The 9 Most Hated Professions

Specific images pop into your head when you think about some ​occupations, and these images aren't always favorable. The reason they come to mind is probably not because of your personal experience with a particular profession, but your impression instead is based on how television shows and movies portray these occupations, or on what you know about the few bad seeds that are present in every field of work. Let's take a look at why we hate some professions and ​learn the truth about them. Who knows...you may wind up finding your future career, once you know the facts about it.

Dentists

Little girl entering dental surgery, looking away
Monty Rakusen/Getty Images 

A trip to the dentist usually means there will be a little bit of discomfort, if not pain. Add your own experience to the fact that they often are portrayed in movies as somewhat sadistic. Take for example Orin Scrivello, DDS in Little Shop of Horrors as played by Steve Martin. Who didn't cheer when Seymour fed him to Audrey II, the man-eating plant?

The truth is, dentists are trained to administer anesthetics that help them do their job while inflicting as little pain on patients as possible while examining patients' teeth and mouth tissue and treating problems. To become a dentist, one must attend dental school after earning a bachelor's degree.

Median Annual Salary (2018): $156,240

Number of People Employed (2016): 153,500

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): 19% (much faster than the average for all occupations)

Projected Increase in Jobs (2016-2026): 29,300

Stock Traders

Upset stock broker
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Most of what we know about stock traders we've learned from movies and the news media. They are out to make a buck and it doesn't matter who gets in the way. "Greed is good" was the mantra of Gordon Gekko, the stock trader Michael Douglas portrayed in Wall Street — for both the 1987 original and the 2010 sequel.

Stock traders buy and sell stock on behalf of investors who may be individuals or companies. While some stock traders carry out these transactions on the floor of a stock exchange, most work on trading floors maintained by the securities firms that employ them. It is a challenging and often stressful job that requires the ability to make decisions very quickly. The minimum requirement to work as a stock trader is a bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, or economics, but many traders go on to earn an MBA.

Median Annual Salary (2018): $64,120

Number of People Employed (2016): 375,700

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): 6% (as fast as the average for all occupations)

Projected Increase in Jobs (2016-2026): 23,300

School Principals

Elementary school principal disciplines students
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Every adult remembers being a child who was afraid of getting sent to the principal's office. It may have felt like they were out to get you, but only if you misbehaved. Take, for example, Principal Ed Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He tried to keep high school student Ferris Bueller from playing hooky, why did he make that his life's mission. You would have thought he'd be happy to have this troublemaker out of his hair.

Principals can be considered the CEOs of elementary, middle, and high schools. They are responsible for everything that goes on inside their buildings. They establish educational goals and make sure their teachers meet them. They prepare budgets; hire, advise, and evaluate staff; and offer emotional support to students and their families. Most school principals first work as teachers. They generally must earn a master's or doctoral degree to be promoted to principal.

Median Annual Salary (2018): $95,310

Number of People Employed (2016): 251,300

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): 8% (as fast as the average for all occupations)

Projected Increase in Jobs (2016-2026): 19,800

Used Car Salesmen

Car Salesman and Client
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They are fast-talking liers who do it all with smiles on their faces. They try to win your trust to sell you a heap of junk that falls apart as soon as it leaves the lot. Isn't that the image that comes to mind when you hear the words "used car salesmen"? And why shouldn't it be? That's how they have been portrayed on television and in movies since...well since there have been television and films.

Like other retail salespeople, a used car salesman helps customers find what they are looking for and tries to persuade them to purchase those items. They usually earn a commission, so a used car salesman's income is very dependent on their ability to make sales. This job requires excellent communication skills, knowledge of cars, and a pleasant demeanor. To work as a retail salesperson, one usually needs only a high school diploma.

Median Hourly Salary (2018): $16.67

Number of People Employed (2016): 276,000

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): 2% (All Retail Salespersons; slower than the average for all occupations)

Lawyers

Lawyers working at desk in office
Chris Ryan/Getty Images 

For most of us, everything we know about lawyers comes from the multitude of jokes we have heard portraying them as snakes, liars, and thieves. And those are only the less offensive jokes.

