The 20 Worst Jobs in the World in 2019
We all find jobs to keep up busy and help settle our bills. The type of job you take up depends on your academic qualifications, level of experience, and also business expertise. Some people struggle to make a living while for others, life is a bed of roses. Others are even lucky to be in family businesses where job positions are hereditary. However, some people have to take up low paying and risky jobs to put food on the table, due to lack of alternatives despite being highly qualified. The following are what many consider to be the 20 worst jobs in the world:
20. Postal service workers
These people sort, deliver mails and also assist post users if need be. Increased electronic mail application has reduced the need for post office service workers. Although the job could be luxurious and better paying than the rest, the chances of getting employed in a post office have substantially declined. Additionally, the postal couriers also have to cope with adverse weather conditions and time-wasting traffic jams during delivery. The median average wage for a postal service worker is $58,760 yearly, but they start at $36,800.
19. Miners
These categories of workers are known to have a short life span due to the nature of their job. They get into narrow and very unstable tunnels that may contain explosives and can also collapse during work. The miners have also succumbed to death through drowning in water ditches found in certain mining areas. They often wear helmets to protect their heads, but death and injuries in the mineral areas occur in various other unavoidable ways. The working environments are also very hostile as they are dusty, hot, and humid, which could lead to respiratory tract infections. The median wage rate for miners in a year is $54550.
18. Firefighters
This group of personnel has no actual resting time for they are always on call. They eat and rest in the station waiting to respond to any form of emergency. In the line of duty, they inhale toxic fumes that are hazardous to their bodies. There have been cases of firemen getting trapped in the fire hence dying as they try to save people’s lives. Firefighters’ annual median salary is $49,620, which is very little considering the amount of risk involved.
17. Social workers
These are the first respondents to people experiencing crises like HIV/Aids victims, people living with cancer, the aged, the disabled, and orphans. They face a lot of rejection as they try to reach out and help these needy groups of people. There is also a risk of contracting infectious diseases in their line of duty. They move from one place to another, doing great but disgusting work like handling wounds and body wastes from the sick. However, their pay is minimal compared to the amount of work and challenges encountered. The median wage for a social worker annually is $47,980.
16. Telephone operators
These are people who receive calls on behalf of companies to attend to clients’ complaints and needs. They also offer assistance to most people who are unable to get emergency services. There are declining job opportunities for telephone operators due to technological developments that have come up with better and more efficient platforms for emergency care services. The job is also strenuous since they have to deal with a large number of clients. Most of the customers degrade an operator’s work and are often rude when voicing their demands. If you still looking for a well-paying job, then this might not fit you due to the median average pay of $45500 yearly.
15. Correction officers
These are the officers who work in prisons to guard inmates. They experience a higher number of illness rates and, injuries from the inmates’ violence. Correction officers have the hardest time trying to control a large group of criminals; hence, there have been cases of murder of the officers during the attempted escape of the inmates. The job requires you to be extra keen everywhere you go and in everything you do around the prison. For all their troubles, correction officers earn a median annual salary is $43,550.
14. Manual sewer workers
Their daily routine involves getting into the sewer tunnels to identify problems, blockages and flushing them out. The environment is very toxic; surrounded by very harmful waste products to their skin. There are no formal protective clothes for the sewer cleaners. Therefore, you work and save a considerable amount of money that you will later use to treat deadly diseases. The most common infections for these workers are skin diseases, as well as respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal infections. High accumulation of the toxins can lead to death. The working environment is one of the most significant aspects you should consider before taking a job, yet the median salary for a sewer worker is $41,780 per year.
13. Mortuary attendants
These are the people who receive human corpses in hospitals. They deal with all kinds of dead bodies from decayed ones, to dismantled ones and fresh corpses. The nature of the job is very traumatizing and needs sober people who have the guts to do it. Embalmers preserve bodies, clean them, and prepare them for a burial or cremation process. It has good pay in some parts of the world, but the working environment is so disgusting with awful smells and scenes and of course, disturbing memories. Some instances are scaring in case a corpse moves may be due to impact; one can get scared thinking that the person is not dead. Any slight movements in the morgues, especially when you are on a shift alone can be very horrifying. The average median pay for an embalmer in a year is $36,000.
12. Pest controller
These people go around homes and institutions in the hunt for pests such as cockroaches, bees, wasps, rats, and bedbugs. The job has low returns, as the median annual rate is $35,610. It is also very hectic to control the infested areas, and they often use pesticides that could be harmful to the body if not properly handled. They also crawl to tight and minimal spaces to search for the pests hideouts. The job has meager wages, and at times you can stay for an extended period before getting a contract invite. Increased sanitation in most institutions, and also most buildings nowadays are designed to control pests’ infestations, rendering the job more redundant.
