You may consider some careers better than others when comparing working conditions, work-life balance, stress, and salary potential. Undesirable jobs can exist in a variety of industries and at various skill and education levels. Learning more about these positions can help you determine if you are willing to work in these roles. In this article, we discuss the 13 worst jobs in the world based on stress, danger, and salary.

Here is a list of the 13 worst jobs in the world based on working environment, salaries, and potential for danger and injury:

1. Military soldier

National average salary: $96.65 per day

Primary duties: Serving as a soldier for the Canadian Armed Forces provides the opportunity to learn and further their education, military soldiers often live a hard life while in service. They usually live away from their families for extended periods while deployed and put their lives in danger to defend their country and provide service and care to those around them. As a result, they face highly stressful situations and difficult working conditions, especially in combat zones.

Related: 11 Jobs in the Army (With Salaries and Primary Duties)

2. Taxi driver

National average salary: $13.55 per hour

Primary duties: A taxi driver picks people up in a vehicle and transports them to their desired destination. Often working within a city or specific region, a taxi driver works various shifts, including late evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. They learn the best routes to various popular destinations and have to drive safely in all weather conditions. A taxi driver also needs a specific driver's license to be authorized to transport passengers. They deal with a wide range of people, work long hours, earn low wages and tips, which can cause high stress levels.

3. Fast-food attendant

National average salary: $13.90 per hour

Primary duties: A fast-food attendant works at a restaurant or kiosk, taking customer orders, accepting payment, and providing the food when it's ready. They also perform cleaning duties, such as washing floors, cleaning customer washrooms, and stocking utensils for customer use. Depending on the company, a fast-food attendant can also perform cooking duties in the kitchen. They have a stressful position working directly with the public for low wages. A fast-food attendant handles complaints, customer requests, and often works various shifts, including early mornings, late nights, or overnight, depending on the restaurant.

4. Retail sales associate

National average salary: $15.72 per hour

Primary duties: A retail sales associate works in a retail store to provide customer service and help to shoppers. They often have various tasks, including stocking shelves, checking out customers at a register, and answering inquiries. It is often a stressful job, and retail sales associates provide a positive customer experience to demanding and impolite individuals. They also handle customer complaints, returns, and other product issues. Retail sales associates typically work various shifts, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, while typically receiving a low wage.

Related: Retail Skills: Definition, Examples, and How To Improve

5. Telemarketer

National average salary: $16.21 per hour

Primary duties: A telemarketer makes outbound phone calls to businesses or individuals to sell a product or service, share a promotion, or complete a survey. They often work from a script to engage people in conversation about the organization they represent and try to make a sale, book an appointment, or ask for donations for non-profit charities. Telemarketers have a hard job because they get hung up on or treated poorly over the phone. Despite the opportunity to earn bonuses based on performance, the starting wage for a telemarketer is low compared to the stress they endure on the job.

6. Cleaner

National average salary: $16.24 per hour

Primary duties: A cleaner works independently or for a company and goes into people's homes and businesses to clean. They can vacuum, wash floors and walls, clean bathrooms, dust, and wash windows. The duties of a cleaner are physically demanding and take a toll on the body. In addition, cleaners have exposure to many cleaning chemicals and other environmental concerns, such as mould, dust, allergens, and waste products. A career as a cleaner has a low wage compared to the effort given to do the job well.

7. Line cook

National average salary: $16.62 per hour

Primary duties: A line cook works in a restaurant to perform basic food preparation and cooking duties. They need to maintain a high quality of cleanliness and sanitation while remaining efficient and accurate in cooking customer's orders. Being a line cook is a physically demanding job, standing and walking throughout their shift with few opportunities to sit or have a break. It is also a stressful position, requiring they cook all food correctly. Line cooks also work unconventional hours, such as evenings, late nights, weekends, and holidays, with minimal compensation for these hours.

Related: Cook Skills To Include on Your Resume

8. Photographer

National average salary: $18.37 per hour

Primary duties: A photographer arranges people and objects to capture special moments. This is a creative job that requires attention to detail and visual composition skills. With the popularity of cellphones as cameras and their ease of use, the position of photographers is becoming less common. While some photographers have thriving careers, many people in this career path have difficulty finding work. A photographer typically invests in expensive equipment and works unusual hours to accommodate their clients. They can often receive lower wages than other skilled professions, and typically manage their own accounting books and taxes, which can be stressful.

9. Personal care attendant

National average salary: $20.01 per hour

Primary duties: A personal care attendant provides support and care to individuals in a private residence, assisted living facility, or hospital. They help their client with personal care routines, such as bathing, personal grooming, and dressing. A personal care attendant also helps with cooking and feeding the individual, physiotherapy exercises, and administering medications. This is a physically demanding job. For example, these professionals often require strength to move and lift a client from bed to a wheelchair or toilet. The position also requires the ability to perform personal care, which can be sensitive or uncomfortable at times.

10. Construction labourer

National average salary: $20.49 per hour

Primary duties: A construction labourer provides help on a construction job site and performs a wide variety of duties. Because this is an unskilled position, a construction labourer completes tasks given to them by tradespeople during a building project. They can perform general maintenance tasks, move equipment and supplies, and help others complete their work. This is a physically demanding job and often involves working in all weather and environments, including heights, snow, and rain. Being a construction labourer is also a dangerous position because of the machinery involved, heights to climb, and other high-risk situations that can cause injury.

Related:13 Jobs Within Construction To Consider

11. Firefighter

National average salary: $25.66 per hour

Primary duties: A firefighter is a first responder of emergency situations. Being highly trained and physically fit individuals, firefighters put their lives at risk during fire suppression and rescue. In addition, they educate the public about fire prevention and safety. Fire and other emergencies expose a firefighter to toxic chemicals, and they need to protect themselves and others at all times. It's also a physically demanding job that requires excellent physical condition and mental health. They often work 24-hour shifts and are away from their families while working, as they sleep, eat, and live at the firehouse while on duty.

12. Pest control technician

National average salary: $48,188 per year

Primary duties: A pest control technician works for a business that provides pest control and extermination services to businesses, buildings, and residential homes. They can trap, relocate, spray, poison, or eliminate animals or insects. For example, a homeowner may have a wasp nest causing problems in their backyard, or a rodent problem that requires a pest control technician to look for evidence of the infestation and develop an elimination strategy. They also work with hazardous chemicals and pesticides to handle bugs, insects, mice, and other invasive pests that many people don't want to manage.

13. Roofer

National average salary: $26.98 per hour

Primary duties: A roofer builds, installs, and repairs roofs on homes and buildings. They are usually busiest during summer months and work at heights and on sloped surfaces in the heat and sun. Roofing is a physically demanding job that includes climbing ladders, lifting heavy tools, bending, twisting, and kneeling. Despite having a higher hourly wage, roofers can only work for part of the year, depending on their location. Bad or wet weather prohibits them from working, and they often need to find other employment during the winter months.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries‌ ‌may‌ ‌‌vary‌‌ ‌depending‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌hiring‌ ‌organization‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌candidate's‌ ‌experience,‌ ‌academic‌ background‌, ‌and‌ ‌location. Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.