Folks Reveal 32 Of The Most Prestigious Jobs That Barely Pay People A Livable Wage
Interview With ExpertAll professions are different, and each impacts the world in different ways. No matter how small or big, every job is valuable and should be treated as such. But the truth is that some of the most looked-up-to jobs are often undervalued.
There are so many reasons why this happens. As society keeps evolving, you might notice that some of the jobs you previously thought were prestigious just don’t pay people enough any more. To prove that point, we’ve compiled this list of high-end jobs with shockingly low salaries.
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Teachers.
Critically important, but I wouldn't call it "prestigious" - nobody thinks teachers make bank. Last I saw the median K-12 (~5-18 yr olds) teacher pay in the US is $64k, 50%+ above overall median, and they do get some great perks like summers off, long winter/holiday break, spring break, tons of holidays, a short work day, and good benefits (especially if public). On an hourly basis especially it's not nearly as bad as most people think. Also, some teachers are treasures, but others do the bare minimum.
I think you'd be surprised by how long a day teacher have and how little time they actually get off during school breaks. A lot of time is spent planning schemes of work, lession planning, grading, training etc. Not forgetting running after school activities and dealing with children and parents outside of the classroom. Also a lot of teachers don't get paid during the school breaks so will have to take on additional employment. It's a common misconception that teachers have short days and long holidays
Load More Replies...Everytime I see a teacher I thank them for their service. IMHO they deserve more credit than any other profession, followed close by nurses
even worse for my mom. sub aid for special education. only works like 2 or 3 days out of the week in order to help out around the house. and shes the only one in our family making any money. when you live on that wage, then you give extra complaints to the rising gas prices
I live in northern Illinois. Public high school teachers in the districts around me earn over $100K/yr and retire as effective multimillionaires. If they start at 22 and work the required 33 years to maximize their pension, they are 55 at retirement and get a pension worth 75% of their highest 3 or 5 year average, with cost of living allowances. As an example, the choir and drama teacher for my daughter retired about 10 years ago, and when I looked shortly after he retired he was pulling down in excess of $120K/yr in pension. With COLA and an average life expectancy, that works out to over $2.5MM. And he is not the exception.
Teacher used to be someone. I mean, hundred years ago, when someone was a teacher, he had some social status thanks to it. Now... teacher is just another person. And they have to deal with Karens.
Public school teachers in the states I've lived in made $80, $90 and $95K per year after 10 years,... and that includes the school paying for further college, having the summers off to take those courses or make more money.... and that goes back a long while for the $90K figure. Used to be STARTING pay for teachers was very low (Back in '89 it was $24K for starting, $130K for Masters' plus 20 years experience.) I guess that's where the myth of low teachers' pay comes from. Also, a lot of jobs that require graduate degrees still pay better, but a Masters in education is a f*****g joke. I knew one admin who had a PhD in education whose doctorate thesis was interviewing 7 white people and two asian people and determining that they didn't know that their race made them inherently incompetent to teach black and hispanic kids. Median pay for 10 years exp with a Master's in NY is $126K.... plus benefits you wouldn't believe.
Not a myth in public schools. Only 8 states offer starting pay 50k and above. NY is a terrible state to judge by, as it’s number 2 in the country for average teacher pay overall. National average overall doesn’t break 70k. Also fun fact, while many school workers have been given rights to overtime pay (at least in my area) they refuse to do it for teachers because the school systems would go bankrupt. Consider that when you think teachers have short hours.
Load More Replies...Depends on where. My state - "The average teacher salary in Washington is $81,586, the fifth-highest in the country" -VS- "In almost 20 states, the average salary fell below $60,000. At the bottom of NEA's list is West Virginia, where teachers are making less than $53,000 annually."
But what's the cost of living in WV? I'm betting it's far lower than Washington, never mind Seattle.
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Librarians. I couldn’t believe the position required a Masters degree for what they get paid.
And now they have to put up with the book ban c**p. They don't get paid enough
They get death threats as well. They need security.
Load More Replies...From someone who has never needed the help from a specialized librarian, obviously. It usually requires a master's degree and if you work in a school or special library, sometimes two. Librarians are integral to almost every other white collar profession and many blue collar ones. The procurement of and collection development of materials and current, correct information is very prestigious.
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Paramedic.
