimum wage. Working for tips, they put up with irate customers and various low lives while retrieving and bringing us our meals. They often do everything humanly possible to satisfy a customer only to discover that no tip has been given at the end of the meal. Considering how bad they’re treated, it is amazing they even get to take home $18,000 on average each year.

Newspaper Reporter

For a job that requires a college education, being a newspaper reporter really is a terrible occupation. First, it is something that is simply going away with the increasing use of the internet as a media source. Career prospects are terrible. Even if you’re lucky enough to find a position, you can expect to do the work of three reporters for a salary of around $35,000 per year.

Enlisted Soldier

Not only do you actually give up some of your constitutional rights by signing up for the military, but you’re then expected to defend the nation to your death if required. Training is intensive and while benefits are plentiful, pay is usually very low, particularly for the low level enlisted ranks.

Taxi Drivers

Transporting mentally disturbed people and worrying about drunks puking in your back seat are all common day occurrences for the average inner city taxi driver. Then you have to also worry about getting robbed at gunpoint, since everyone knows you’re carrying large amounts of cash. At the end of the day, drivers get paid about ten bucks an hours, so they generally work long hours to just get enough cash for rent and food.

Garbage Collector

They pick up our filth and carry it away. Usually, we don’t even notice them. Garbage collectors work in very unsanitary conditions and are required to complete their job during both brutally cold and horrendously hot days. Surprisingly, it is also one of the deadliest jobs in America, as garbage collectors make great targets for distracted drivers. Their average pay is around thirteen bucks an hour.

Iron Worker

Working with glowing hot metal at heights often times several hundred feet above the ground makes this job one of the worst in America. Having to deal with the added bonus of brutal weather and sudden gusts of wind just make it all the more terrible. Then we have the fact it is the fourth deadliest occupation in the country and one wonders why anyone would become an iron worker. It certainly isn’t for the twenty bucks an hour they’re paid on average.