The 13 Worst Jobs in America

There are thousands of different career paths people can choose to embark on in adulthood. Some of them just happen to be pretty terrible.

So, what defines a bad job? Lack of job security, few or no opportunities for growth, low pay, and toxic work environments, to name a few. To be clear, these jobs aren’t always bad, but they fall into one or more of the above categories, and thus, tend to rank low on the satisfactory scale.

Looking across job boards and reviews, we’ve found that these are some of the worst positions in America.

1. Taxi Driver

Taxi drivers have been around for more than 100 years, but it’s still a very grueling job. You never know what you’re going to have to deal with on any given day when transporting people.

Taxi drivers can face dangers and they’re also dealing with the encroachment of ride-shares, which has added uncertainty to the field.

2. Bartender

Bartenders work very hard and in some cases, they make decent money. However, that’s not always the case, and they have to work around drunk people. Sometimes, that can get a little rowdy and bartenders have to toss patrons from the establishment.

The national average salary for barkeeps is around $30,000 and there’s very little room, if any, for growth.

3. Janitor

Janitors are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of property grounds. It’s a very demanding job, but it’s also not very rewarding financially. Most make around $30,000 per year.

There’s also little opportunity for growth in this field. As a janitor, you might be able to work your way to a leadership position, but it depends on where you work as well.

4. Fast Food Worker

Working in the fast food industry can be a bit of a dead-end job. While it’s possible to work your way up to management, those positions don’t pay much more than minimum wage.

Add in the fact that you have to deal with sometimes very unsatisfied customers, and we’ve all seen the horror stories on the news.

5. Maid

Maids work in a variety of environments, including residential and commercial. They pick up after the occupants of a house or hotel room, for example.

The downside to the career is that it can often be messy, especially if you work in a hotel. You never know how messy the room will be when you go to clean it, and there are sometimes biohazards to deal with.

6. Cashier

Many people work as cashiers in their younger years when they join the workforce. It’s an easy job that is in abundance. However, there aren’t really very many growth opportunities in retail.

Cashiers tend to make around minimum wage, like fast food workers. They also perform the same tasks daily.

7. Wait Staff

Waitresses and waiters tend to have it tough. They are responsible for taking orders and making sure customers get their food in a timely manner. Not only that, but they have to deal with sometimes fickle customers who pick apart every menu item.

Then, there’s the fact that wait staff are paid extremely low wages and rely on tips to survive — and not everyone tips well. Some don’t tip at all.

8. Dishwasher

Dishwashers are responsible for keeping the kitchen moving, but their pay certainly doesn’t reflect that. They are paid low wages for work that is very physically demanding.

Dishwashers are on their feet all day and typically make less than $30,000 per year. There’s also no advancement opportunity.

9. Landscaper

This one is kind of tricky, because if you own your own landscaping company and do the work, it can be financially rewarding. Landscapers working for a company, however, rarely make high wages unless they do specialized jobs or work in affluent areas.

Landscapers don’t really get the chance to grow in the field, either. They may advance to more intricate projects, but the pay remains mostly in the same bracket.

10. Coal Miner

Coal miners don’t just have a laborious job, they have a downright dangerous one. Their salary is a bit higher than the others on this list, but they put their lives in danger every time they step into a mine.

Coal miners work in dark, confined spaces that are often poorly ventilated. There’s always the chance that a mine might collapse in on them.

11. Sales Associate (Retail)

If you have been told you could sell ice to an Eskimo, you might thrive in a sales career. However, retail sales can be a bit of a bear. You have to deal with customers on a daily basis and they’re not always nice.

A retail sales associate doesn’t make as much as a sales associate in other fields. They hover around the $30,000 mark.

12. Parking Attendant

Parking attendants ensure that people only park where they’re allowed to, and direct traffic at large events. It’s often a minimum wage job that offers little prospect of growth.

However, if you do it as a part-time job for venues when they host sporting events or concerts, it can be a way to make some extra cash.

13. Telemarketer

Telemarketers are those who are tasked with calling people to try to sell goods or services. Unfortunately, they’re also looked upon as an inconvenience.

Telemarketers don’t make much money as a base salary. They often rely on commissions to pad their checks. Some are very good at their jobs, but there is next to no job growth in the field.