Hubs is an EMT(makes $16 an hr) while going to school to become a paramedic and once he has completed the course he will be making $24 an hr. He loves his job but yeah paramedics don't make much unless you've been there for years and most top out at $30-$32 an hr.
Here in Canada, paramedic pay starts at about 20 dollars an hour and goes up to $50
Load More Replies...What? Paramedics in the part of Canada I live in start at over $25 an hour
Now that is criminal! My mother was a CCRN in an ICU working mostly on fresh hearts and was always above $200k at that level! (In a small city in south Florida, definitely not Miami, NYC, LA, etc.) I did her taxes before she retired, so clearly no reason to inflate - I love nurses!
Load More Replies...My mom is an EMT and makes $11.50 an hour and works 48 hr shifts and is off for 4 days so if you do the math she makes about $32,000 a year
When kids are young, they’re often forced into careers for the sake of money, prestige, or sometimes both. But certain renowned careers of old no longer pay enough. To understand this phenomenon, Bored Panda interviewed Kristin Hiemstra, the Founder and CEO of AlightSuccess, an empowerment coaching platform focused on career and personal development. Hiemstra is also an Adjunct Lecturer in management, innovation, and entrepreneurship at NCSU Poole College of Management, with expertise in creating organizational culture, employee engagement, and emotional intelligence.
Kristin told us, “unfortunately, several highly regarded professions in the US, particularly in the service sector, don't pay very well. This includes roles like ministers, nurses, police officers, architects, and untenured college professors. Even some lawyers face financial struggles despite the common perception that they all earn high salaries.”
People who work with at risk populations like youth, the homeless, addicts, etc to work with them to help them turn their lives around. You're typically working for nonprofits who rely on government grants and donations by the community to get them funded. The people you are working with aren't paying for these services and thus, these agencies aren't bringing in income from these people. Welcome to the psychology field.
Private psych is a lot better pay. CUt your teeth in non-prof and CMH then move up to private.
EMTs (emergency medical technician)!!! Wtf? We call em in because we don't want to die. [They] make barely enough for a loaf of bread.
Can confirm as I said on the paramedic one. My hubs makes $16 an hr as an EMT and if he wasn't going to school for paramedic he would top out at $26 an hr for just being an EMT but it takes yrs to top out at that. Sure they have tons of overtime but who wants to work 7 days a wk 12-16 hr shifts every day?
It's not like it's an easy $16 either. Very high stress at times and I bet a lot of it is hard not to bring home.
Load More Replies...My mom does that she makes $11.50 per hour and works 48 hour shifts is off for 4 days so you do the math she makes around 32,000 a year and as a single mom with a house note car not and other bills that’s not much and the cherry on top is our food stamps got cut off
Most of the crew in film & tv production sets.
Most of money goes to the stars, the director, and the movie making budget
Exactly, my friend was a PA and worked 10-12 hour days at minimum wage. When she moved to crafty I think that went up to like $2 more than minimum wage. She loves it though.
Load More Replies...Writers don’t get squat either. Which is amazing because without a story you can throw all the high price actors in you want and it’s still garbage. Take “The Counselor” was so excited to see it because it had an amazing cast and is still one of only 3 movies I’ve ever walked out of.
It depends on what position you have. More experience means more money, Yet, I have worked on different types of sets and TV is usually better all around cause it's consistently higher pay and shorter days.
I have 2 family members who do this (non-union) and they make very good livings.
It’s heartbreaking to note that people working in some of the most demanding professions are often paid peanuts. Kristin stated, “nurses, for instance, are vital to our healthcare system and often work long, demanding hours. Despite this, their compensation doesn't always match the critical nature of their work. Similarly, police officers and firefighters put their lives on the line daily to protect and serve the community. Yet, their salaries often do not reflect their risks and responsibilities.”
On the other hand, some of the jobs you’d expect to compensate well may not live up to your expectations. “For example, I recently met a nurse who chose this career because it offered more stability and better pay than his previous job as a criminal lawyer. It's surprising to many, but even in the legal profession, not everyone makes a substantial income, especially those starting or working in certain areas of law,” Kristin added.
Paraprofessional... If you think teachers have it rough, we're the ones who help those teachers manage the kids with behavior issues, Mal-adaptive personalities, autism, severe ADHD, learning disorders... A generation before, these kids would have been sent away to mental asylums and forgotten about if they couldn't adapt to "normal" schooling, but we're trying to give them an equal shot at an education.