Lawyers represent and advise their clients in both criminal and civil cases. Lawyers can specialize in one of a variety of areas including criminal, real estate, matrimonial, probate, and bankruptcy law. Some are general practitioners. Lawyers navigate the legal system on behalf of their clients. The lawyers we see on television shows and in movies are usually arguing cases in court, but many lawyers, depending on their specialties, never, or infrequently, set foot in a courtroom. Aspiring lawyers attend law school for three years after earning a bachelor's degree.

Median Annual Salary (2018): $120,910

Number of People Employed (2016): 792,500

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): 8% (as fast as the average for all occupations)

Projected Increase in Jobs (2016-2026): 65,000

Tax Examiners

tax collector
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No one enjoys paying taxes. Perhaps that's why we hate tax examiners so much. They are the ones who try to catch tax scofflaws. In the process, they snag some innocent people in their nets, making them go through time-consuming audits.

Yes, ​tax examiners audit tax returns in a quest to make sure filers' returns are correct, but they are doing it to make sure everyone pays what they owe. After all, we don't want other people to get away with paying less than their fair share. To become a tax examiner, one must earn a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. Sometimes an associate degree combined with work experience will suffice.

Median Annual Salary (2018): $54,440

Number of People Employed (2016): 62,100

Projected Job Decline (2016-2026): 1%

Projected Decrease in Jobs (2016-2026): 400

TV News Anchors

News presenter
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While a reporter is out in the field in the midst of the disaster du jour, the tv news anchor is sitting warm and safe in the studio looking as if all is right in the world. But, all isn't right! A car has fallen off a bridge, there's a war going on, and someone has been murdered. Why is the anchorman smiling? It does make you hate him or her, doesn't it?

Anchors present news stories and introduce reporters who are in remote locations. They sometimes deliver analyses of various news stories. Many begin their careers as reporters and are well aware of what the reporters are experiencing out in the field. Most employers prefer to hire job candidates who have a bachelor's degree in journalism or mass communications.

Median Annual Salary (2018): $66,880

Number of People Employed (2016): 5,700

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): No Change

Projected Increase in Jobs (2016-2026): No Change

Politicians

Politician speaking to reporters
Robert Daly/Getty Images

Political debates have become shouting matches filled with insults and half-truths instead of forums for political candidates to express opposing points-of-view. Add that to politicians taking kickbacks, cheating on their spouses, and lying to their constituents. It's not hard to see why politicians have gained a bad reputation.

Politicians are generally elected officials who run federal, state, and local governments. They enact and carry out laws and make decisions about the distribution of public funds. Many lawyers enter politics, but anyone can become a politician as there is no formal training required. All it takes is the desire to influence the laws of the country or your city, town, or state.

Nurses

Asian female medical professional sitting in chair
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We like to think of nurses as angels of mercy but, every so often, one comes along who takes that image from our minds and replaces it with one of pure evil. Think Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. If we didn't recognize that these were fictional characters, we might be unwilling to set foot in a hospital.

Registered nurses (RNs) treat and educate patients and their families about medical conditions. They perform diagnostic tests and help analyze results. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), working under the supervision of RNs and doctors, care for sick, injured, convalescing, or disabled patients.

To become an RN, one can earn a bachelor's of science degree (BSN), an associate degree (ADN), or a diploma in nursing. BSN programs are generally four-years long, while it takes two to three years to earn an ADN. Diploma programs are usually three years long. To work as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), complete a state-approved training program that includes a combination of classroom study and supervised clinical practice.

Median Annual Salary (2018): RNs: $71,730; LPNs: $46,240

Number of People Employed (2016): RNs: 2.9 Million; LPNs: 724,500

Projected Job Growth (2016-2026): RNs: 15% (much faster than the average for all occupations); LPNs: 12% (faster than the average for all occupations)

Projected Increase in Jobs (2016-2026): RNs: 438,100; LPNs: 88,900​