If you think that you’ve got the worst job in the world, and it is not covered on this list, think again. While everyone can feel like the weight of the world is pressing down on them occasionally, few of us have jobs that may open us up to legal liability, actually kill ourselves or others, or require disgusting or humiliating action be taken on a daily basis.
With that in mind, if you, or someone you know, has one of these 15 Most Stressful Jobs in the World, hopefully by the end of this article you will have a better appreciation for what they do, day in and day out. Regardless, read on!
1. African Bee Removal Specialist
Any time you have to dress like you are military personnel in a George Romero zombie film just to do your job, it is stressful. No one knows this better than the African bee removal specialist. These professionals work either independently or as part of a company. They use a bee vacuum in order to get rid of these little critters, which in reality are no more potent than a regular honey bee, but unlike those, this breed tends to hold a grudge. They also attack in swarms and are not above pursuing their victims for a quarter-mile before giving up the fight. Ouch!
2. Emergency Professionals
Whether you are a firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical technician (EMT), stress will be a way of life. During the time these individuals are not addressing potentially life threatening situations, they are on call anticipating the next event to occur. Of course, they don’t just sit around twiddling thumbs during the off time. Equipment management, paperwork, and worry, litter their days, and the pay is pretty paltry ($40,000-$60,000 range depending on geography). College education is not required to land one of these jobs, though it will move you further up the ladder.
3. Professional Animal Masturbator
Okay, so this one isn’t all that dangerous, but there is a lot of stress to be had with being perceived as a bestial pervert, and that’s the risk that you run when it comes to animal masturbation. See, researchers need animal sperm for their studies, and that stuff’s got to come out of the barnyard creatures somehow. The animal masturbator is the guy responsible for getting the job done, whether by shoving an electric probe up the animal’s backside, holding an artificial vagina up to the creature’s penis, or rolling up the sleeves and doing it the Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.. Take your pick. Good times.
4. Freelancer
Whenever you work as a freelance anything-be it writer, editor, photographer, graphic designer, artist, actor, bodyguard, motivational speaker, or private investigator-you are thrust into a world where you do not eat unless you have work. That means you have to be good at what you do, and at finding opportunities for what you do, while also balancing the tax, medical, and retirement demands that come along with it. You must wear every hat of the business while also not allowing the quality of your work to suffer. While the life may seem cool at first, you quickly realize that people aren’t going to pay you just for being awesome.
5. Hazmat Diver
Hazardous material divers primarily perform water tank cleaning and inspections. While that may not sound disgusting on the surface, consider this story as told by Steven M. Barsky, author of Diving in High-Risk Environments: “The worst was at a factory pig farm. A guy had driven his truck into the waste lagoon and drowned. Not only was it full of urine and liquid pig feces, the farmer had dumped all the needles used to inject the pigs with antibiotics and hormones in there.” Guess who got to recover the body: the Hazmat divers. While submerged in refuse, these pros must be mindful of their environments. Hitting a snag on their uniforms could cause injuries that mix with putrid bacteria, and can cause serious health problems. Guh-ross!
6. Ice Road Trucker
Since the advent of the Ice Road Truckers reality series, it seems there is a greater demand for this highly dangerous profession in which commercial truck drivers must haul a variety of materials across some of the most dangerous roads in the world. If you are looking for ice road trucking jobs, there are numerous places where you can turn, and the income potential is spectacular. Unfortunately, so it the losing your life and doing extensive equipment and property damage potential. But if you’ve got the guts for it, this may be the best paying job you ever experience.
7. Coal Miner
One of the most dangerous professions in the world has long been in the coal mining sector. The world was recently reminded of this fact with the Chilean miners, who were trapped for days after a tunnel collapsed. Luckily, those individuals were more fortunate than the 78 that died in the West Virginia coal mining disaster of 1968 (pictured below). It’s not hard to find coal mining jobs, though you will have to complete the adequate training to get turned loose into the profession. At any point, you could be in danger of explosions, collapses, and suffocation. Good luck!
8. Professional Baseball Player
Before you crucify us for placing professional baseball players on this list, consider that the vast majority languish away in the Minor League system, where they earn a minuscule living, travel on buses and planes most all of the time, and spend ample amounts of time away from their families. If they do perform well enough to rise through the ranks of the Minors, they have to perform well in order to keep that Major League Baseball contract. An extended slump or poor fielding performance, if left unchecked, can send one right back down to the Minors. So much for the glamorous life of a slugger!