So many school districts make 'secret cuts' in the budget by shaving the work hours and increasing the workload of paraprofessionals. This can be done especially in areas where the PPs are not protected by a strong union that can bargain contracts openly. The other risk factor is jurisdictions where it does not clearly define what kind of services a child with an IEP is entitled to receive, especially with guaranteed minimums and meaurables (e.g. has access to a PP for the whole school day, the PP has care of no more than X students, sees a speech therapist X times a week, etc.). The next frontier for kids with disabilities is going to have to be some major lawsuits that explicitly lay out what guarantees a child can expect to get a legally-defined 'education.'
I graduated high school (usa) in 1991 and the parapros were hall monitors making sure kids had their passes to be in the halls during classes and made sure no fights happened or any shenanigans in the bathrooms. They didn't work with any students aside from that. One of our parapros was the track and cross country coach after school.
30 years ago they weren't being mainstreamed to the degree they are today. In my rural elementary school (US), special ed kids spent most of their day in the basement in their own classes and we only mixed with them in non academic classes like music and gym.
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Any field relating to veterinary work or animal work in general….very low pay.
Yeah my vet charging me £50 for £10 meds I think they are doing ok
Load More Replies...I have one cat. His insurance is almost $40 a month and $15 for his flea medication. I do have preventative insurance, it will pay 90% for one annual visit a year. The cheapest I found in my area is $300 for that visit. The vet where we had him neutered had their own program for $80 a month and it was only good at that location.
Vets are harder to generalize about in terms of pay, but the techs, assistants, and receptionists make hardly enough to live on. High turnover rate industry wide from low pay and high stress.
This has got to be location. My vet taking almost monthly vacations to every island resort is doing fantastic.
College Professor.
Tenured professor probably more. Most universities have a "red book" that discloses the amount all staff at a public university makes. It is public information.
I'm assuming you're referring to professors in the US, this is not the case in a lot of other countries
Load More Replies...Average In the US Approx $155,000. Religious College $136k Public $146k private $196k
I'm guessing that's for tenured staff. A lot of colleges, including where I work, rarely have tenured spots available. A tenured professor recently moved jobs. I asked if a position would now be opened to apply for. Unfortunately, the answer is no. As an adjunct, all I can do is hope I get a full load of classes and keep applying to the 8 and 10 month contracts.
Load More Replies...An actual professor makes damned good pay. But most of the people you'll actually be instructed by are graduate students or adjuncts. Adjuncts get paid absolute terrible wages, sometimes only 10% of what professors make. And until you show up to their office and discover that their office hours are 9:30 to 10:30 PM on third Fridays, you'd never know they were adjuncts. The thinking is that because adjuncts have "day jobs," they don't need to get paid for teaching.
Another profession that’s always been highly valued yet doesn’t seem to pay a livable wage is architecture. Research shows that there has been a downshift in architects’ earnings over the years. In 1992, the hourly rates of male architects were almost 70% above the average for full-time male employees. However, this steady decline in salary has significantly impacted the industry.
Kristin mentioned that “while the profession is highly respected and requires significant education and training, many architects struggle financially, especially those just starting their careers. The same goes for college professors who haven't yet secured tenure; they often work long hours for relatively low pay while contributing significantly to the education and development of students.”
Certified Nursing Assistant.
I'm guessing they are still making strictly minimum wage or very close to it (in the US). My sister was a nursing assistant some 25 years ago. She was VERY dedicated and hard working, but made only minimum wage. A very difficult job in multiple ways. I could not do it myself.
All medical teams except the top pyramid like specialist.. and also the d**g rep.. I ever help a GP withdraw her salary and help to transfer to her account because she is awaiting her labour.. Each day she goes to our clinic will earn the same money as a lowest rank mason.. I am not joking..
I worked both in a retirement home and as in home care, and made $11 an hour. In the R home I was changing diapers on full grown men, one of whom was a registered sex offender. I had food and literal s**t thrown at me by dementia patients. But the in home care was worse. No support, s****y hours, once had a new client fall letting me in the first time I came to her house, her daughter insisted she was fine, although she could not support any weight on her leg. Also insisted her mom was to get up and walk every hour, walk to the bathroom.. after 2 days of ignoring my repeated appeals to take her to the doctor, of practically carrying her to the bathroom, I finally called the paramedics when she fell again and I couldn't get her off the floor.. turned out she had broken her hip that first day.. Another client lied about "severe disabilities", they were more active than I was, in better health, and used me as a maid. Spent 8hrs shampooing their couch for their "mental health".
