Not everyone has nine-to-five jobs where you get to sit in front of a computer to fulfill your duties. Some people actually have jobs that the rest of the world would typically consider disgusting and wouldn’t do no matter how much it pays. Of course, we’re grateful for these brave folks.
We have put together this list of professions (ranging from alligator feeders to sewage divers), which many of you may have never dreamed of doing. While respecting and valuing those who have taken on such challenging professions, we have to say that these are 30 of the worst jobs you’ll ever find in our world today!
Podiatrist/Pedicurist – Dealing With Unsanitary Feet
Like any other specialized doctor, podiatrists (medical professionals specialized in treating feet and ankles) do their job when dealing with feet. Generally, feet are considered “dirty” or unsanitary, and yet, these experts have to deal with them whether they like it or not.
Another group of people that have to touch and clean feet for a living are pedicurists or nail technicians. Of course, both professions will take safety measures like wearing gloves and masks. However, if the thought of dealing with fungal feet infection makes you feel grossed out, these jobs aren’t for you.
Armpit Sniffer – Smelling Sweat-Ridden Armpits
Like the job title suggests, the worst thing about being an armpit sniffer is having to smell sweaty, nasty armpits. Yes—that’s as bad as it sounds. This is a job that is usually required at deodorant companies to test the effectiveness of their products.
According to Martian Herald, these professional odor testers must smell 60 armpits per hour, on average. That’s not even the worst part. They have to do it after spending the day in a hot room, allowing the test subjects to sweat. Like pretty much every other job, an armpit sniffer’s salary depends on the experience. It could be within the range of $19K to $52K.
Alligator Teeth Researchers – Gambling With Life To Study Alligator Teeth
Almost everyone knows that humans only get one chance after their adult teeth come in. If you don’t take good care of them, the next option would be dentures. However, that’s not the case with alligators, who usually regenerate around 4,000 teeth during their life span, as per Popular Science.
In recent years, dentists have been curious about the process of alligator teeth regeneration, leading them to conduct research about these vicious creatures. The discovery is still far away, but these people risk their lives when they inject living young alligators with a chemical to get a clear picture of the cell movements. One slip up, and they’re dead!
Skyscraper Window Cleaner – High Risk Of Falling To Their Deaths
It’s always a pleasant experience to look at well-cleaned windows. Windows let in light, and dirty ones can spoil the whole look of any property. We have seen people cleaning the exterior windows of tall buildings, which is an obviously dangerous job.
Cleaning the windows of these skyscrapers is like rock climbing. It requires mobility and extreme safety measures; there is no room for error. Skyscraper window cleaning is considered one of the world’s most dangerous jobs because the cleaners’ life is always hanging in balance. Cleaning companies have tried to replace humans with high tech machinery, but they have not succeeded yet.
Dog Food Taste Tester – Consuming Food Made For Animals
It’s no surprise that food and beverage manufacturing companies typically hire professional taste testers to critique their products. But did you know that there are taste testers for pet food? Yes, there are humans eating pet food to see if they’re up to standard. Surprisingly, some people enjoy it, just like Philip Wells, the chief taster for Lily’s Kitchen pet food.
According to the Animal Feed Regulations 2010, the meat has to be human-grade, making the job seem a little more okay. The good news is, if you can develop a liking for animal food, you can make up to £50K (equivalent to $66K) per annum.
Brick Transporter – Too Heavy And Risk Of Collapsing
Brick transporting could be this man’s job, or he could’ve been too stingy to spend on a delivery truck. Or scrap that; he could’ve gotten a wheelbarrow at the very least. Either way, we must give props to his organizing skills because of how well he’s arranged the bricks on a single bicycle!
Judging by the photo background, this is most likely an occurrence in a developing country, where most people have to work hard to make a living. This man is literally pushing hefty weights to earn an income. We hope he didn’t hit any bumps on the road because that would have caused a major collapse.
Royal Guard – Standing Still With Too Many Rules
You might think that being a royal guard and getting paid to stand still is the most uncomplicated job in the world. Well, that’s where you’re wrong. You couldn’t even begin to imagine the number of rules royal guards have to follow.