9. Medical Waste Disposal Technician
Medical waste cleanup is heavily regulated by the government, and with good reason. Doctors and nurses have to do SOMETHING with the materials that they use for disease- and infection-riddled patients as well as those, who come in with an assortment of other injuries. During the health care process, medical professionals come in to close contact with bodily fluids and other hazardous materials that are bagged up and taken to a cooker, whose job it is to steam and properly dispose of the hazmat bags in a giant oven at about 260 degrees Fahrenheit. Biohazard cookers, as they are sometimes called, make less than $20 an hour to put their health in danger and deal with some pretty noxious aromas.
10. Loggers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) claims that this sector is 21 times more likely to experience an on-the-job fatality. BLS also claims that the industry reports 30,000 non-fatal injuries every year. Part of this is due to improper equipment. Part is due to failure to take proper safety precautions. Falling trees account for much of the damage as well, as do moronic environmentalists, who are so in to trees that they aren’t above shoving a steel spike into the bark only to have it “discovered” during the cutting process by the logger and his trusty chainsaw. Chainsaw accidents can lead to loss of limbs and/or life. Not a pleasant experience no matter how you slice it.
11. Special Forces Commando
Whether you are an Army Ranger, a Green Beret, a Navy SEAL, or a member of the Marine Corps Special Forces Unit, you are likely to encounter a great deal of stress as you track down bad guys and help with rescue missions. The threats that you face are very real and nowhere near as glamorous as that Charlie Sheen movie would have you to believe. Pay is good with hazard bonuses being right there at the top of the list, but when each mission could be your last, it darn sure better be. On a side note, it’s amazing how many so-called SEALs you’ll meet in your lifetime even though the drop-out rate for classes is 4 out of every 5. Be leery of the pretenders, people. If they talk about it, they’re probably full of crap.
12. Medical Surgeon
It can take anywhere from 11-16 years to become a fully licensed surgeon capable of working independently and for top pay. During that time, you have probably amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. You’ve had to endure a highly competitive acceptance process just to get in to medical school. And you’ve had to work 3 to 8 years as an intern making diddle. Once you’ve made the big time, you can expect long and irregular hours, high stress situations where others’ lives are in your hands, and the possibility of being sued by angry family members should you make a mistake. Also, the government is breathing down your neck, and you’ve got to carry malpractice insurance.
13. Senior Nuclear Reactor Plant Operator
Nuclear power plants have landed in the news recently because of the turmoil brought on in Japan following the country’s massive March 2011 earthquake. Breakdowns in operation can expose the population to radiation leaks, which in turn can lead to long term health problems or even death. And that’s the good news. A meltdown could kill millions and alter the way of life for an entire country. Of course, we are speaking in worst case scenarios here. That’s not likely to occur, but if it did, we wouldn’t want to be the guy overseeing operations, and that’s exactly what the senior reactor operator does. He supervises his underlings, ensures the safety of the reactor as a whole, and takes all the blame should the proverbial crap hit fan. With great pay comes great responsibilities.
14. Air Traffic Controller
Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) have been in the news a lot lately for falling asleep on the job and to say it’s a stressful job is a HUGE understatement. As an ATC, it is your job to make sure that aircrafts operate safely while flying those friendly skies. The more planes that take off, the more difficult your job becomes. While on duty you can have anywhere from hundreds to thousands of lives in your hands. The pay, benefits and autonomy are extremely desirable, but don’t apply unless you are comfortable with responsibility and can stay awake during those overnight shifts!
15. Bomb Disposal Technician
Bomb disposal technicians must go in to a variety of environments and play Russian roulette with potentially explosive devices that are designed to disintegrate them and anyone else within a large radius. While one would presumably die instantly, there is little comfort to be taken from that fact when you are leaving behind family and friends with one false move. While there are a number of incentives for becoming a bomb disposal technician, such as hazard pay and sign-on bonuses in addition to normal military pay, the downside of a bad day could mean your life.
{ 6 comments… read them below or comment on @lmost organized! }
I definitely wouldn’t wanna be an EMT when the zombie apocalypse strikes!!
i think we’ll all agree that our own job is the most stressful
Interesting list…definitely would not want to be a medical waste disposal technician
some people likes to do these jobs..
Trawler fisherman – officially the most dangerous job in the UK.
What about entreprenurs. Working 7 days a week for 9-15 hours a day and little job security and could be losing money instead of making it