10 most overpaid jobs in America

[AggieDave 6]

Yup. Here's the list.

This list is quoted from an article that is found here: Clicky

You know, the Skycap thing surprised me, but you know what? It makes sense.

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10) Wedding photographers

Photographers earn a national average of $1,900 for a wedding, though many charge $2,500 to $5,000 for a one-day shoot, client meeting and processing time that runs up to 20 hours or more, and the cost of materials.

The overpaid ones are the many who admit they only do weddings for the income, while quietly complaining about the hassle of dealing with hysterical brides and drunken reception guests. They mope through the job with the attitude: "I'm just doing this for the money until Time or National Geographic calls."

Much of their work is mediocre as a result. How often have you really been wowed flipping the pages of a wedding album handed you by recent newlyweds? Photographers who long for the day they can say "I don't do weddings" should leave the work to the dedicated ones who do.

9) Major airline pilots

While American and United pilots recently took pay cuts, senior captains earn as much as $250,000 a year at Delta, and their counterparts at other major airlines still earn about $150,000 to $215,000 - several times pilot pay at regional carriers - for a job that technology has made almost fully automated.

By comparison, senior pilots make up to 40 percent less at low-fare carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest, though some enjoy favorable perks like stock options. That helps explain why their employers are profitable while several of the majors are still teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

The pilot's unions are the most powerful in the industry. They demand premium pay as if still in the glory days of long-gone Pan Am and TWA, rather than the cutthroat, deregulated market of under-$200 coast-to-coast roundtrips. In what amounts to a per-passenger commission, the larger the plane, the more they earn - even though it takes little more skill to pilot a jumbo jet. It's as much the airplane mechanics who hold our fate in their hands.

8) West Coast longshoremen

In early 2002, West Coast ports shut down as the longshoremen's union fought to preserve generous health-care benefits that would make most Americans drool. The union didn't demand much in wage hikes for good reason: Its members already were making a boatload of money.

Next year, West Coast dockworkers will earn an average of $112,000 for handling cargo, according to the Pacific Maritime Association, their employer. Office clerks who log shipping records into computers will earn $136,000. And unionized foremen who oversee the rank-and-file will pull down an average $177,000.

Unlike their East Coast union brethren who compete with non-union ports in the South and Gulf of Mexico, the West Coast stevedores have an ironfisted lock on Pacific ports. Given their rare monopoly, they can disrupt U.S. commerce -- as they did during the FDR years -- and command exorbitant wages, even though their work is more automated and less hazardous than in the days of "On the Waterfront."

7) Skycaps at major airports

Many of the uniformed baggage handlers who check in luggage at curbside at the busiest metro airports pull in $70,000 to $100,000 a year -- most of it in cash.

On top of their salaries, peak earners can take in $300 or more a day in tips. Sound implausible? That amounts to a $2 tip from 18 travelers an hour on average. Many tip more than that.

While most skycaps are cordial, a good many treat customers with blank indifference, knowing harried travelers don't want to brave counter check-ins, especially in the post 9/11 age.

6) Real estate agents selling high-end homes

Anyone who puts in a little effort can pass the test to get a real estate agent's license, which makes the vast sums that luxury-home agents earn stupefying.

While most agents hustle tail to earn $60,000 a year, those in affluent areas can pull down $200,000-plus for half the effort, courtesy of the fatter commissions on pricier listings.

Luxury home agents live off the economy's fat, yet many put on airs as if they're members of the class whose homes they're selling, and eye underdressed open-house visitors as if they're casing the joint.

5) Motivational speakers and ex-politicians on the lecture circuit

Whether it's for knighted ex-Mayor Rudy Guiliani or Tom "In Search of Excellence" Peters, corporate trade groups pay astronomical sums to celebrity-types and political has-beens to address their convention audiences.

Former President Reagan raised the bar back in 1989 when he took $2 million from Japanese business groups for making two speeches. Bill Clinton earned $9.5 million on 60 speeches last year, though most of those earnings went to charity and to fund his presidential library.

The national convention circuit's shame is that it blows trade-group members' money on orators whose speeches often have been warmed over a dozen times.

4) Orthodontists

For a 35-hour workweek, orthodontists earn a median $350,000 a year, according to the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics. General dentists, meanwhile, earn about half as much working 39 hours a week on average, in a much dirtier job.

The difference in their training isn't like that of a heart surgeon vs. a family-practice doctor. It's a mere two years, and a vastly rewarding investment if you're among the chosen: U.S. dental schools have long been criticized for keeping orthodontists in artificially low supply to keep their income up.

This isn't brain surgery: Orthodontists simply manipulate teeth in a growing child's mouth -- and often leave adjustment work to assistants whose handiwork they merely sign off on. What makes their windfall egregious is that they stick parents with most of the inflated bill, since orthodontia insurance benefits cover nowhere near as large a percentage as for general dentistry.