Heavily depends on where you are, but yes!! In nursing homes, $11/hour (back in the 2010s) felt like a lot. The management is terrible and the working conditions are an embarrassment. When I worked in a hospital, I made closer to $15/hour, and it was a better work environment, but that was pre-covid
Any position in academic research.
Can confirm. But how about all the groupies we get chasing after us?
I don't know where this post is from, but in my country people also complain academia doesn't pay well, but that is compared to people who have the same credentials that go into business. It pays VERY well compared to being a chef or working in retail. I got paid about double what my sibling makes doing a PhD here, and that is technically still your education!
This may be niche but being a professional opera singer sounds very prestigious and cool but even singers at top houses are barely surviving financially, and big stars often still have to do things like teach master classes or teach lessons/coachings whatever .
I recently checked the paygrade of opera singers in Sweden as a fictional character in a book series was that and she had a lavish lifestyle, while her husband was a police. Their lifestyle with fast cars, champange, caviar, tailormade dresses etc must have had a hidden source of money..no way it was legal income 🤣
This is true of most musicians, artists and actors. I've been privileged to have met some incredibly talented people, some of which were comparable to big names. A couple of actors got the odd gig on TV commercials but most are struggling to follow their passion while living pay-check to pay-check.
Professional violinist Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver')s huge, high-rise apartment in downtown Manhattan was only affordable because it was the literal gateway to Hell. Or more accurately, Zuul.
Even lifesaving jobs like emergency service providers are no exception to this pay disparity. We asked Kristin why such important jobs weren’t compensated as well. She said, “there are a few reasons why vital jobs like EMTs, firefighters, and teachers are sought after but don't pay a livable wage. First, it often comes down to education requirements. Even though they are crucial, jobs that don’t require a college degree tend to pay less.”
“Additionally, many people find emotional rewards in these roles, which can be seen as compensation. For example, everyone remembers their favorite teacher, and that emotional connection is incredibly valuable,” she added. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, EMTs make 30% less than other working Americans, with most making less than $37,000 annually. This is truly shocking to consider!
My sibling has a PhD in Audiology. And there's not much money in it at all. I barely have a high school degree and make 3x what they do in my tech sys admin role. .
From salary.com: “The average Audiologist salary in the United States is $93,563 as of April 24, 2024, but the range typically falls between $85,391 and $103,336.“ Can any US audiologist pandas tell me if that sounds accurate? Not sure how trustworthy the source is.
If that isn't making much, then I wait till they hear how much I make...
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Pretty much anything at a museum, even famous ones.
A former student of mine stopped being a nanny and finally got a job as a museum curator, her career dream. had to put up with a pay cut to do it.
Architecture. Ridiculously competitive AND low pay.
I work for an employer, and have my private practice on the side. That way I can earn tripple as much compared to working only for employer. I have never been on a holyday 😮💨
Hmmm, seems like an architect would know how to spell holiday or triple.
Load More Replies...Yes. My wife is a qualified and registered architect who works for a large firm I work in IT. She works much harder than me and what she does is far more impressive than what I do, yet she earns haf of what I do. Some of the unqualified and incompetent junior IT people where I work earn more than her because they can talk the talk and convince the equally incompetent people who hire them that they know what they are doing. The people that own the architecture firm are raking it I'm.
Average annual pay in New York is $154,000.... but the hours are outrageous, especially for newbies.
Unless you are well known or have good connections this check out. Most architects work underneath a well known bureau and while the owners (who are often architects themselves with an established reputation) are paid pretty well, the employees aren't that well off. Not poverty life, but also not upper middle class.
Load More Replies...No matter how much we’d like to shake things up, there are certain reasons why previously prestigious jobs no longer hold the same weight. Kristin states that, “professions like teaching offer significant time off, like summers, which affects salary structures. Then there's the issue of revenue generation. Jobs that directly bring in money, like those in the private sector, usually pay more. Public service roles, while essential, don't generate direct revenue. And historically, professions dominated by women, such as teaching, have been undervalued and underpaid.
