Low-paying jobs can be tough, often requiring significant effort without much financial reward. While some professions come with high sal𝓀aries, others demand hard work and education but offer little in return.

Since 1978, the cost of living has soared, just like the cost of higher education, which has risen by over 1,490%. While some degrees, like artificial intelligence programming, can lead to six-figure salaries, and surgeons earn an average of $444,903 a year, not all professions offer such rewards.

Many of these jobs are stressful, lack job security, and some may even be at risk of becoming obsolete due to technological advances. As the cost of living rises, wo🤡rking in one of these roles can make it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

Priest, Pastor, or Rabbi

Aside from writing and presenting a weekly sermon, religious leaders are considered by their communities to be the final word on morality. They're called on constantly to provide counseling on marriage, family, and spiritual issues, and to give comfort in times of distress.

All that com🍌es with the expectation of a degree in theꦉology.

You need a bachelor’s or better, and prior experience as well as exceptional personal skills. Certifications and licensing may also be needed. The average annual salary is $56,725 as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Journalist

The Internet killed the printing press. Some magazines and newspapers are surviving online, and the lucky few journalists with jobs earn a median income of $57,500 a year. The unlucky ones have 🅺been pusheℱd out by bloggers willing to report for the byline and have been unable to secure full-time employment with fair pay.

Journalism was always a stressful profession given its constant deadlines. Add extreme job insecurity to the downside, but the gateway is still a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications.

Paramedic

This one is truly hard to understand, considering the importance of a paramedic's work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median pay was just $44,780 as of 2023, and that is with the exceptionally long and brutal hours required for the position.

The work is exceptionally intense and many paramedics burn out after just a few years on the job. Although the job doesn't require medical school, advanced certifications in all manner of first-line treatment are expected and are expensive to obtain.

Teacher

The average salary for a teacher seems reasonable at first. Specifically high school teachers, for example, earn a median salary of $65,220 a year as of 2023 and while that may seem adequate, it fails to take into account some important points.

 Teachers typically have relatively low benefits and very long work days, especially those teaching in public schools. It is not unusual for a teache🗹r to start the workday at six in the morning and keep going into the 🐷late hours of the night.

The average salary does not account for the overtime teachers regularly put in, sometimes amounting to 60 hours a week or more.

Most teaching positions require at least a bachelor's, more advanced positions may require a master's, and, of course, most university level teachers have a PhD.

The Bottom Line

Some jobs have it all: tension, frustration, and poor pay while requiring years of additional education.♋

Why take 🦄on debt to prepare yourself for fields with such prospects? Simply put, it’s not all about the money. Priests, journalists, paramedics, and teachers usually pursue these career paths for reasons other than the salary.