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The job satisfaction of an employee depends largely on his employer. But in some careers, dangerous tasks, high levels of stress, and public vigilance are commonplace and can affect employee satisfaction, no matter who they are.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2018 Report on Jobs Listed CareerCast, a website of targeted employment opportunities, to determine the worst jobs in America. The report ranks over 200 careers based on the overall quality of their work environment, level of stress, career prospects and income.

Among the worst jobs in America, most jobs are mediocre because their job security is one of the least important of the US labor force. The ramping up of automation could reduce or completely eliminate some unskilled occupations as well as some of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

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Of the 30 worst jobs in America, the median annual salary of 23 is less than $ 50,000 a year. Although people in many parts of the country can live comfortably with this income, some of these professions – such as taxi drivers, journalists, broadcasters, and so on. – are based in large cities, where the cost of living tends to be higher.

All jobs are subject to at least some sort of stress like public scrutiny and pressure to succeed. In the worst jobs, these stresses are often more acute – such as the physical danger to firefighters and the military, or the stress of dealing with angry customers of retail and food service workers. restoration.

Photographers are expected to lose more than 5% of their employment during the ten year period ending in 2026. (Photo: MarioGuti / Getty Images)

25. photographer
• median annual salary: $ 34,000
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -5.6%
• Total employment: 49,560

Photographers earn a median salary of $ 34,000 a year, slightly less than the median salary of $ 37,690 for all US jobs. In the United States, employment is expected to post employment growth of 7% between 2016 and 2026, but the employment of photographers is expected to decline by more than 5% over the same period. With smartphones equipped with cameras, some aspects of photography are more accessible for non-professionals. Other companies could be eliminated if companies choose to hire freelancers rather than keeping salaried photographers on their payroll.

24. food server
• median annual salary: $ 23,290
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 10.2%
• Total employment: 266.190

Catering is hard work because servers have to spend hours standing up and interacting with many customers in a single shift. Servers also depend on the advice of customers, as opposed to a standard salary like most other jobs. That's one of the reasons why servers have one of the lowest median annual salaries at $ 23,290.

23. roofer
• median annual salary: $ 39,970
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 11.1%
• Total employment: 128,680

Roofers install, repair and replace roofs. They have a difficult work environment. Unable to work in inclement weather, roofers often have to work all day long in the summer to combat the heat and the relatively hazardous working conditions on sloping and raised surfaces. Despite these conditions, most roofers earn less than $ 40,000 a year, in part because it is an unskilled job that does not require a specific level of training.

22. Welder
• median annual salary: $ 41,380
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 5.6%
• Total employment: 389.190

Welding is often a physically demanding job because welders often have to work in uncomfortable positions and lift heavy metal objects. This creates a stimulating work environment – and potentially dangerous. As the US infrastructure continues to age, welding work is expected to increase steadily across the country to repair and rebuild structures such as bridges, buildings and roads.

21. Water Transport Worker
• median annual salary: $ 54,400
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 7.6%
• Total employment: 79,860

Water transport workers are responsible for directing and maintaining ships and boats used to transport people and goods across rivers, lakes, oceans and other waterways. Driving a boat of any size requires at least some expertise and experience. Any mistake or mechanical failure can be disastrous or even fatal, making the career stressful. Most workers in the water transport sector earn more than $ 54,000, well above the median income for all US jobs.

20. Brickmason
• median annual salary: $ 50,950
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 10.3%
• Total employment: 63,930

Brick masonry is a physically demanding job because workers have to lift, move and lay heavy materials – usually outdoors and often during the summer. These workers also face the need to complete their projects on time and within budget, which adds to the job stress. Brick masonry has several advantages, including the relatively high median annual wage relative to the median of all jobs, and the fact that the growing population in the United States will likely lead to sustained growth in employment in this sector.

19. auto mechanic
• median annual salary: $ 40,710
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 6.1%
• Total employment: 648,050

Although the auto mechanic trade requires post-secondary training, especially in trades, as well as certification, the median annual salary of mechanics is slightly higher than that of average US employment. Mechanics often have a difficult work environment because they regularly find themselves in awkward and uncomfortable positions for long periods of time to diagnose and solve automotive problems.

