An employee’s job satisfaction largely depends on their particular employer. But in some careers, dangerous tasks, high levels of stress, and public scrutiny are all commonplace and can take a toll on employee satisfaction, no matter who the boss is.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2018 Jobs Rated Report from CareerCast, a targeted job opportunity website, to determine the worst jobs in America. The report ranks over 200 careers on the overall quality of their work environment, amount of stress, occupational outlook, and income.

Many of the worst jobs in America rank poorly because they have among the least job security in the U.S. labor force. The rise of automation could reduce or completely eliminate certain unskilled professions as well as some of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

Of the 30 worst jobs in America, the median annual wage of 23 is less than $50,000 a year. While people in many parts of the country can live comfortably on this income, some of these professions — like taxi drivers, reporters, broadcasters, and more — are based in major cities, where the cost of living tends to be higher.

All jobs come with at least some kind of stress, like public scrutiny and the pressure to succeed. In the worst jobs, these stresses are often more acute — such as the physical danger firefighters and members of the military face, or the stress of dealing with angry customers of workers in retail and the food service industry.

Click here to see the worst jobs in America

Methodology

To determine the worst jobs in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2018 Jobs Rated Report from jobs website CareerCast. We supplemented the CareerCast ranking with data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data on median annual wages for may 2018 and total employment came from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics program. Projected job growth rates from 2016-2026 also came from the BLS.