7 Jobs With A ‘Loser’ Reputation and A ‘Winner’ Compensation

Business LoungeMay 9, 2017

They may not sound so luxurious and maybe you don’t think you would be caught dead being employed to do some of these jobs, but take a look at the pay of these 7 jobs, and you may change your tune as well as your occupation pretty darn quick.

Running A Hot Dog Cart – $100,000

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Guess it seems kind of difficult to sit out under the sun or in cold winter weather, but in fact, those hot dog vendors don’t have it so bad. With an average income of $100,000 a year, these guys have been known to take in as much as $1,150 over a busy weekend. Hot dogs are yummy and convenient, and they sell well! One vendor near New York’s Central Park Zoo has to pay a whopping $289,500 a year to NYC’s parks department for his location, and he still makes a profit!

Bringing People’s Luggage To The Plane – $100,000

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A CEO of one company that provides skycaps to airlines said, “I know several who don’t even bother cashing their salary checks because the tips are so good.” Really?! Uh, yeah. And we’re talking $75,000 to $100,000 a year “good.” It may seem a drag to be lugging luggage, wrangling pets, and helping clueless travelers through the terminal. But for this type of compensation (above the $2-$3 an hour wage), you may want to think about it.

Longshoreman – $70,000 – $250,000

This is a labor intensive job requiring a lot of physical strength. But ocean cargo is big business, and loading and unloading freight ships coming in pay just as big. You can make an average of $70,000 to $120,000 with no degree required, and if you achieve the position of foreman, you could make $250k a year! To better understand the numbers here, a 2015 port worker dispute on the West Coast cost the U.S. economy $2 billion a day.

Coal miner – $64,000

Being a coal miner is a dangerous job with the mines vulnerable to methane explosions as well as collapses. And there are serious health issues from breathing in the coal dust every day including black lung which can cause shortness of breath and emphysema. But a paycheck is a paycheck, and in mining-intensive areas, it isn’t so bad of pay. A miner in West Virginia makes an average yearly salary of around $64,000.

Sewer worker – $60,000

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Yes, you will be forced to crawl through sewers looking for cracks and other damage. Yes, you will have to wade and sometimes swim through sewage clearing clogs and resolving other problems. And yes, the smell alone must be a nightmare. And that’s before we mention the bugs, excrement, rats and dead bodies! But with a college degree, sewage workers can take in more than $60,000 a year. Not too sh*!ty.

Portable Toilet Cleaner – $50,000

For some, nothing would compensate for this type of job. But for others, $50,000 a year is very much worth it. Using a high-pressure hose makes the job a tad simpler as well as a good set of protective gear. Cleaning some 10 to 60 portable toilets a day, workers must vacuum up all waste in the toilet into a tank. After picking up all toilet paper left behind and washing down all surfaces, the gruesome task is done. And remember, you wear a breathing mask so the odor is hopefully not so bad!

Embalmer – $41,000

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Embalmers keep corpses from decomposing too quickly as well as preventing the spread of infection. The body must be drained of all blood and gasses and then injected with a disinfecting embalming fluid. Wires are used to close the mouth and the eyes are glued shut. Makeup and other beautifying effects are optional. Exposed to toxic chemicals as well as possible disease, embalmers also have to deal with the mourning family as well. If this all sounds too much to handle, the upside is a $41,000 yearly paycheck plus more with experience.