· Doesn't grow on trees
· Can't buy happiness
· Is the root of all evil
· Makes the world go round (though this has yet to be proven scientifically)
And as much fun as it is to daydream about being rich, most of us will always have to watch our pennies and pay attention to the balance in our checking accounts. In fact, the 2008 national median income was $32,390 per year, or $15.57 per hour. You can safely assume your average American is earning just a little above or a little below that amount, which means we're all in the same boat.
Yet, we're often eager to complain about low-paying jobs and eager to move on from them. However, these positions are great places to start a career. Not only are they good forays into the professional world, they also teach you a lot about work ethic, customer service and your own interests.
That's why we decided to look at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and CBSlary.com and picked out jobs that consistently earn salaries lower than the national median. We wanted to highlight some jobs that we think often get bad raps and let professionals explain why they valued their time working at these jobs in the past and currently.
Note: We realize salaries differ not only from city to city but also from company to company. You might have had a job on this list that paid at a much higher rate, but these figures are based on national averages.
Here are nine jobs that earn less than the median salary and why they're good to have straight from the people who've been there:
1. Amusement and recreation attendants
Annual salary: $25,589
Why it's worth it: "I have been a ride operator for almost 3 years. It is a job that has brought me to learn so much about myself. Before I began working at the theme park, I was timid and shy. I didn't want to approach people and I was constantly scared of rejection and what others would think of me if I stood up for myself. I learned very quickly that, when in this industry, you have to put yourself out there. Talk to complete strangers; you never know who you will meet or whose face you can bring a smile to. Also, stand your ground when you need to; most will not think less of you. In fact, many will respect you for it." -- Lori E. Cotton, public relations major
"When I was in between colleges, I was a performer at Disneyland for six months. While it was sweltering wearing any of those heavy costumes in the California heat, to see the faces of children (and many adults) feel as though they have met a fairy princess, or Winnie The Pooh, well, let's just say, it's not a feeling money can buy. Sometimes families had saved up all year for a day trip to the park. Knowing that I had such an impact on these people warms my heart." -- Elizabeth Whittemore, founder of Emotion Picture
2. Dry cleaners
Annual salary: $22,567
Why it's worth it: "One of the benefits of working in a dry cleaners is that you get to meet a lot of friendly people from all walks of life; celebrities to sports figures; and you [get] a great feeling of satisfaction by getting stains out which makes both workers and customers happy." -- Rosemary O'Mara, owner of Elite Dry Cleaners, Boca Raton, Fla.
3. Hotel, motel and resort desk clerks
Annual salary: $19,480
Why it's worth it: "I liked working the late shift which allowed me to go to school during the day but still work full-time. I could study during slow times and get paid for it! It also worked well to do that job on a seasonal basis. Once I was trained, they liked it that they could call me up and I could fill in shifts during high season. I liked having the opportunity to make spare cash without having a full-time job when school was more intense. Besides that flexibility, I liked meeting people from diverse places and backgrounds." -- J. Kim Wright, publisher and managing editor of CuttingEdgeLaw.com
"I liked I was able to meet interesting people who were there mainly to enjoy a holiday or vacation. I was in a position to help them with activities, events and locations for sight-seeing or local businesses they might enjoy. Some of the guests or members were open with sharing their experiences and stories. Since I worked with a limited staff and odd hours - there was little daily supervision and had to rely on own judgment and was accountable for my actions." -- Michele Fortunati
4. Maids and housekeeping cleaners
Annual salary: $23,641
Why it's worth it: "I learned a lot about people doing that job, but the most long-lasting lesson was that, with certain jobs, people don't care that you did the job perfectly, they just want it done. One of the older maids pulled me aside one day and said, 'You don't need to get every speck of dust. Get their beds made, neaten up, and get the heck out so they can get back into their rooms.' So I now remember that every job does not need to be done to perfection to do it right."-- Mary Westheimer, assistant at Kevin Caron Studio
5. Personal and home care aides
Annual salary: $19,180
Why it's worth it: "I worked briefly for a home-care service assisting the elderly who needed minimal assistance due to injury or health and age. In most cases, they were lonely and had stories to share. I was a theater arts student and this opportunity gave me a door into their characters and a better understanding of others perception of the world. It was physical job and some of the duties were almost Zen like. " -- Fortunati,
6. Preschool teachers (excluding special education)
Annual salary: $23,870
Why it's worth it: "I quite by accident became a preschool teacher while in college to become a writer. I fell in love with the honesty of children, the fast pace of preschool and have spent the past 30-plus years in this field." -- Julie Jenkins Sathe, author of "Enlightened Discipline"
"I really enjoyed being a preschool teacher because I had fun teaching the three-year olds in my class. I wanted to be a school teacher and this was a good start for me to see if I really liked teaching. I took a semester off college while I taught this class. I would recommend doing something like this because it let me realize that I really did want to be a teacher before I spent time getting a degree in education." -- Danny Kofke, author of "How to Survive (and perhaps thrive) On a Teacher's Salary"
7. Retail salespeople
Annual salary: $20,510
Why it's worth it: "I worked at a high end retailer who promised the highest level of personal service from everyone. This job gave me the customer service skills that have carried me ever since. I learned to be patient, kind, not judge by appearances, listen well, pay attention to nonverbal cues and much more. If everyone worked in some kind of service job at some point in their life, I'm sure we'd all be a lot nicer to each other in our daily interactions. I use many of those same skills every day in my current job as a marketing director." -- Rhonda Foxworth, marketing manager at Bank of Ann Arbor
8. Security guards
Annual salary: $23,460
Why it's worth it: "In my early years of employment, I took on a position as a security officer. I already had an interest in the security and loss prevention industry and knew that I would need to learn and experience the nuts-and-bolts or how it operated and functioned in order to be successful. While an entry level position at the time, I enjoyed this work as it allowed me to help people and employers. This gave me a strong sense of satisfaction. It also opened the doors to a lifelong career in this industry. Positions span the global marketplace and can be found at hotels and resorts, commercial properties, corporate headquarters, industrial space and even cruise ships." -- Philip Farina, Farina and Associates, Ltd.
9. Waiters and waitresses
Annual salary: $24,552
Why it's worth it: "I worked as a waitress in college, and I believe the job taught me to be outgoing. By working for tips, I learned that no matter how my day was going, I needed to put a smile on my face when I stepped on the restaurant floor, or I wasn't going to make any money. Working for tips taught me to have fun with my customers, and not to fear people. It taught me to be friendly and entertaining." -- Valarie Moody, president of Fodeo
"The benefits of waitressing, in my opinion: flexible, learn to manage a lot of tasks (sort of like project management), opportunity to develop strong customer service skills, decent money, if you work at the right place, free (or discounted) food, social, hard work (which makes you feel good at the end of the day) and [you get to] stay trim because of all the walking and being on your feet." -- Jennifer Gleeson Blue, life coach for Get There From Here
By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.
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