The Worst Jobs in America

By Grant Suneson Published May 29, 6:00PM EDT

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The Worst Jobs in America — © OceanFishing / Getty Images

A recent Gallup poll found that 14% of Americans in the workforce say they are either somewhat dissatisfied or completely dissatisfied with their job, as of 2021. This is the highest percentage of job dissatisfaction since 2013.

Long hours, low pay, frustrating bosses, little room to advance, and a poor company culture can make getting up for work every day a nightmare for employees. While any career field can have subpar companies to work for, some jobs are much more likely than typical to be stressful and difficult while offering relatively low pay.

To determine the worst jobs in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed CareerCast.com’s ranking, The Worst Jobs of 2021. CareerCast.com rated American jobs based on their environment, wages, outlook, and stress. Supplemental data on total employment came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Perhaps the most important factor in job satisfaction is compensation. The worst jobs in America generally do not pay well – most have a median annual salary of less than $45,000. These are the highest paying jobs in America.

Many of the worst jobs have other significant drawbacks other than low pay. Some require difficult and often dangerous physical labor. Others require workers to come in at odd hours and can be very stressful for workers.

A majority of the jobs on this list are in decline, with the BLS projecting that these occupations will employ fewer people in 2030 than they did in 2020. This can be for a number of factors, such as declining demand for these services or automation eliminating the need for human workers. These are America’s disappearing jobs.

Click here to see the worst jobs in America

10. Roofer
> Median salary: $43,810
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: +2.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 153,700

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9. Painter
> Median salary: $42,130
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: +7.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 155,800

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8. Advertising Salesperson
> Median salary: $54,940
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: -6.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 115,100

7. Dockworker
> Median salary: $37,790
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: +2.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 85,750

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6. Broadcaster
> Median salary: $55,030
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: -11.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 52,200

5. Corrections Officer
> Median salary: $47,410
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: -7.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 437,100

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4. Masonry Worker
> Median salary: $55,080
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: -3.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 280,600

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3. Retail Salesperson
> Median salary: $27,320
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: 0.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 4,092,900

2. Logging Worker
> Median salary: $42,350
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: -13.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 45,500

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1. Reporter
> Median salary: $37,900
> Projected employment chg., 2020-2030: -11.0%
> Total employment, 2020: 46,700

About the Author Grant Suneson →

Grant Suneson is a senior editor at 24/7 Wall St. He was previously a digital content creator at Newsy and a reporter at NPR member station KBIA, where he contributed to their Edward R. Murrow Award-winning coverage. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism.

Grant’s work has been published and referenced in many major outlets such as MSN, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Detroit Free Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Austin American-Statesman, The Tennessean, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Indianapolis Star, The Clarion-Ledger, WSB-TV, Des Moines Register, Asbury Park Press, KMGH-TV, and many others.