For one, these workers can’t smile even though visitors and tourists do everything possible to get a smirk out of them for a selfie. Secondly, they have no bathroom breaks during their typical two-hour sentry duty shift. According to City Wonders, they even have to faint according to the protocol! The worst of them might be the one-and-a-half-pound bearskin hats they must wear.
Horse Handler – Near-Drowning Situations
When you are single, public displays of affection from couples make you cringe. But who’d have thought that one could be even more annoyed by smooches in the middle of the ocean? Generally, when you’re a horse handler, you’d guide the horseback passengers along a trail or open grassland.
Well, this handler was having a rather odd day when the couple wanted their horses to gallop into the ocean. This man is probably trying to recall if his job description included drowning. We can only hope that he knew how to swim because, by the looks of his face, he’s struggling all for love.
Body Waxer – Dealing With Bear-Like Customers
Unless a person has done it multiple times, waxing is no joke. Every drop of wax and every strip that’s pulled off hurts. If you are a professionally qualified body waxer, you know some customers are more challenging than others.
Imagine having the man in this photo as a client. You are not only going to need a few hours to clean him up but will probably also run out of wax. The stinging will be worse for someone so hairy, and waxers may have to put up with swear words more than they are comfortable hearing.
Dead Fish Collector – Dealing With Dead Animals And Their Odor
Millions of fish die every year due to several reasons ranging from climate change to human activities, such as releasing poison, oil, or fuels into the ocean. When thousands of fish are floating dead in the sea and washing up to the shore, dead fish collectors have to step in and remove them for us.
Some developed countries use special equipment to collect dead fish floating in the sea, whereas others use nets. People do the majority of beach cleaning because it’s efficient, with minimal coastline damages. We can’t even begin to imagine the nasty dead animal odor these brave men have to deal with, though.
Elephant Vet – Facing Extreme Situations
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, a professional can tell a lot about an elephant’s health by examining its rectum. However, since they are enormous creatures that can weigh up to six tonnes, you can’t take them to the local vet clinic to have a check-up. That’s why we have elephant vets.
Kari Morfeld from the Wildlife Conservation Research Center developed a system that uses rectum shots to analyze an elephant’s physical condition. Even though that sounds simpler and less disgusting, there could be extreme scenarios, like getting your head stuck up an elephant’s posterior, like what happened to a man from Guadalajara.
Proctologist – Attending To Human Rectal Matters
Speaking of rectal exams, we have proctologists—medical professionals who attend to colon and rectal matters in humans. Even though it’s hard to believe that those in medical school choose to specialize in a body part that is deemed gross, there are plenty who do so. Kudos to these unnamed heroes!
Well, it has to be the pay. According to the Top Master’s in Healthcare Administration, proctologists make an average annual income of $407K. Perhaps visually and manually examining human rectums isn’t so bad when you can afford a mansion and a Rolls Royce.
Sewage Diver – Swimming In Feces
For most people, no amount of money will be worth diving into a massive well of feces. However, others have to take on dirty jobs to be able to feed their families. As per Team Aroma Ahoi, these divers make anywhere between $36K to $75K for performing this job.
As disgusting as it may be, $75K is a whole lot more than the average annual salary of a college graduate in the US, which is $43K, according to ZipRecruiter. Lucky for us, people are willing to do these jobs because we can’t imagine swimming into gallons of raw sewage.
Roadkill Cleanup – Handling Rotten Animals
Animal fatalities are common when humans take over their natural habitats, and roadkill is one of the leading examples. When animals migrate or look for food and water, they are clueless about human-built roads and the danger they possess. Therefore, they get hit by vehicles and end up dead.
Cleaning roadkill is not an easy task. The workers have to be emotionally confident and capable because they have to clean messy accidents. The most common complaint is the blood smell, and the odor is worse if the animal is rotten. That’s why the service that roadkill cleaners provide to the community must be appreciated.
Snow Shoveler – Working In Extremely Cold Temperatures
The snowy days may look like a fairytale, but shoveling snow is not an easy job to do. Most of the time, these people are forced to work outdoors in negative temperatures for hours when most of us stay indoors where it’s warm and cozy.
