The 10 Worst Jobs in America Today

If you're lucky enough to have one of America's 10 best jobs, you most likely enjoy a pleasant, low-stress work environment. Yet even the best jobs can be unsatisfying for some people, and in those cases it may be time to seek a new position. But without the right research it’s easy to make a mistake. For example, if you're a desk jockey with dreams of exiting the rat race, you might think twice before saying goodbye to your cubicle. According to an exclusive new study from www.CareerCast.com, many of the nation's worst jobs involve physical labor and extended time in the great outdoors.

Lumberjack earns the distinction as America's worst job, based on research of 200 different positions on www.JobsRated.com.. What makes being a lumberjack so unappealing? Also known as loggers, lumberjacks perform backbreaking physical labor in an unpleasant environment at low pay with a high risk of physical danger. Those same detriments also apply to the study’s second-worst job, dairy farmer, which requires employees to rise before dawn and risk broken bones herding cows around the barn. The study relies on five unique criteria: stress, compensation physical demands, hiring outlook and work environment. Each job’s ranking is dependent on how it scores in each category.

Rounding out the 10 worst careers are jobs saddled with other glaring deficiencies. Taxi drivers deal with crime and the stress of traffic all day, while seamen are away from home for most of the year while dealing with storms and the threat of pirates. Roustabouts, who maintain oil rigs and pipelines, shoulder intense physical demands in a dangerous environment, while the disadvantages of being a garbage collector are pretty self-explanatory. Emergency Medical Technicians, on the other hand, are highly-respected members of community who provide a vital service, but are paid relatively little considering their extreme workload and the level of training they have to complete, and their status pales compared to members of fire and police departments.

If you're considering a career change, the following are your least desirable options:

1. Lumberjack – Fells, cuts and transports timber to be processed into lumber, paper and other wood products.
2. Dairy Farmer – Directs and takes part in activities involved in the raising and managing of cattle for milk production.
3. Taxi Driver – Operates a taxi cab over the streets and roads of a municipality, picking up and dropping off passengers by request.
4. Seaman – Performs a wide range of tasks involved in the operation of ships, boats, barges or dredges, including commercial fishing.
5. Emergency Medical Technician – Attends to situations that demand immediate medical attention, such as automobile accidents, heart attacks and gunshot wounds.
6. Roofer – Collects refuse on a designated municipal route, and transports trash to disposal plants or landfill areas.
7. Garbage Collector – Collects refuse on a designated municipal route, and transports trash to disposal plants or landfill areas.
8. Welder – Joins or repairs metal surfaces through the application of heat.
9. Roustabout – Performs routine physical labor and maintenance on oil rigs and pipelines, both on and off shore.
10. Ironworker – Raises the steel framework of buildings, bridges and other structures.

With the exception of EMT, these jobs require only basic training, and demand physically intense (and often dangerous) activity for low pay. However, if you just can’t stand your cubicle and simply must try out a new career in the great outdoors, these jobs represent diverse and interesting options. But be warned -- according to the data, you're still better off staying close to your desk.

Visit www.JobsRated.com. to see the entire ranking of 200 different jobs and the methodology beyond the rankings, as well as other jobs rated information at www.JobsRated.com..