3) CEOs of poorly performing companies

Most U.S. chief executives are vastly overpaid, but if their company is rewarding shareholders and employees, producing quality products of good value and being a responsible corporate citizen, it's hard to take issue with their compensation.

CEOs at chronically unprofitable companies and those forever lagging industry peers stand as the most grossly overpaid. Most know they should resign -- in shareholders' and employees' interest -- but they survive because corporate boards that oversee them remain stacked with friends and family members.

The ultimate excess comes after they're finally forced out, usually by insiders tired of seeing their own stock holdings plummet. These long-time losers draw multimillion-dollar severance packages as a reward for their failed stewardship.

2) Washed-up pro athletes in long-term contracts

Pro athletes at the top of their game deserve what they earn for being the best in their business. It's those who sign whopping, long-term contracts after a few strong years, and then find their talents vanish, who reap unconscionable sums of money.

NBA player Shawn Kemp, for instance, earned $10 million in a year he averaged a pathetic 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Hampton earned $9.5 million -- in the second year of an eight-year, $121 million contract -- while compiling a 7-15 won-loss record for the Colorado Rockies with a pitiful earned-run average of 6.15.

Thank the players' unions for refusing to negotiate contracts based on performance -- and driving up the cost of tickets to levels unaffordable for a family of four, especially for football and basketball. They point to owners as the culprits, yet golf star Tiger Woods and tennis champ Serena Williams earn their keep based on their performance in each tournament.

1) Mutual-fund managers

Everyone on Wall Street makes far too much for the backbreaking work of moving money around, but mutual fund managers are emerging as among the most reprehensible.

This isn't kicking 'em when they're down, given the growing fund-industry scandal. They've been long overpaid. Stock-fund managers can easily earn $500,000 to $1 million a year including bonuses -- even though only 3 in 10 beat the market in the last 10 years.

Now we discover an untold number enriched themselves and favored clients with illegally timed trades of fund shares. That's a worse betrayal of trust than the corporate scandals of recent years, since they're supposed to be on the little person's side.

Put aside what fund managers earn and consider their bosses. Putnam's ex-CEO Lawrence J. Lasser's income rivals the bloated pay package that sparked New York Stock Exchange President Dick Grasso's ouster. Lasser's take: An estimated total of $163 million over the last five years.

If only we were all so fortunate.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Aviatrr 0]

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By comparison, senior pilots make up to 40 percent less at low-fare carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest, though some enjoy favorable perks like stock options. That helps explain why their employers are profitable while several of the majors are still teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

Something that most people don't take into account is the number of people on board the aircraft(SWA has a max of about 150, whereas Delta 777's are around 300 people) and the value of the aircraft(777's cost a hell of a lot more than 737's).

Mike

[Lizard 0]

777, CRJ, 300 people or 50, it doesn't matter. The responsibility is the same. The smaller aircraft fly more legs, cycles. Same for mechanics.....I make less money because I work on the smaller aircraft, but the responsibility is all the same. This thought process of the bigger the aircraft, the more money is silly, but will always be in place. If the airline ever ask me to do something on the larger planes.....forget it. My paycheck doesnt reflect it.

[diverdriver 5]

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9) Major airline pilots

While American and United pilots recently took pay cuts, senior captains earn as much as $250,000 a year at Delta, and their counterparts at other major airlines still earn about $150,000 to $215,000 - several times pilot pay at regional carriers - for a job that technology has made almost fully automated.

By comparison, senior pilots make up to 40 percent less at low-fare carriers like Jet Blue and Southwest, though some enjoy favorable perks like stock options. That helps explain why their employers are profitable while several of the majors are still teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

The pilot's unions are the most powerful in the industry. They demand premium pay as if still in the glory days of long-gone Pan Am and TWA, rather than the cutthroat, deregulated market of under-$200 coast-to-coast roundtrips. In what amounts to a per-passenger commission, the larger the plane, the more they earn - even though it takes little more skill to pilot a jumbo jet. It's as much the airplane mechanics who hold our fate in their hands.

F'n BS......fully automated? F'n BS. If it was automated I wouldn't have to type anything in and then make sure it did exactly what I told it to do. And then, click the autopilot off in the last 1,000 feet, "warm up" and make a smooth landing. That's not easy. Oh, and I hand flew to 29K today just because I can. Fully automated? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........

that's all I have to say about that.

[chopchop 0]

cool... fight! fight! a redneck and a FIB (fuckin' Illinois bastard)

PS I used to live in WI.

chopchop
gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking..