“So, while these jobs are respected and vital, the compensation doesn't always reflect that importance. Teaching, for instance, was highly sought after despite lower pay because of its societal value and benefits like summers off. But today, we're seeing a significant teacher shortage in the US, partly because of inadequate pay. This contrasts with other countries where teachers receive a living wage, and the profession is more stable,” she added.
I get this all the time. Theoretical particle physicist for the Department of Energy Office of Science. I live, I survive, I have savings, I can cover emergencies but if I were private, I would almost be making double. However I will take the stability of this position with its amazing benefits and pension plan.
While it's very fortunate to be able to do so, doesn't mean it's nearly the compensation one deserves.
Load More Replies...No stress, unfireable, generous benefits, above average salary and golden retirement schemes. Sure, it’s soul-sucking being on the public teat but it’s very, very rewarding in other ways.
Most science jobs like Biologist.
I dated a guy about 15 years ago who had a PhD in chemistry, had published peer-reviewed scientific papers. He got a new job while we were dating making 72K a year. That wasn't terrible money by any means, but I was making almost 20K more than him with a BA computer science degree, and I was being underpaid as per the market and my years in the field.
My dream job, first time through college, was to be a research biologist. Got a BS in ornithology in '03, and a job monitoring bird populations on the Pacific Flyway in California. I worked 12 hrs days, 7 days a week, in total isolation, for $2,000/mo. The only benefit was that I didn't have to pay rent on the shack I lived in with no plumbing or heat. I lasted six months before going back to school. My coworkers at Trader Joe's thought it was hilarious how happy I was to get minimum wage, 40hrs/wk with medical. I'm a massage therapist now. Never again, academia.
My best friend is a microbiologist at a world renowned center. He's been there 20 years and a shift lead and still makes well under 100k
I thought Administrative Assistant sounded cool until I became one. Feels like I’m a one-man department for menial tasks.
We don’t type, take dictation, pick up the boss’ dry cleaning. It’s not the job it was.
Load More Replies...It might seem like there’s no hope, or you have to settle for a poor salary if you want to get into any of these professions. That isn’t always the case. Like the many sides of a dice, each job offers many opportunities for you to do your best and to get the best out of it. It’s up to you to do your research and figure out how to make that possible. Do you have an example of any profession that would fit this list? Let us know in the comments.
A lot of political jobs. I worked in politics for a bit for a state rep and the pay was criminally low. Everyone thought it was such a fancy exclusive job but nope. I was making like $24k a year.
The big money doesn't roll in until you get elected and hooked up with lobbyists.
Or if you're already filthy rich and decide to go into politics
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Im a Millwright for a medium-large sewer system and they pay is pretty good but as a critically essential service that gets literally no recognition, and trust me we go through some s**t to ensure you dont have to worry about flushing.
They fix all the machines and repair them and even sometimes make new parts for them.
My ex was a millwright. We didn't have many factories where we were from so you usually have to travel. He brought us to Jacksonville, FL and I still live here. (Wo him. Obviously. He is a horrible man. Has nothing to do w him being a millwright though.)
Criminal prosecutors.
News anchors and Journalists.
A little more context, such as a local, what positions, and what pay range would all be nice.
Paralegals.
My husband had a law firm for 30 years and he paid his paralegals exceedingly well. Probably the reason a few of them were with him for over 20 years.
Every "Account Executive" is a post-college grad making like 45k... Hopefully they can double it with a bonus.
I don't know. I make a lot more than that and I work in a warehouse.
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Most healthcare IT jobs that are not hospitals.
I doubt this. I worked in HIT for years, and the companies all paid very well. When people left or were laid off most took a 15% to 20% pay cut from what they were making, even if they went to work in a care setting.
healthcare It get way less than others..but still way more than other employees in the healthcare
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Mental health therapist.
Psychologists make a lot less that psychiatrist… who make really really good money
In the US: the insurance company, if the therapist is in network. Covers the first six sessions. After that, America hopes you’re stabilized enough to deal with your problems by attending some group meetings in some mainline denomination church basement
Load More Replies..."What's the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?" "About $400 an hour." Makes sense though: A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor; a psychologist is someone who studied psychology in undergrad.