Usually, snow shovelers come from low-income backgrounds. Therefore, their vulnerability makes them pick such jobs to support their families. They can hardly afford expensive and high-quality winter gear, so they often wear breached garments. Frostbite is a common concern for snow shovelers. Some have even died due to complications brought on by the intolerable temperatures.
Mobile Toilet Cleaner – Cleaning Nasty Toilets
If you have used a portable toilet, then you know how unpleasant they are. It fails on every level, from the nasty smell to the unsanitary surfaces, but it’s functional. If we struggle to breathe inside a portable toilet, imagine being the person who has to clean them after an outdoor music festival.
Nevertheless, with the evolution of chemicals and equipment, these cleaners now get their work done more efficiently and hygienically. There are pressure guns that spray chemical solutions, which can cut through the bad smell to a certain extent.
Teen Exorcist – Getting Youngsters To Believe In Paranormal Activities
If you didn’t already know, exorcists are defined as people who expel or attempt to remove a supposed evil spirit from a person or place. In the case of Brynne Larson (pictured above), she is the daughter of exorcist Bob Larson who started pursuing the same practice a few years ago.
Brynne even wrote a book called The Dark Side of the Supernatural, wherein she advises teenagers to keep away from any sort of occult. She is a young girl herself who attempts to teach other youngsters that paranormal activity is real. Hopefully, she wasn’t bullied at school for her eccentric beliefs.
Alligator Feeder – Feeding Dangerous Carnivores
Alligators are animals you try to run away from if you ever have an encounter. That is the reflex of a normal human being, seeing as they are one of the most deadly reptiles on the planet. However, some people’s job description requires approaching dangerous animals. Imagine being the person who has to feed a bunch of alligators several times every day!
A grown alligator is built to take down animals like cows, bulls, deers, etc. They have all the physical strength, and there is no escape from their razor-sharp teeth once they hold on to their prey. We wonder if the $32K average annual salary is worth the gamble.
Extreme Plumber – Fixing Overflowing Toilets
The term extreme plumbing is not common because these skilled workers are rare. This type of plumbing requires a professional set of skills and, of course, tolerance. Sometimes these people have to do tasks that no one would ever do, like fixing overflowing toilets.
The extreme plumber is one of the worst jobs listed here because it requires dealing with leaky toilets (i.e., water mixed with urine and feces), and obviously, not many people are up for it. These services are essential for our day-to-day lives, and we must respect the people that do them.
Horse Food Chewer – Munching Hay So A Horse Can Eat Well
This could be one of the weirdest advertisements you have ever seen in a newspaper. We’re all aware that unusual jobs exist, and most of them are necessary for the community’s functionality. Yet, this is an exception.
Since this is in a newspaper, we can assume that they’re seeking a human being to chew hay for a horse because that horse has terrible teeth. It looks like it didn’t brush and floss regularly. Isn’t it mind-blowing to know that people have these absurd requirements and are willing to pay for them? Hopefully, they found the perfect match.
Shooting Stand Holder – Risk Of Getting Shot
It is sad to see the depreciating value of human life. If you had to hold a shooting stand while someone shoots at it, how would you feel? Bullets could be rushing a few inches over this poor guy’s head, and all it takes is one slip up to end his life.
In a world that’s filled with safety concerns, this is unacceptable. If only the shooters had just brought a proper stand for the shooting target. After observing the young man’s clothing, which appears to be a uniform, it seems like he’s a newly appointed soldier. All we can do is wish him luck.
Roller Coaster Tester – Trying Out Possibly Deadly Rides
Do you love riding roller coasters? Many people don’t even want to attempt it because they think it’s too dangerous. If anything goes wrong, the consequences will be deadly. But keep in mind those roller coasters are tested before they are open for the public to ride.
For a roller coaster tester, bravely going on that first ride is a matter of life and death. What are the chances of doing this a hundred times and things going wrong once? According to Caters News Agency, they get paid £20K (approximately $26K), an amount that isn’t worth losing your life over if you ask us.