11. Disc jockey
Deejaying is vastly declining due to technological advancement. People download music and play it in the comfort of their houses rather than having to go to the clubs and parties to pay for a disc jockey. The job is also strenuous as you have to work in a noisy environment at odd night hours, with a highly likely hostile and drunk audience. If not well managed and organized, the job can be very stressing. Your wage depends on the number of attendants in a show, and the annual median range for a disc jockey is $33,220.
10. Gravediggers
These people dig graves and expect somebody will die so that they can get paid. The job is in a harsh environment since they spend most of their time in gravesites. In less developed countries and poorly-maintained cemeteries, there is a possibility of undoing the decayed residue of old graves to create space for the new burial. These experiences can be uncomfortable for most people. Even after taking these tasks, the pay is usually minimal and shared among some colleagues. The median average compensation is $30,700 annually.
9. Flower designers
They cut and arrange flowers into different designs to make them more appealing. It’s a daily routine job that is tiresome, and flowers are very perishable. If you don’t sell them on the day of the package, you are going to make significant losses. A florist’s median annual salary is $27,200. According to Kiplinger, the florist business has also declined due to the increase in online shopping stores that deliver fresh flowers at your place for convenience.
8. Taxi drivers
Taxi drivers have a combination of poor working environments, low job growth rates, and high-stress levels. Taxi drivers work most hours of the day with minimal resting time, and their annual median pay is $25,980. They are always on call and have to respond immediately to their customers. They also deal with traffic jams and unruly customers who are late and want to rush somewhere. The job is risky due to hijacking risks in case you are driving a client through a dangerous neighborhood. They also suffer significantly in case of accidents in their line of duty, and once you are disabled, you can no longer continue with your job.
7. Cleaners
Cleaners are undermined in most workplaces and are, at times mistreated and denied their rightful wages. Some places are also very disgusting to clean especially hotel rooms, where you have to deal with all kind of body discharges in the toilet, beds and bathtubs. Crime scene cleaners also go through difficulties as they clean up blood and body residues of the deceased and injured. Cleaning a sperm bar is also a lot of work where you have to wash and sanitize all the surfaces thoroughly according to Elite Readers. The pay you get is not equal to the amount of work you do since the median salary for a cleaner is $24,412 yearly.
6. Retail salesperson
These salespeople earn a commission depending on the number of items they have managed to sell through their marketing strategies. They also sell in print media outlets whose circulation has drastically decreased. The chances of convincing clients to trust your product are very minimal; thus, most salespersons are underpaid. A salesperson’s median annual salary is $24,200, all dependent on your communication and persuasion skills.
5. Soldier
Military workers face the most threats in an attempt to protect their country. They live to fight, and death is ever beckoning them each time they go on a mission. Although their families get compensation on the murder of their loved ones, money can never equate to a person’s life. They are always abroad doing combat tours and have very little time for their families. Most of those that survive death suffer significant injuries, disabilities, and trauma. The soldiers don’t receive a large salary, and the median annual pay for a soldier is $24, 038, despite their selfless and patriotic acts.
4. Waiters
Food servers are one of the lowest-paid personnel spending most of their time on their feet interacting with customers. In hotels, the work is more tiring as you have to move from one customer to another, responding to their diverse tastes and preferences. They depend on tips from customers to add to their median salary of $23,290.
3. Watchmen
They watch over the premises while others are away or asleep. Their pattern of work is stressful for they are at times forced to sleep during the day and work at night. They are at high risks in case of any crime since they are the first point of contact. Most of them are not usually armed and trained, and this makes them very vulnerable to injuries and death in case of an attack in the premises they are guarding. A watchman’s median annual salary is $19,660.
2. Armpit sniffers
According to Next Generation, armpit sniffers test whether a deodorant is excellent by sniffing a customer’s armpits before using the deodorant and after. That way, they get the difference, to determine its effect on the customers. It is one of the most disgusting jobs whose salary is $19,000. People’s metabolism rates are different, and others secrete more sweat leading to bad odors that are irritating to smell. It is shocking what people have to do to meet their needs.
1. Semen collectors
Artificial insemination in animals and crossbreeds production needs sperms collection. It is done through the actual masturbation of the animal using a hand, placing the animal’s penis inside an artificial vagina or inserting an electric probe into the animal. The whole process of semen collection is disgusting, especially when you have to do it with your hands. Most people take up this kind of job due to lack of alternatives, and the median annual wages are $17,000. The task is tedious since you have to hold the animal tight as the semen harvest takes place. It is also risky in some powerful animals, for instance, horses as they can injure you.
