19 Worst Jobs No One Wants to Do (in 2020)

Many people dislike their job. Reasons range from poor working conditions to lack of respect from their higher-ups. Yet no matter how hard these jobs are, people continue to show up to work. Perhaps they are enticed by the pay or benefits, giving no care to their future happiness there.

Still, if you think your job is hard, you should read this list of the worst jobs available. Maybe then you will have a better appreciation for the job you have:

  1. Telemarketer

Imagine knowing you are a nuisance to most. This is a constant reminder a telemarketer goes through. It is their job to call people and sell products or services, ranging from time shares to life insurance. They usually get hung up on or insulted, and even with commission most do not get paid very well.

  1. Odor Tester

Before putting their products on store shelves, companies hire odor testers to smell their products. The job does not sound so weird–until you find out they have to put the products on another person. Being an odor tester also means you must have a strong sense of smell, but if you can handle the job you can make up to $114,000 a year.

  1. Cleaner

Having to clean up the filth of those above you is not a luxurious job. It means long hours in horrible conditions, and by the end of the day most of the cleaners are worn out. They are also at a high risk in getting cancer from all the cleaning supplies they are surrounded by. Lastly, they are often intimidated by their bosses. Many of them are undocumented, so they cannot report this to the authorities.

  1. Social Worker

You have to be a strong person to be a social worker, because many see things that are too traumatic to talk about out loud. Some see children sex trafficked by their own parents for drugs, and others witness the depravity of the foster system. Though it is required that they should not to take anything they see personally, inevitably they still get depressed.

  1. Customer Service

Customer service agents face a lot of criticism from people who are unsatisfied with their company’s products or services. As the face of the company, they must take all the heat and calmly respond to the customer’s unrelenting monologue. They are also expected to work overtime, especially during holiday seasons. The stress from the job is what hurts the workers the most.

See: AT&T, T Mobile, Home Depot for customer service jobs.

  1. Miner

Miners work in such awful working conditions that their life expectancy is much lower than people in other trades. They work in tunnels that could easily give way, their health deteriorates from the pollutants in the air, and they come home drained from a day’s work. To them, the next day is never guaranteed.

  1. Slaughterhouse Worker

Working in a factory that kills animals daily does not sound like a great job from the start. Since they work with bodily fluids they are at risk of exposure to diseases. The workers are also expected to arrive early and work their monotonous job that could become tiring quickly. This is why many slaughter house workers are easily injured on the job–and sometimes they come home without a finger or limb.

  1. Parking Enforcement

Finding a ticket on your windshield is pretty annoying, and that is why many people hate parking enforcement officers. They are also hard to miss, as they wear bright colors in order to show the public who they are. In a way it is easy to pick at them. Nowadays many parking enforcement officers wear a body camera in case they get attacked, and the video will prove their case.

  1. Mascot

Being a mascot, whether it be a for a business or a sports team, can be tiring and embarrassing. They have to wear an outlandish costume that gets hot easily. Mascots are then expected to rile up crowds with energy, like running and waving their arms all around stadiums and arenas. They are also an easy target for mocking and harassment. Sometimes food and drinks are thrown at them, and they cannot react negatively.

  1. Animal Food Taster

The name really says it all–there are people out there who are paid to taste the foods companies make for your furry friend. They do not swallow the food, but rather they taste it and spit it back out. Though it takes a lot of skill–most tasters actually have a doctorate degree–it is still one job that many people would find cringeworthy.

  1. Soldier

The honor of fighting for your country is something to be proud about. However, it is a given that soldiers are underpaid for all the ordeal they go through. Like truck drivers, soldiers rarely see their family and friends thus putting strain on their relationships. Sometimes the combat causes lifelong PTSD and depression, which is why many veterans fall victim to suicide. 

  1. Porta Potty Cleaner

There is a shared belief that porta potties are pretty revolting, and being a porta potty cleaner is a not a preferred job that most would to do. The pay itself is not so bad, but the job is disgusting. Cleaners are in charge of sucking out the contents out of the bowl, as well as disinfecting and washing down the inside.

  1. Truck Driver

Being a truck driver is very lonely and tiring. The pay is not terrible, but truckers are asked to meet a strict delivery schedule which means limited time with friends and family. It is also extremely dangerous, given that many truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel and get into accidents that can be fatal.

See: Swift Transportation, Sysco, J.B. Hunt for jobs truck driver jobs.

  1. Dead Animal Remover

Depending on where you live, it is the job of sanitation or animal control to pick up the roadkill. The remover has to pick up all of the remains–even if the animal has been run over several times–as it can be a health hazard for the general public. During the summer the job can be more challenging as the dead animal has probably gone through some form of decay, thus the smell of it can be rancid.

  1. Sewer Cleaner

Sewer cleaners are vital to our society as they maintain a healthy system, which keeps the public healthy too, but it is still an appalling job. They are required to go directly into the sewer, thus coming into close contact with the contents inside. Beyond the awful smell, sewer cleaners have a higher chance of getting sick because of the diseases that lurk within.

  1. Paint Dry Watcher

The pay for the watching paint dry is pretty decent–roughly $82,000 a year–but watching something dry for hours can become tiring and dull. Their job is not to ensure the paint dries up entirely. Instead it is to examine how the color of the paint change overtime and if there are any particle build up.

  1. Broadcaster

Though being a broadcaster is not as grueling or as filthy as the other jobs on this list, it is still a very stressful one. The pay itself is not great, and you are required to be on call in case breaking news occurs. That means social and family life stays minimal. However, those who manages to balance their lives correctly can be a successful broadcaster.

  1. Crime Scene Cleaner

Crime scene cleaners are in charge of making sure everything looks as it did before the crime or incident. What they see can be traumatic to most. They clean up the splattered blood of a murder, remove the bodily fluids on the carpet, and even throw out expired food. The job is very tedious as it could take up to twelve hours to deep clean a crime scene. If you can handle it, the job does pay up to $80,000 a year.

  1. Animal Masturbator

Yes, this job is for someone that is in charge of collecting the ejaculation of an animal by means of masturbation. For example, the sperm of a killer whale in captivity is collected to impregnate another female as they cannot do it naturally themselves. It is also the job of animal masturbators to make sure certain species of animals do not go extinct. But sometimes the animal sample is used for science research rather than reproduction. Either way it is not a job for the faint of heart.

 

Hopefully this list gives your insight on your own job, and how people would rather be in your shoes than their own.