In the UK when I was training in 2007 the average hourly rate was £50, 17 years later it remains £50. Bare in mind to work ethically (ie give each client the attention needed in respect to supervision and training) it's suggested your caseload is around 10 - 15 clients a week, by the time I've paid for supervision, professional membership, website fees, cpd and tax I don't make much considering I've had to train for as long as a doctor does.
Graphic Designer.
You can make bank if you are good at selling yourself in freelance to people who will pay, but they're <1% of any possible options. That's why you see so many pivoting to UX and development. Starting around me is sub $40k and doesn't scale well at all until 10yrs+, and even the, it still sucks for what gets asked of you. Definitely not the field for people/students with debt that want to start.
15 years ago I was making 33k with a degree as a graphic designer. I got a job as an administrative assistant at a Big 4 financial firm and made twice that to start, and retired 13 years later making nearly 80k. After I left they sent everyone's jobs to India and laid off 90% of staff, and all the partner's pay tripled. Corporate greed.
NASA Astronaut. I think the average pay is like $100K a year which is crazy low for such a dangerous job.
An astronaut doesn't get paid for being in space, there isn't an astronaut alive who wouldn't do that for free. An astronaut gets paid for putting up with the gruelling training.
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Business Operations, sounds like some kind of GM if you don't know full Finance hierarchies but really it's largely entry level AR, I made less per hour than I did at a restaurant, but benefits and building the resume for future jobs made it well worth it. How I got my start and if you word it right can really help to jump to the next step (typically AR has a low ceiling so have to pivot to staff Accounting or FP&A to keep moving up).
Also, any Non-Profit roles (I see CFO and Directors making pretty measly money in NP, but another good opportunity to build the resume) as well as lots in Education/Healthcare. Anything publicly funded/reliant on grants will not pay great and may artificially inflate titles to attract talent.
Non profits cfo and directors can be paid well depending on the company, situation and country
I just recently got out of a homeless shelter. CEO making $350k
Load More Replies...Jeweler. Right now in AZ they make about $15-20 an hour, and that's after going to school and with previous professional experience.
Assistant District Attorney.
I currently make $75k but just got bumped to $90k after 2 years.
Really any professional government job though...
I was thinking about applying for the CIA as an analyst and the application said the pay range was like $60k-$80k.
I was like nope, I'd love to apply but I can't afford a $10k-$20k pay cut when I'm barely scraping by on $75k.
Barely scraping by on 75k? This person either lives in a very pricey area or can't manage money.
I'm going for both and they don't live in the real world either
Load More Replies...I make around $21,000.. I'm astounded by people who can't survive on 3x what I make..
I am single also retired now. Where I live and single, I could've have live pretty well on that..
Sandwich artist.
But could you ever really put a price tag on such prestige and glamour?
I never heard about any sandwich artis 🙂 BTW 30 years ago I was a watchmaker and I was literally starving.
I'll add another one. Pilot and flight attendant. Starting pay is $16k, lower than poverty
I will totally upvote this 15901750937575 times if i could. A majority of US flight attendants have SNAP benefits etc, and even with doing "crashpads" (multiple people paying for an apartment) in some cities they still can't afford it (I read a story of Boston American Airlines Flight attendents living their cars)
Load More Replies...I'll add: small business owner. Regardless of the type of business, there are people who think if you own your own business, it automatically means you're rich or close to it. But that's not true. Until maybe years or decades and with luck and hard work, some of course do end up making a lot of money, but it shouldn't be assumed. My son didn't even pay himself a salary at all for 1 1/2 years around COVID time just to keep the business afloat. Before that, he was paying himself less than minimum wage. This is a business that has existed for 15 years now. (He bought into it 9 years ago.) And they've done everything right. It's just a very niche market, and hard to expand beyond a certain point.
I'll add another one: Literary translator. Can't survive on this alone, pay's around 2.50-3.50 an hour and most people do it out of love for the field.
I have my degree in translation and wanted to pursue a career in literary translation. God, I was so naive. I remember almost breaking into tears when my mentors in the field told me to not expect to make more than 15,000 GBP (~$19,100) my first year. So many translators have second jobs and often work as linguistic research, professors, professional editors, cultural liaisons, etc. It can take so many years to build up your client base to the point you're established and don't have to worry about living off ramen noodles.