18. Buyer
• median annual salary: $ 62,750
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -5.6%
• Total employment: 407,410

Although a buyer has a vague job title and that buyers work in many different fields, they most often work on behalf of grocers and other wholesalers, buying products to resell in stores. Although buyers are well-paid and earn a median annual salary of $ 62,750, the career sector is expected to shrink and lose workers by 2026. According to the BLS, "outsourcing and automatization of 'less complex buying' will result in job prospects.

17. truck driver
• median annual salary: $ 43,680
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 5.8%
• Total employment: 1 800 330

Although the expected employment growth for truck drivers is only slightly lower than that of average US employment, this career is at risk of disappearing as companies like Tesla continue to develop autonomous driving technology. Driving a truck can be difficult and stressful work. Drivers are responsible for vehicles that often weigh more than 26,000 pounds and often fall asleep to meet strict delivery deadlines.

16. laborer in construction
• median annual salary: $ 35,800
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 12.4%
• Total employment: 1 001 470

Construction workers are employed in one of the fastest growing industries in the country. As the US population continues to grow, more and more workers will be needed to meet the growing demand for office space and housing. Workers in this unskilled job are not well paid and generally earn less than the median of most jobs. Construction janitor is one of the most physically demanding jobs in America and one of the most dangerous; it has one of the highest rates of illness and injury for all occupations.

15. Docker
• median annual salary: $ 28,260
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 7.6%
• Total employment: 2,893,180

Dockers, also known as dockers, are among the lowest-paid workers in the country, with a median annual salary of nearly $ 10,000 less than typical US employment. The work requires hours of strenuous physical work as workers work to load and unload cargo from the ship. This type of work, with crates and heavy pallets, can also be dangerous and cause injury.

14. bus driver
• median annual salary: $ 42,080
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 9.0%
• Total employment: 174,110

Bad weather, heavy traffic and unruly passengers are some of the many stressors bus drivers face when they are at work. Although bus drivers are usually required to obtain a commercial driver's license before they can start working, they are not particularly well paid. The median annual salary for the profession is about $ 42,000, compared to the median annual salary of $ 37,690.

13. chef
• median annual salary: $ 48,460
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 9.6%
• Total employment: 128,600

Chiefs perform hard and demanding work. As a chef, they oversee all food preparation in restaurants and other establishments. The work can be stressful because chefs need to make sure all foods are prepared properly, quickly and according to the customer's specifications. Chiefs often work on a non-traditional schedule, including weekend evenings, weekends, and holidays. These changes force leaders to spend hours standing up.

12. firefighter
• median annual salary: $ 49,620
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 7.2%
• Total employment: 321.570

Firefighting is one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in America. These rescuers often have to deal with dangerous underworld – in an artificial structure or in the wild, with forest fires becoming more and more frequent. In addition to the stress and danger of rushing into life-threatening situations, firefighters also have a schedule that can be challenging. They must be on call for shifts that usually last about 24 hours, eat and sleep at the fire station.

11. pest control agent
• median annual salary: $ 35,610
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 8.2%
• Total employment: 77,300

Being a pest control agent has many disadvantages. In addition to roaches, rats, termites, etc., pest control agents often have to bend and crawl to sneak into tight spaces to search for and eliminate pests. Many of these workers must also use pesticides, which are toxic and can be extremely harmful if not handled properly. Pest control is one of the lowest paid jobs in the country, with a median annual salary of $ 35,610, about $ 2,000 less than the median work in the United States.

10. painter
• median annual salary: $ 38,940
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 5.7%
• Total employment: 228,420

Painting can be a physically demanding job because it forces painters to squat, reach and kneel to reach all areas to be painted. Some painters working on bridges or high-rise buildings may have to be comfortable working at heights. Most painters earn less than $ 40,000 a year.

9. Advertising salesman
• median annual salary: $ 51,740
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -3.6%
• Total employment: 133,110

While average employment is expected to increase by about 7% between 2016 and 2026, the number of advertising salespeople in the US workforce is expected to decline during this period. Many workers in this occupation sell space in print media, such as newspapers and magazines. But as these outlets diminish or cease operations, fewer advertising agents will be needed. Workers in the industry are under significant pressure to meet their sales quotas.

