The 25 Dirtiest Jobs on Planet Earth

That mediocre office chair you’re probably slouched in right now is the source of misery in your day to day world. Sure, bad posture may not be your dream side-effect to getting to sit all day but at least you have a chair to take a load off in. But there are people out there in the world, the ones that make your day to day life tick over that only dream of your office chair. To them it’s more of a throne than a cheap piece of manufactured, uncomfortable plastic. Quit your whining! Let’s take a look at the men and women that do the dirtiest jobs in the world so that we don’t have to. Without them, we’d crumble. I warn you though, some of these leave political correctness in the dust.

1. Garbage Man:

If you couldn’t guess, the garbage guy is the one that picks up your waste every week. He gets a flimsy pair of gloves to keep those old eggs and cat litter off of his hands. You obviously don’t want to touch it, so kudos to them.

2. Sewer Cleaner:

All of that waste that goes down you toilet ends up in a massive series of pipes under the ground to be transported to a processing planet. But on occasion, things get stuck. And when things get stuck there are two possible outcomes. The waste will either spew right back out of the drain or some lonely soul has to climb down into the sewer to unclog it. Since you’ve probably never seen sewage spew onto the street I’m sure you can guess which option is usually chosen.

3. Egg poo cleaner:

“What the…” You’re right. It’s weird. But when chickens pop out eggs for our consumption they’re covered in a not so enjoyable substance. You get the gist.

4. Dishwasher:

Putting things into the dishwasher is not what we’re talking about. Before dishes can make their way into the dishwasher at restaurants, the dishes have to be cleaned off. It’s usually left to some pimply teenager to do. But after a long shift of scraping half eaten food off of plates, you might actually feel sorry for them.

5. Cow Insemination:

Believe it or not, this is an actual job. On cow farms, the ones that produce the meat you eat, waiting for cows to reproduce on their own can often take too long. So through a little genetic engineering, scientists figured out how to artificially inseminate a cow to make farming go a little faster.

6. Zoo Keeper:

Those animals surely aren’t going to clean themselves. I’m sure they look really nice in their cages but that’s only because the kind folks that work behind the scenes keep the animals clean and fed. Next time you’re at the zoo, thank them. Actually….don’t. That may be a little weird.

7. Roughneck:

No, it’s not the same thing as redneck. A roughnecker is someone that works on an oil rig. While you may not thank your local zoo keeper, thank the guys that risk their lives every day just so you can drive your Hummer to and from work. They put in one hell of a job on the rigs and deserve a lot of credit, not just for what they produce, but for their courage.

8. Concrete Truck Cleaner:

Operating a concrete truck is a delicate balance between using and cleaning. Because concrete dries rather quickly it’s important that it doesn’t dry while inside the truck. So after every job and an almost life-support type system to keep the concrete wet inside, the truck has to be cleaned out. And unfortunately, there’s no easy way to do it.

9. Disaster Cleanup:

After a huge storm rolls through, someone has to do all of the dirty work and clean everything up. It can take months to clean up a disaster area, such as the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. Imagine getting dirty in your garden one dreary Sunday afternoon. Now imagine doing that again. And again. And again….for months at a time.

10. Demolition Expert:

Blowing up buildings is no easy feat. Working in a hard hat zone for a few weeks before a building is set to tumble can get pretty grimy. It isn’t just throwing a stick of dynamite into the middle of the structure. The building has to be stripped of everything but its bare bones before any progress can be made and that lengthy process can get some dirt under the fingernails.

11. Mechanic:

Speaking of getting dirt under the fingernails, mechanics never get the credit they deserve. Yeah, they can be a little pushy when they insist your tires are a little worn and you need an entirely new set otherwise your car will fly off the road, but give them a little credit. They climb under your car and get oil in places you would never even dream of just so your kids can get to soccer practice on time and safely.

12. Fuel Tank Cleaner:

Unlike small planes, large aircraft burn copious amounts of fuel in any given trip. Over time this fuel dries and clings to the side of the fuel tank inside the aircraft causing danger to the new fuel as well as to the integrity of the wing and tank. Not to fear though, right? There’s always someone around to clean it up. Often by climbing into the wing itself, cleaning crews will scrub tooth and nail to get the innards clean only to make a few more rounds before they’re at it again.

13. Pig Farmer:

It’s often said that there’s nothing dirtier than pigs in this world and for pig farmer’s that’s probably true. It may seem sad that the human race has lowered itself to playing in pig poo and mud for a day’s work but someone has to get it done. It’s not all fun and games ya know. Someone has to raise the pigs so that we all have lovely bacon and sausages for breakfast.