Animal Defense – Losing Sleep Covered In Mud
Animal defense is a one-of-a-kind job, mostly required in undeveloped countries. In this picture, this man is disguised as a monkey to scare off the packs of wild monkeys that terrorize their domain. Even though we cannot believe that jobs like these exist, the people who do it consider it a duty for their village and community.
Packs of wild animals, especially monkeys, bring damage to farms and crops. Therefore, these people protect them. It looks like this man applied mud all over his body as the perfect camouflage. It may be smart, but who likes to stay up all night covered in dirt?
Scrotum Mascot – Wearing A Giant Scrotum Costume
According to Sports Casting, the word ‘mascot’ comes from the French word “Mascotte,” which means lucky charm. So how much does it pay to be one? Mascots aren’t the best-paid jobs in the world. That is, of course, if you’re just starting.
One could be making $50 per game or $25K per year, as per Yahoo! Finance. Some mascots, however, like Denver Nuggets’ Rocky, make shocking sums, which in this case is $625K. The one in the picture is rather embarrassing as he is wearing a scrotum costume. We wonder how much he got paid for it!
World’s Largest Call Center – Crowded And Stinky
Ever been boxed up in a room full of people? Then you know how challenging things could get for your nose. Just picture how it would be in what looks like the world’s fullest call center. This photo looks like it was taken in an Asian country (which explains the crowd).
Judging by old computers, this photo must be old. Seeing as these computers expelled heat, we hope that this place has excellent air conditioning. Who wants to spend eight hours in a nasty-smelling room? We hope deodorant researchers are working overtime to find a solution for sweat odor because these people need it.
Snake Milker – Handling Venomous Creatures
A snake milker extracts venom from snakes, and it’s not a job for the light-hearted. They are taking huge risks as these serpents could be fatally poisonous. The venom extracted from snakes is used in clinical laboratories as an ingredient to make other medicine.
If a person is bitten by a snake, the victim must be rushed to a hospital because this venom can damage organs permanently or cause death. When working with snakes every day, the milker is exposed to constant hazards. We appreciate these people even more because they are contributing to the advancement of medical science.
Marmite Taster – Eating A Sticky Spread Every Day
Marmite is a thick dark spread made from concentrated yeast extract. It is probably one of the most controversial food products out there that people either love or hate. St. John Skelton (pictured above) from Burton spent 42 years of his life eating Marmite. But why?
Well, he was their chief taste tester, who was getting paid to check and make sure that every 12-tonne batch leaving the Burton-upon-Trent site was perfect. According to Mirror, Skelton retired in 2016 after serving as the chief tester for around 264 million jars of product. We wonder if the next person was Australian because they are known for their Marmite fondness.
Professional Mourner – Crying At Strangers’ Funerals For A Living
Professional mourning is an occupation that originates from Egyptian and Chinese cultures. They are also called moirologists or mutes, and they deliver eulogy, comfort, help, and entertainment to the grieving family.
Mutes are considered as performers in some cultures. They usually participate in funerals and are paid in advance, typically accompanied in lavish style to the funeral place. Each culture has certain rituals to follow, and these people must fulfill them properly. The profession could be unusual for western cultures but is quite a standard funeral practice for the Egyptians and the Chinese.
Manure Collector – Handling Animal Excrement
How can we say that our job is hard when there are workers out there who have to collect animal waste? They’re called manure collectors, and as disgusting as it sounds, they play an essential role in farming.
Since manure is used to make fertilizer that goes into vegetation, it must be tested for harmful materials and contaminants. Only then can it proceed to be used as fertilizer. There are wheeled carts built to collect manure from farmlands, but it looks like machinery hasn’t taken over human jobs in every part of the world.
Forensic Entomology – Studying Insects In Deceased Bodies
Forensic entomology is the scientific study of the invasion of the succession pattern of arthropods. This is a painstaking job that requires a lot of attention to detail. Forensic entomologists mainly observe the developmental stages of different species of arthropods. Most of the test subjects are insects that need magnification to study.
Forensic entomologists study the life cycles and population of insects to estimate the postmortem record. In simpler words, they determine someone’s time of death by analyzing maggots and other creatures. Even though most people don’t care much about these subjects, it is another vital part of science that we humans can’t go without.