25 Prestigious Careers With Low Wages

Everybody doing a job in society is contributing something of value. Therefore, all jobs deserve to be considered valuable. Society even covets some jobs for the standing and respect they garner in public standing. However, while the service the job role provides to society is held in high esteem, the wages are often low in comparison. 

#1 Librarians. I couldn’t believe the position required a Masters degree for what they get paid.

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#2 Most of the crew in film & tv production sets.

Image source: Professional_Bee_930, Lê Minh

#3 Certified Nursing Assistant.

Image source: Lala6699, Laura James

#4 I get this all the time. Theoretical particle physicist for the Department of Energy Office of Science. I live, I survive, I have savings, I can cover emergencies but if I were private, I would almost be making double. However I will take the stability of this position with its amazing benefits and pension plan.

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#5 News anchors and Journalists.

Image source: Charming_Bowler_9595, Mido Makasardi ©️

#6 Teachers.

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#7 Paraprofessional…

Image source: laurenlcd, Arthur Krijgsman

If you think teachers have it rough, we’re the ones who help those teachers manage the kids with behavior issues, Mal-adaptive personalities, autism, severe ADHD, learning disorders… A generation before, these kids would have been sent away to mental asylums and forgotten about if they couldn’t adapt to “normal” schooling, but we’re trying to give them an equal shot at an education.

#8 This may be niche but being a professional opera singer sounds very prestigious and cool but even singers at top houses are barely surviving financially, and big stars often still have to do things like teach master classes or teach lessons/coachings whatever .

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#9 A lot of political jobs. I worked in politics for a bit for a state rep and the pay was criminally low. Everyone thought it was such a fancy exclusive job but nope. I was making like $24k a year.

Image source: Zestypalmtree, August de Richelieu

#10 Im a Millwright for a medium-large sewer system and they pay is pretty good but as a critically essential service that gets literally no recognition, and trust me we go through some s**t to ensure you dont have to worry about flushing.

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#11 People who work with at risk populations like youth, the homeless, addicts, etc to work with them to help them turn their lives around. You’re typically working for nonprofits who rely on government grants and donations by the community to get them funded. The people you are working with aren’t paying for these services and thus, these agencies aren’t bringing in income from these people. Welcome to the psychology field.

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#12 EMTs (emergency medical technician)!!! Wtf? We call em in because we don’t want to die. [They] make barely enough for a loaf of bread.

Image source: WTFisThatSMell, Pavel Danilyuk

#13 Architecture. Ridiculously competitive AND low pay.

Image source: sappy60, Karolina Grabowska

#14 I thought Administrative Assistant sounded cool until I became one. Feels like I’m a one-man department for menial tasks.

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#15 Every “Account Executive” is a post-college grad making like 45k… Hopefully they can double it with a bonus.

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#16 Paramedic.

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#17 College Professor.

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#18 My sibling has a PhD in Audiology. And there’s not much money in it at all. I barely have a high school degree and make 3x what they do in my tech sys admin role. .

Image source: Xerisca, Andrea Piacquadio

#19 Most science jobs like Biologist.

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#20 Graphic Designer.

Image source: enterAdigit, Antoni Shkraba

You can make bank if you are good at selling yourself in freelance to people who will pay, but they’re <1% of any possible options. That’s why you see so many pivoting to UX and development. Starting around me is sub $40k and doesn’t scale well at all until 10yrs+, and even the, it still sucks for what gets asked of you. Definitely not the field for people/students with debt that want to start.

#21 Any field relating to veterinary work or animal work in general….very low pay.

Image source: SqueezableFruit, Mikhail Nilov

#22 Any position in academic research.

Image source: srsh32

#23 Pretty much anything at a museum, even famous ones.

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#24 Paralegals.

Image source: CarolynHarris623, Andrea Piacquadio

#25 Criminal prosecutors.

Image source: SugaBoyOsheean, Sora Shimazaki