14. Wastewater Treatment:

Once all of your toilet water makes it out of your house and passes through the hands of the sewer cleaners, it makes its way to the wastewater treatment plant. Here the water gets treated to become usable sprinkler water in parts of the U.S. or is treated so that it is safe to release into the wilderness. Most of the process is automated but being part of the crew that gets down and dirty with the smells and waste on a daily basis is probably something most of us want to stay far away from.

15. Food processing:

This one covers a wide array of jobs. Those poor souls that pick apart our meat and fish for our consumption deserve a gold medal. It’s not just as simple as cutting the animal into small pieces and sending it off to stores. No way, all of the “waste” products must be disposed of. That’s where the people in food processing plants come in. There are those that actually cut the meat into smaller portions and then there are those that endure pounds of fat, waste, and slop just to find the edible parts in between.

16. Oil Spill Cleanup:

Natural disasters can’t be prevented but man made ones like oil spills can. In most cases, oil spills are even more of a nightmare than any hurricane that rolls through. If you’ve ever gotten a little bit of oil on your fingers after working on your engine and can remember how difficult it was to get it off then you can appreciate the effort that goes into cleaning up an oil spill. But it’s not just the water that ends up looking disgusting, there are many animals that get covered in oil when a disaster like this occurs. Cleaning them up one by one is a massive job. And as a result, cleaning yourself up, head to toe, from an oil spill CAN’T be fun either.

17. Roofing Tar:

Here’s one you’ve probably never heard of. Most industrial building go without the traditional roofing tile structure on their exterior for expense reasons. As a result, an alternative method had to be developed. That method is called roofing tar. It’s essentially road tar that garnishes the roof and protects it from the elements. But, hot roofing tar doesn’t lay itself. Like hot, messy Playdoh, roofing tar is dangerous to work with and can get you covered in black in no time flat.

18. Nurse:

Not all parts of nursing are messy but when it comes to caring for patients that can barely open their eyes, things can get a little hairy. Obviously their bodies don’t stop functioning just because they’re not conscious of it. Cleaning them up takes dedication and a real love of our fellow human beings.

19. Porta-Potty cleaner:

Go to any huge public gathering and you’re sure to see a portable toilet. They’ve been around for ages and most of the time, they’re unbearable to even use. But what about the people that have to clean all of that mess up? By now you’re probably enjoying that pitiful plastic office chair of yours.

20. Colonoscopy:

There’s no way you want to hear about this one but since this is a list of the worst jobs on the planet, it had to be mentioned. Doctors provide an invaluable service by examining your colon for cancer polyps but while we don’t like to admit it, they’re looking at some very disgusting stuff. If there’s one doctor’s bill you shouldn’t mind paying, it’s to the guy that puts his hand where even you’re afraid to.

21. Swamp Boat Operator:

There are only a few places in the country in the world where this is applicable but wherever there are swamps, there are swamp boat operators. Swamp boat operation could be anything from recreation to necessity if anyone ever gets lost in the swamp. Being on the boat is the safest part of the whole journey. It’s when you actually have to step off of the boat into the muddy, mysterious swamp that things get a little hectic. Go on, you try it.

22. Road Work:

Similar to the job that requires putting tar on the roofs of new buildings, laying new roads for us to drive our air conditioned cars down is hot work. The tar is smelly and grimy and in blistering heat, it could be considered the most terrible thing a human could possibly conceive. (OK, maybe not).

23. Semen Analysis:

This one goes beyond the boundaries of political correctness but here we go. Semen samples are taken all of the time for either scientific research or for sperm donation banks. But to ensure that the sperm is healthy and fit for use, someone has to comb through it and make sure it’s alright. You can put this one at the bottom of the list of things I’d like to see myself doing in the near future.

24. Exterminator:

Rats and insects don’t get rid of themselves all too often, that’s why we have specialists that can do it for us. The dirt doesn’t normally accumulate very quickly but the stench of rats, mice, other insects, and insecticide floods your nostrils and stains your clothes faster than you can blink.

25. Dumpster Washer:

To finish off the list we’ll throw in another job that you’ve probably never heard of. Dumpsters, even though they’re home to all of our trash, still need cleaning out. If they don’t get cleaned out, mold and infectious material can gather and over time can become harmful. The stench alone would probably be enough to drive a sane man to do crazy things. But just imagine if that month old sandwich or cream made its way onto your arm. You probably wouldn’t be too happy.

So there it is. Do you have anymore to add?

Tagged as: Worlds Worst Jobs