8. Broadcaster
• median annual salary: $ 40,080
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -3.2%
• Total employment: 31,580

BLS projects will have 3.2% fewer broadcasters in the US labor force than in 2016. As advertising revenues from radio and television programs decline, stations will probably be unable to afford Use as many broadcasters as ever before. . Although a bachelor's degree is generally the minimum required for this job, the median annual salary is slightly higher than the US median wage for all jobs, or $ 37,690.

7. Disc jockey
• median annual salary: $ 33,220
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -11.6%
• Total employment: 27,780

While this may seem like a great job, disc jockeys, or DJs, should face one of the most challenging work environments of the future. With the rise of streaming music and online podcasts, listeners have musical options other than listening to radio stations. This is partly because of the planned decline of 11.6% in the number of DJ positions. DJs who are employed are generally not well paid because most earn less than $ 34,000 a year.

6. Correctional Officer
• median annual salary: $ 44,330
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -7.7%
• Total employment: 415,000

At the end of 2016, the last year for which we had data, the number of prisoners in the United States rose to just over 1.5 million, down from a record 1.6 million in 2009. This decrease in the prison population, as well as budgetary problems, is likely to decrease by 7.7% in the number of correctional officers working in the United States. Largely because of violent inmates, correctional officers have the highest injury and illness rates of any job.

5. Enlisted military personnel
• median annual salary: N / A
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: N / A
• Total employment: N / A

Serving in the US Army differs from most jobs on this list because the military chooses to serve their country. Therefore, it may seem unfair to categorize them as "worst" jobs, but they have to deal with very high stress and one of the most challenging work environments, especially those assigned to combat zones. . Meanwhile, many often earn less than $ 30,000 a year.

4. Seller
• median annual salary: $ 24,200
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 1.7%
• Total employment: 4,448,120

As a customer, retail sellers have a relatively difficult work environment. Employment is also one of the lowest-paid jobs in the country, with a median annual income of $ 24,200 – well below the US median of $ 37,690. The job market for the position is expected to grow by less than 2% by 2026, well below average employment growth. The continued increase in online shopping and the difficulties of physical retailers may have a larger than expected impact on the number of workers in the retail trade.

3. Journalist
• median annual salary: $ 41,260
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -10.0%
• Total employment: 37.140

The number of journalists in newspapers is expected to fall by 10% by 2026 as newspapers lose readers and advertising revenues. Journalists are often subject to careful scrutiny from readers, which adds to the stress of print deadlines. In an increasingly polarized political environment, journalists are often inundated with negative reactions from readers and even death threats.

2. recorder
• median annual salary: $ 40,650
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: -12.6%
• Total employment: 37,400

Logging ranks second among the hardest jobs in the United States, largely because it also ranks second among the most dangerous jobs. There have been 55 fatal injuries and 350 nonfatal injuries among loggers in 2017. As it is such a dangerous job, many companies are considering automating the slaughter process tree manual. This could explain the projected 12.6% reduction in logging by 2026. Even if it is safely exploited, logging is very difficult and does not pay particularly high wages.

1. taxi driver
• median annual salary: $ 25,980
• Employment growth forecast for 2016-2026: + 5.0%
• Total employment: 207,920

The combination of low wages, slow job growth, high stress and an undesirable work environment has made taxi driving the worst job in America . Taxi drivers work around the clock, sometimes in bad weather, because of traffic jams and potentially unruly or rude passengers. Most taxi drivers earn less than $ 26,000 a year, compared to the median annual salary of $ 37,690. Although the number of taxi drivers is expected to increase by around 5% by 2026, this growth could be slowed by the rise of companies such as Uber and Lyft.

Methodology

To determine the worst jobs in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2018 report on rated jobs published on the CareerCast Jobs website. We completed the CareerCast ranking with data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Median annual earnings data for May 2018 and total employment are from the BLS Employment Statistics Program. The projected employment growth rates from 2016 to 2026 also come from the BLS.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering news and financial commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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