If you spend long hours working a job that pays peanuts, you know the challenges of staying interested in your work without getting burned out.
Many underpaid jobs require specific skills. You may think these jobs would pay a premium wage, but it’s often the reverse.
We picked 15 stressful jobs where people work exceptionally hard but receive little financial reward.
1. Dishwashers
The role of a restaurant dishwasher is a thankless task, and nobody sees it as a career. The wages are poor and often below living standards, and dishwashers work long hours.
Dishwashing is unpleasant and exhausting. You’re handling dirty plates and dishes, scraping off food. As quickly as you clear one pile of dishes, the next one stacks up.
2. Postal Service Workers
Postal service workers’ wages vary by state but are typically low-paid. They work hard to deliver mail on time, handle customer complaints, and do their jobs regardless of weather conditions.
Although there are no qualifications required to become a postal worker, it’s a stressful, undervalued, and underpaid job.
3. Machinists/Tool and Die Makers
If you’re considering training as a machinist or tool and die maker, it’s a demanding job requiring applicants to have exceptional expertise. The job also needs in-depth training. You would think the commitment to learning precision tasks would pay well, but it does not.
Even though workers in these roles are under stress, working to deadlines and handling complex, potentially dangerous machinery, they’re underpaid.
4. Construction Workers
Construction is a harsh industry for workers. It’s physically challenging work best suited to young, fit individuals and has many associated risks. Working on a roof or navigating scaffolding on a building site can be dangerous.
Most construction workers are unskilled and have no formal education. Their work is often seasonal, underpaid, and lacking in basic benefits. For instance, roofers cannot work in rain or snow.
5. Public Defender
Working as a public defender can become overwhelming and stressful. Typically, they work with heavy caseloads, representing individuals who cannot afford expensive attorneys.
In most cases, public defenders spend significant time and money obtaining a degree and studying the law, yet they receive less than $70,000 a year. Their pay doesn’t compensate for their skills because they often work long hours.
6. Parking Attendants
It’s easy to become a parking attendant because minimal training is involved. However, it’s a stressful job, made more challenging if candidates lack exceptional communication skills.
Parking attendants often have to deal with ranting members of the public complaining about getting a parking ticket. They work outdoors all year round and receive low pay for their efforts.
7. Couriers
Staff turnover in courier roles is high. It is one of the most stressful and underpaid jobs. Many companies pay their couriers based on results, giving them an unrealistic number of daily deliveries.
Couriers work long hours. To make the job easier, they must learn their area well. However, most couriers suffer from exhaustion and soon give up the job to find something less stressful.
8. Fast Food Workers
The food industry is notorious for poorly paid jobs, even though demand for applicants is always high. Primarily, it pays low wages and has a high staff turnover.
Fast food workers often work part-time, with unpredictable workflow and schedules. They rarely have access to health benefits.
9. Retail Sales Associates
Retail has always been tough on its workers. It’s a demanding role, often with irregular hours. Most retail companies provide limited job security or benefits and pay poorly.
Retail workers may get minimum wage even though they’re involved in the upkeep of the store, managing inventory, doing checkout work, helping customers, and upselling products.
10. Parole Officer
Parole officers get a bad rap and low wages. Nobody thanks them for their help, even though it’s a highly stressful role. They deal with people from criminal backgrounds, monitoring and rehabilitating them to return to society.
The job is physically and emotionally exhausting. It’s challenging to stay on top of the work, helping individuals who may resist their guidance.
11. Customer Service Representatives
Although many companies are switching to chatbots, customer service representatives are in demand but often undervalued and undertrained. They are the face of their company, navigating problems and complaints and remaining pleasant whatever happens.
There is no barrier to entry for the customer service representative role, but in most cases, the wages do not reflect the importance of skilled customer service roles.
12. Waste Collectors
Waste collectors have a physically challenging job collecting waste and recyclable materials like glass, plastic, and cardboard. Their job potentially exposes them to unhygienic or hazardous materials, and there is often a lot of heavy lifting.
Such a physical job is underpaid. The heavy lifting can take its toll with back problems later in life.
13. Childcare Assistants
Working as a childcare assistant might be rewarding if you enjoy helping children, but it’s a poorly paid job. Childcare assistants need training, qualifications, and background checks and are often caring community members.
Most childcare assistants are women and minorities without higher education. They may work part-time or full-time but struggle to manage financially.
14. Cooks
The catering industry relies on paying minimum wages to keep restaurant prices competitive. Entry-level cooks are the lowest paid, even if you have qualified as a chef.
Working as a cook is a challenging job. Restaurants demand food consistency, and cooks may work irregular and long hours. Working in a hot kitchen is demanding and often stressful.
15. Reporters and Journalists
You’d think the people responsible for the news would be well-paid for their services, but that’s not the case. Despite most reporters and journalists achieving degree-level skills, they are underpaid and underappreciated.
It’s a stressful job, too, with long hours and a 24/7 demand for fresh content. In addition, with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) news bots, the situation will likely continue declining.
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