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Minimum Wage Should Be Raised, Says Obama: Five Low-Paid Jobs That Will Surprise You
On Wednesday, President Obama declared his support for raising the minimum wage... again. He also spoke to the growing issue of income inequality... again. Love Obama or hate him, it's clear that his words aren't amounting to action when it comes to getting the minimum wage raised.
This year, America has seen a huge amount of backlash from employees who remain frustratedly underpaid: The fast food industry has faced employee strikes, as has Walmart. And what's been done about the minimum wage? Well, McDonald's told their employees to go on food stamps and Medicaid. And Ashton Kutcher defended Walmart associates over Twitter, so there's that.
But while fast-food and Walmart employees may be at the forefront of the minimum-wage protests, they're not the only ones who are facing the brunt of income inequality. There are even more jobs that you wouldn't believe pay near minimum wage, and here are five of them...
Models
Well, not every model is a Kate Moss or Gisele Bündchen. The actual average yearly income for models is a mere $42,560 — and the bottom 10 percent make a meager $19,830, which comes out to $9.50/hour.
Strutting that catwalk decked out in haute couture doesn't sound that glamorous any more, does it?
Adjunct professor
According to Inside Higher Education, adjunct professors now make up to 75 percent of faculty positions at universities across the nation — but they don't get the comfort of the higher salaries that tenured professors do.
On average, an adjunct is paid $2,987 every three-credit course. And at community colleges, some adjuncts make only up to $1,808 per three-credit course. If those lower-paid adjuncts taught an average of 12 credits every year, their salaries would be barely over $21,000 — or about $10.50 per hour.
Certified Nursing Assistant
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the median pay for certified nursing assistants is merely $11.54/hour — and that's the median, not even the bottom 10 percent.
All that training for the state competency exam that's required for nursing assistants, all of that caring for other human beings... all for incredibly low wages.
Regional Pilots
The entry-level salary for regional airline pilots is $20,000 per year. That's $9.60 per hour. And the salary range still extends as low as $16,500 per year — which is roughly around $7.90 per hour. And this comes after the kerfuffle (and cost) of getting your airline pilot transport certificate.
Flying through the clouds may have its perks... but pay isn't one of them.
Child Caregivers
The statistics for this profession might be the most depressing. After all, nannies and caregivers are the people who ensure children are fed, clothed, and bathed.
The hourly wage? $9.28 per hour, amounting to only $19,300 per year. You can retroactively thank your childhood nanny now.
