The Five Most Underpaid Jobs

Posted by in Career Advice



Have you ever felt that you weren't being paid what you're worth? If so, you're not alone. Many people work at jobs that they feel are low paying and thankless. It made me wonder which jobs are the most underpaid. In order to find out, I did a little research and found an article from Salary.com that had an interesting list.

 

Here are the top five most underpaid jobs:

 

Pest Control ($27,959) – Although shows like “Billy the Exterminator” make pest control look almost glamorous, it's a tough job. These people have to crawl in attics, under houses and everywhere else to find and eliminate wild animals, rodents and bugs. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. Although it's dirty work, these pest control technicians aren't making much. Personally, I don't think I would be willing to deal with bugs, rodents and other pests for such a low salary.

 

Police Patrol Officer ($50,193) – Police patrol officers often deal with people who are upset, drunk, on drugs and who are often violent – making it a very dangerous job. In addition to that, many people dislike the police and officers are met with community resistance, avoidance and even mocking. Whether you love or hate the police, they have a dangerous and under appreciated job. Even I was surprised that they work for such a small salary.

 

Security Guard ($28,696) – Although a security guard's job may not be as dangerous as a police officer's, they have to work odd hours, often at night. They typically don't have many co-workers and may work in dark, quiet buildings, making the time pass extremely slowly. In addition, security guards are entrusted with guarding the safety of technology, equipment or even money that can be considerably more valuable than their salary. I was surprised at how low their annual salary was, because it doesn't make sense to pay someone almost minimum wage to guard an armored truck full of money.

 

Electric Lineman ($58,024) – When a storm hits, whether it's a hurricane or an ice storm, these dedicated people are out there working to keep the power on. They have to work in rain, sleet, snow and bitter cold, and their jobs aren't easy. In order to repair downed power lines, they have to use heavy equipment and repeatedly lift 40 to 50 pounds. In addition, they are always at risk of electric shock or workplace accidents.

 

Army Private - E2 ($17,848) – These soldiers have to go through a rigorous boot camp and additional training. From there, they will work in situations where their lives are on the line. They often are put in combat situations where even small mistakes can cost their lives or the lives of their team. Even when they aren't on the front lines, these people have to maintain extreme discipline and strength in order to do their jobs well. Although the military does offer many benefits, they are often seriously underpaid for what they do.

 

What other jobs do you think are terribly underpaid? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

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  • Darcy Webb
    Darcy Webb
    I really think that they should be giving school teacher more money than they currently do. They are directly responsible for the long term success of our nation. It seems like we should be placing a greater sense of importance on that.
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    @darryl - Firemen also have underpaid jobs. They risk their lives and in some cases, they aren't paid at all (i.e., volunteer firemen)@Leah - Retail workers really have underpaid jobs as well. They work hard and get paid almost minimum wage.There are so many professions that are tragically underpaid, unfortunately, there wasn't enough room to list them all. Thanks for doing it here!
  • darryl k
    darryl k
    What about firemen? The difference between them and police are that firemen  wear the badge that people love to see coming .they know when we come we're there to help the public it's also very dangerous job were you might not come home.
  • Leah C
    Leah C
    How about retail workers? Standing on your feet 8 hours a day, lifting heavy boxes, dealing with the public. The misconception that retail workers are uneducated is wrong. Out of the 10 people I work with 8 of us have university degrees.
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    @Denise, teachers really should be on the list. Unfortunately, I only had space for the top 5, but if the list went to 7, I'm sure they would be on it!@William, you're right. It's a dangerous and thankless job, but a really important one.
  • george k
    george k
    professional,cannot find placement in this slow/unjust-economy!
  • Denise D
    Denise D
    I think early education teachers should also be included in this list.
  • William T
    William T
    Not only does a pest control technician not get paid much - they breathe in dangerous chemicals daily.

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