The unhappiest jobs in America

And you thought your job was bad. These 6 professions have been ranked the least satisfying -- based on factors such as growth potential and compensation -- by the people who do them.

 of 8
 of 8

VIDEO ON MSN MONEY

900Comments
Jun 22, 2012 1:29PM
avatar
I'm too stupid for any of them. At least I admit it.
Jun 22, 2012 1:16PM
avatar
I work as a bank teller and its not what I wanted to do with my life...I had just quit school and HAD to find a job.  I've thought about going back to school but I can't afford to leave this job and I've thought about quitting my job but I can't afford to leave it...so its kind of like being caught between a rock and hard place lol.,,but we all have our burdens to bear.
Jun 22, 2012 1:01PM
avatar
They need to add Vet Tech to that list. You have to work long hours, weekends and usually holidays because you have to work in the kennels, get to take bites and scratches, for little pay and no benefits. Then you get treated like crap from your doctors. And for those of us who have some sort of education beyond high school, this career tends to attract people that came from high school and bring that drama and think they are the best thing since sliced bread. You have to play liaison between the doctor and the owner, who really doesn't want to talk to you so they don't tell you the whole story as to what is really going on.
Jun 22, 2012 1:00PM
avatar
When I saw the security position was the most unhappiest job, I wasn't surprised at all. I've worked as a security officer for a grand total of 7 1/2 years and I was never happy with it. Why did I keep doing it? I was only looking for a paycheck not a career. As of now, I'm getting a bachelors degree in criminal justice from University of Phoenix.
Jun 22, 2012 12:56PM
avatar
This would have been a more interesting article if there had actually been some information in it.  I would love to know the specific reasons why these particular jobs were so disliked.  Heck, I don't even know what the job description would look like on some of these positions.  Some background info for each job would have made this a much better, more informative article.
Jun 22, 2012 12:51PM
avatar

Favorite job:  Playing keyboards for a rock group back in the 70's.  So many women so little time.......

 

Worst job: Playing keyboards for a rock group back in the 70's.  The drummer got all the women and I got to load all the equipment.

Jun 22, 2012 12:24PM
avatar
Really surprised call center/customer service wasn't on the list...although most of these jobs are overseas now.  Worst job ever, being shackled to the phones taking over 100 calls a day..with idiots yelling and swearing at you because of the price of their auto/home insurance went up which you have no control over.  Then having to deal with how long your call was/surveys from customers/how you rank with your peers/every call being recorded and scrutinized by your supervisor!  I could go on and on.  
Jun 22, 2012 12:00PM
avatar

My unhappiest job......KFC, deep frying chicken.

 

My happiest job.....selling marijuana. Woo Hoo....always had cash in my pocket....those days are long gone.

Jun 22, 2012 11:55AM
avatar
I was a registered nurse for many years.  The job in and of itself was wonderful.  I chose that career because I wanted to help people, as I know I have "caretaker qualities".  It was the employer and the hospital funding that ruined the job.  Sort staffing, long hours, no support, no respect, not forthcoming about contagious diseases, illogical rules, too political a system; (so much like high school cliques", and being treated like a child.  Those were the things that made the job bad.
There is an expression in nursing; "we eat our young"!  And we do, as I said "no support" as it always felt like "us" against "them" when I started out.  If we wish to stop the nursing crisis, we need to be supportive of each other and make this wonderful profession successful again.  It's up to us and the employers we work for to get together and be real and honest with ourselves.
Jun 22, 2012 11:55AM
avatar

If the federal government would get out of the teacher's way....we may get back to teaching our children with the kinda of sucess America enjoyed in the 1960"s & 70's.

 

Federal Regulation is much to blame to many of our countries woe's....It's choking America.

Jun 22, 2012 11:54AM
avatar
My unhappiest job was dishwasher & busperson at Clines Corners Travel Center
Jun 22, 2012 11:49AM
avatar
The best job I ever had was being an Army Officer.
Jun 22, 2012 11:41AM
avatar

I think for some people, easy jobs make them happy

 

but for others, challenging jobs are better

 

then there are those who does not wanna work at all and be wealthy - me

Jun 22, 2012 11:30AM
avatar
The position of teacher at #3 is accurate: many teachers used to point their kids into the same career, now -even when the economy is good- they talk them out of it.  Think about it: if teaching was so easy and lucrative, would most school systems in good economic times have to go to third-world countries to recruit teachers?  10% of the teachers in relatively-high paying Baltimore are from the Philippines.

In many cases they start out making less than starting sanitation workers, despite the fact they work 300 hours/year more than the average full-time worker, almost all their time is spent 100% engaged in work, and that the stress-level is so high today you can almost cut it with a knife.  Teachers today are taught how to stand during disputes with students so we present the smallest possible gun target.  And many of us have had to employ that learning.
Despite the pension benefits, the VERY Conservative Forbes magazine rating teaching as the 3rd lowest paying profession requiring a college degree.
And now, with the far-right's chants of down-with-the-union, people want to cheat the teachers of what's effectively delayed pay in their retirement pensions.  With that attitude, I'd advise every young person to avoid a career in teaching: America will screw you if possible out of fair compensation.

Jun 22, 2012 11:29AM
avatar
Growth potential is not what makes most employees happy.  Nurses and teachers know there is little room for growth, and most are happy at their jobs.  I know far more nurses and teachers who like their jobs than most professions.  This article is garbage.
Jun 22, 2012 11:25AM
avatar
Most jobs are menial and demeaning....some jobs on the higher end of the food chain that pay well and are difficult to get into due to educational requirements or licensure(usually the two go hand in hand)are tolerable,and some jobs that allow the employed the freedom to make descisions and use their skills are enjoyable.....most work is not of this nature.It is dull,repetitive,demeaning,and unappreciated and underpaid.We were all better of before the dawn of the industrial age,when people owned farms and were self sufficient.We have traded hard work for ease at the cost of our souls.
Jun 22, 2012 10:54AM
avatar
You get paid to produce, not to be happy.
Jun 22, 2012 10:51AM
Jun 22, 2012 10:49AM
avatar
One of the worst jobs is being a social worker here in South Florida. Everyday at work you get insulted and cursed at by lowlife,lazy,slimebags. On top of that you have an administration with the IVORY TOWER mentality who treat us less than second class citizens, especially if you're a Latino, and aren't of the same faith they are. Another wonderful thing is that the Miami-Dade County commission has  forced us to contribute more towards our medical insurance, and has  FORCED upn us unpaid furlough days along with 8 unpaid Federal Holidays. Then they have the despicable gall to tell you that YOU have to sacrifice more each year, while those on top haven't had their salaries cut, on the contrary their buddies have had their salaries raised!!
Report
Please help us to maintain a healthy and vibrant community by reporting any illegal or inappropriate behavior. If you believe a message violates theCode of Conductplease use this form to notify the moderators. They will investigate your report and take appropriate action. If necessary, they report all illegal activity to the proper authorities.
Categories
100 character limit
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?

DATA PROVIDERS

Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.

Quotes are real-time for NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. See delay times for other exchanges.

Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.

Japanese stock price data provided by Nomura Research Institute Ltd.; quotes delayed 20 minutes. Canadian fund data provided by CANNEX Financial Exchanges Ltd.

MSN Mobile: Go to msn.com in your phone's browser.