Lotsa Pictures

[diverdriver 5]

LOL.......umm...Aggie could hand my non-existant ass to me fairly quickly. No fight here. He just reposted what someone else wrote.

Oh yah....and F'N BS!

[tunaplanet 0]

I agree. Airline pilots are grossly overpaid. I think the professions on that list should flip-flop with teachers as far as pay goes. It takes real brain-work and dedication to teach...not to mention the job is light-years more important than airline pilots.

Forty-two

[Lee03 0]

Number one overpaid job,

Politicians!

Number two overpaid job,

Lawyers!

Number three overpaid job,

Actor/actress!

Number four overpaid job,

professional athlete

Number five overpaid job,

Idiotic morons writers, such as the damned fool that wrote this article!

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To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities.

--Nevil Shute, Slide Rule

[diverdriver 5]

Did I ever say teachers were not paid enough? Where did that come from? I believe people should be paid what the job is worth. My perspective....I did my residency for 10 years to "build time" flying people around for squat. Now it's time to pay me what it's really worth. Out of college a teacher makes more money than most pilots will for the next decade. So, the teacher actually has the better deal because the money they save is compounded. The pilot must make more money all at once to make up for the missed investment opportunity. Now, granted, in the end, many major airline pilots will earn more than most teachers. But that does not diminish the job that airline pilots do.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[tunaplanet 0]

Lol, pilots are overpaid and have a job not nearly as important as teachers. You can argue all you want, doesn't change the facts. You are afterall a little biased.

Forty-two

[lewmonst 0]

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I agree. Airline pilots are grossly overpaid. I think the professions on that list should flip-flop with teachers as far as pay goes. It takes real brain-work and dedication to teach...not to mention the job is light-years more important than airline pilots.

Yeah Yeah Yeah!!!! teachers deserve more pay!!! Thank you for saying so, as I feel appreciated sometimes by kids and parents, but not by the rest of the world. I'd love it if others could experience my 7th graders for a week. For me the brainwork isn't an issue, it's just soooo draining and soooo time consuming (except for summer )

Although i don't think pilots deserve teachers pay, shit, i can't think of any profession who deserves teacher's pay. i also got a put a vote in here for Architects being underpaid, my brother is an architect and he makes less than I do!

Is there a list anywhere of the 10 most underpaid professions/jobs?

peace
lew

http://www.exitshot.com

[diverdriver 5]

Yah, I'm biased. I was there when I save 4 lives (5 with mine) after my engine failed on takeoff in a 206. I was there when I saved 5 lives (including mine) when the engine of a 182 failed on takeoff. I was there when I saved the lives of 5 people when the engine of another 182 failed at 400 feet. I had 2 other engine failures in twin engine aircraft with more than 50 people total on board. Yah, pilots don't have do ANYTHING right or under pressure. You're right. WHAT was I thinking?

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[tunaplanet 0]

It's always been an issue with me. We need to quit paying these meaningless professions outrageous amounts of salaries and put the $$$ where it belongs...to those who educate our children/future. If you pay teachers the big $$$ you will have the ability to pick the cream of the crop. In a way you still have outstanding people in teachers...they certainly aren't doing it for the money. It's all about dedication.

Forty-two

[lewmonst 0]

tuna and chris, i agree with both of you. I think pilots definitely put their time in to earn the big bucks later in their careers, and teachers deserve more off the bat if only for the reason that it would be a more appealing profession and draw more qualified applicants... I do think pilots have lives in their hands like chris said, and that has merit...
But then again, so do TandemMasters :) who are putting themselves at more risk... but that's a whole other thread...

if only a few CEO's would give better xmas presents to their kids' math teacher

i have to go wrap presents now and think about how i'm going to pay off my credit card... no xmas bonus from a school...

peace
lew

http://www.exitshot.com

[tunaplanet 0]

Thousands of professions have jobs where they are in charge of other's lives. Most of those don't list all the times they saved the lives of those by doing their job. Me and many other people, even people on these forums could list all the times they did something heroric. I never felt the need to list accalades of that nature.

DiverDriver, there's a book you should read. It's called 93 confirmed kills. It is an auto-biography of Carlos Hathcock. He was a marine sniper in the Viet-nam era. Towards the end hos tour, the vehicle they were on hit a land mine and caught the vehicle on fire. He dragged seven men to safety, each time walking into the fire. By the time he dragged the seventh man to safety, the skin on his arms sagged down almost 8 inches. It was like tar. He eventually had to go through 13 skin grafts and massive amounts of rehabilitation.

His superior officers were going to nominate him for the Medal of Honor, but Carlos Hathcock outright refused, stating, "It's part of my job. I did nothing any of those 7 men would have done for me."