Load More Replies...Funny that there's no mention of jobs in the financial industry. Y'know, the professionals that provide no service and produce no product. Surely such a frivolous, insular, self serving job sector can't generate much wealth, right? Not compared to all of these useful jobs mentioned above. It's not like the financial industry is the most profitable job sector in the world. That'd be just insane.
Tellers and bankers are not well paid. They're typically making $15-$20 an hour, and bonuses are minimal.
Load More Replies...I'll add mine: Translator. We make jack s**t despite having to be expert communicators, fluent in one or more languages, experts in our chosen specializations (i.e.: medical translation, legal translation, etc.) skilled editors, proficient small business owners, cultural liaisons, etc. There is so much education you require as well, and crazy hoops to jump through. Yet, I could barely afford rent at one point. It's frustrating how we provide such an important service yet are often overlooked as a commodity. I am in translation research and project management now which is much more stable, however, it still pays poorly. I love what I do, but most people just see translation as a fancy commodity.
The guy that said follow your dreams was trying to trick you into a low paying job. Even schools give very bad advice about career training.
Anything to do with Public Health. There was a surge of lip service during the pandemic, accompanied by a bit of federal money, but things quickly went back to ignored and underfunded business as usual. I was a microbiologist with over a decade of experience, working in a lab with all sorts of infectious materials and making about as much as an entry level cashier. So I quit. Now I'm a stay-at-home mom and graduate student, hoping an advanced degree will help me get into the biotech industry instead.
I'll add another one. Pilot and flight attendant. Starting pay is $16k, lower than poverty
I will totally upvote this 15901750937575 times if i could. A majority of US flight attendants have SNAP benefits etc, and even with doing "crashpads" (multiple people paying for an apartment) in some cities they still can't afford it (I read a story of Boston American Airlines Flight attendents living their cars)
Load More Replies...I'll add: small business owner. Regardless of the type of business, there are people who think if you own your own business, it automatically means you're rich or close to it. But that's not true. Until maybe years or decades and with luck and hard work, some of course do end up making a lot of money, but it shouldn't be assumed. My son didn't even pay himself a salary at all for 1 1/2 years around COVID time just to keep the business afloat. Before that, he was paying himself less than minimum wage. This is a business that has existed for 15 years now. (He bought into it 9 years ago.) And they've done everything right. It's just a very niche market, and hard to expand beyond a certain point.
I'll add another one: Literary translator. Can't survive on this alone, pay's around 2.50-3.50 an hour and most people do it out of love for the field.
I have my degree in translation and wanted to pursue a career in literary translation. God, I was so naive. I remember almost breaking into tears when my mentors in the field told me to not expect to make more than 15,000 GBP (~$19,100) my first year. So many translators have second jobs and often work as linguistic research, professors, professional editors, cultural liaisons, etc. It can take so many years to build up your client base to the point you're established and don't have to worry about living off ramen noodles.
Load More Replies...Funny that there's no mention of jobs in the financial industry. Y'know, the professionals that provide no service and produce no product. Surely such a frivolous, insular, self serving job sector can't generate much wealth, right? Not compared to all of these useful jobs mentioned above. It's not like the financial industry is the most profitable job sector in the world. That'd be just insane.
Tellers and bankers are not well paid. They're typically making $15-$20 an hour, and bonuses are minimal.
Load More Replies...I'll add mine: Translator. We make jack s**t despite having to be expert communicators, fluent in one or more languages, experts in our chosen specializations (i.e.: medical translation, legal translation, etc.) skilled editors, proficient small business owners, cultural liaisons, etc. There is so much education you require as well, and crazy hoops to jump through. Yet, I could barely afford rent at one point. It's frustrating how we provide such an important service yet are often overlooked as a commodity. I am in translation research and project management now which is much more stable, however, it still pays poorly. I love what I do, but most people just see translation as a fancy commodity.
The guy that said follow your dreams was trying to trick you into a low paying job. Even schools give very bad advice about career training.
Anything to do with Public Health. There was a surge of lip service during the pandemic, accompanied by a bit of federal money, but things quickly went back to ignored and underfunded business as usual. I was a microbiologist with over a decade of experience, working in a lab with all sorts of infectious materials and making about as much as an entry level cashier. So I quit. Now I'm a stay-at-home mom and graduate student, hoping an advanced degree will help me get into the biotech industry instead.
