Few things make a job more in-demand than being … well, gross. Jobs that require work involving dirty or dangerous elements like wildlife, human waste, or dead bodies are not exactly the careers parents press their kids into.
The jobs Mike Rowe takes up range from biohazard warning to psychologically scarring.
Our aversion to these jobs is actually the reason they are often so well-paid, despite not requiring advanced degrees or years of training like the usual well-paid professions.
To get a job that starts you down one of the career paths on this list, you can forget about a university degree. Often, these don’t even require a 2-year stint at the local community college. These jobs call for something much harder to obtain than those traditional requirements. These jobs demand mental strength and comfort living up to the waist in risk.
1. Skull Cleaner
Have you ever wondered if the skeletons and displays shown at museums are the real deal? Well the answer is “yeah, they usually are.” These bones are actually big business. A mouse skeleton at Skulls Unlimited costs $60. A cat costs $300. A medium sized dog is $600. A male lion goes for $2,500.
This career niche uses maceration, flesh-eating beetles, and boiling water to strip a carcass of its soft parts and leave only the bone.
Maceration is the process of soaking tissue in water until is comes apart. At one point in the episode, Mike Rowe has to dump the contents of a macerated capybara—an experience he describes as one of the foulest-smelling things he has ever done.
Why it’s tough
- Smell
- Dealing with bodies
- Dealing with wildlife
2. Coal Mucker
Mike Rowe says that some machines have personalities. A machine can have an eager personality that says “crank me up and let’s roll,” or it can have a nasty attitude that says “take another step and I’ll rip your face off.” The coal mucking machine is the latter kind.
The coal mining industry of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and other coal states has been on the decline for decades. Whether you think this is good or bad is up to you, but the explanation for why these jobs are important from the point of view of pure economy is that they can be surprisingly well-paid—which, of course, means more cash swimming around the local economy.
Coal miners earn an average salary of $64,000, but can reach around $100,000 depending on experience and specializations.
Why it’s tough
- Short-term health risk
- Long-term health risk
- Long work days in the dark
3. Plumber: $50,000+
Once upon a time a significant amount of all possible jobs were dangerous and did not require a college degree. Now, plumbing is one of the few careers left that pay well and do not require any degrees. A new plumber can earn around $35,000-a year.
The difference between this job and most of the other jobs on this list, is that you have actually probably interacted with a plumber in the past year. If you have ever had somebody come plug a leaking sink or snake a clogged disposal, then you know that plumber hiring practices can get complicated.
If you own a restaurant or a food business, knowing how to talk plumbing becomes extra important.
“If you have a large project (renovation or are building a new house) It makes sense to get a plumber that specializes in this type of work (Contract plumber). They tend to be set up for this, they should have the right tools (Excavators, laser levels, and pex piping tools),” says www.fixitrightplumbing.com.au/blocked-drains-melbourne/
Why it’s tough
- Smell
- Crawling in tight spaces
- Physical labor
4. Mud Making
Apparently, oil companies own mud factories that they use to offset the pressure caused by the drill and also as lubricant. This mud actually contains no dirt. It is a blend of chemicals designed especially for the oil drilling process.
At these mud factories, different kinds of mud are made for client specifications in weight and viscosity. Barite is used to add weight. Bentonite is used to dilute this thick chemical. And lignite is the chemical that is used for maximum thinness.
This job does call for quite a bit of training. In order to mix and manage the mud to client expectations, you must undertake as much math as it does handy work. If you wish to watch the full episode, it is available for free on dailymotion.com.