That's a man's man. A true hero. He never onced talked about the lives he saved, accomplishments, etc... He just did his job, just like many of my other military brothers and sisters...and just like all the other people who hold one of the thousands of professions that hold lives in their hands.

In conclusion, and just my humble opinion, teachers should make the high salaries because it is more important to me than airline pilots and most other jobs in this country. This country owes it to the teachers and everyone else to pay these great people what they deserve.

Forty-two

[Push 0]

I agree about teachers needing good money.

To become an airline pilot, one needs to be very very dedicated. One needs to invest enormous amounts of your own money and years of your life into training. You are responsible for hundreds of people on every flight, hundreds of thousands of lives over your total career. You are required to perform with perfect precision under the worst pressure imaginable.

How much would you pay a surgeon? Now, how much would you pay a surgeon that uses machines as tools?

If airliners are so easy to fly, why aren't you flying one?

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[Dagny 0]

Not to argue what you are saying diverdriver, but I'd like to throw this out there....

There are a LOT of jobs where people's lives are on the line requiring quick thought and faster action to save themselves and/or others. I worked as a paramedic for several years. In Alabama, I was paid $9.00 an hour. Didn't really make dodging bullets, fighting violent people, avoiding the sharp end of a knife, or avoiding car accidents worthwhile, really. And, yet, I did the job...and I complained about the low pay when I couldn't pay my bills, but I did it because I loved it.

I think I'm just trying to say that danger doesn't necessarily mean great pay for every career. So, if pilots are paid better for hazardous duty...well, enjoy it because not all of us are that lucky.

Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic.
-Salvador Dali

[Push 0]

Ah, the obligatory military example. People who save other people should be rewarded. It is also commendable not to save people for a reward. There are a lot of underpaid professions, I agree.

Still, a profession that takes years and tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars to train and carries a lot of responsibility should be paid for accordingly. Just because some such professions are underpaid does not mean that other such professions are overpaid. It's just that some people get what they deserve, and some don't unfortunately. Though $300,000 a year may be a bit much, true.

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[FallRate 0]

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Yah, I'm biased. I was there when I save 4 lives (5 with mine) after my engine failed on takeoff in a 206. I was there when I saved 5 lives (including mine) when the engine of a 182 failed on takeoff. I was there when I saved the lives of 5 people when the engine of another 182 failed at 400 feet. I had 2 other engine failures in twin engine aircraft with more than 50 people total on board. Yah, pilots don't have do ANYTHING right or under pressure. You're right. WHAT was I thinking?

I think you should see about getting a new mechanic.

FallRate

[Lizard 0]

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Yah, I'm biased. I was there when I save 4 lives (5 with mine) after my engine failed on takeoff in a 206. I was there when I saved 5 lives (including mine) when the engine of a 182 failed on takeoff. I was there when I saved the lives of 5 people when the engine of another 182 failed at 400 feet. I had 2 other engine failures in twin engine aircraft with more than 50 people total on board. Yah, pilots don't have do ANYTHING right or under pressure. You're right. WHAT was I thinking?

I think you should see about getting a new mechanic.

FallRate

Wasn't me......I promise..

[Lee03 0]

I had the honor of knowing Carlos Hathcock. Everything that Tunaplanet says it true!

--------
To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities.

--Nevil Shute, Slide Rule

[tunaplanet 0]

Were you a Marine, Lee?

And yes, he was as brave as they came. Definitly a role-model for all.

Forty-two

[skymama 35]

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6) Real estate agents selling high-end homes

Anyone who puts in a little effort can pass the test to get a real estate agent's license, which makes the vast sums that luxury-home agents earn stupefying.

While most agents hustle tail to earn $60,000 a year, those in affluent areas can pull down $200,000-plus for half the effort, courtesy of the fatter commissions on pricier listings.

Luxury home agents live off the economy's fat, yet many put on airs as if they're members of the class whose homes they're selling, and eye underdressed open-house visitors as if they're casing the joint.

I'd have to disagree with this. Yes, high-end real estate agents make a good commission of their homes, but it usually takes months of phone calls and contact in order to make the deal. People aren't as willing to part easily with their money once they get over the $500,000 range. I've found in our business that the more affluent a person is, the more freebies they try to squeeze out of the builder. In addition, once the economy starts to take a turn for the worse, high-end purchases are the first thing to go. Sometimes there is a long, dry spell for the agents when that happens.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Eiley 0]

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there's a book you should read. It's called 93 confirmed kills. It is an auto-biography of Carlos Hathcock.

[...]

He never onced talked about the lives he saved, accomplishments, etc...

So, what was in his book and how did you find out about his accomplishments, the lives he saved, etc?

nothing to see here

[kallend 1,623]

They're all pikers compared to the CEOs. The "good ol' boys club" of CEOs really looks after itself.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.