If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty—really dirty—you can make a solid living doing jobs most people would never touch. Work that leaves you covered in grime, sweat, and smells that stick with you long after the day is done. But if you can handle the mess, the pay can make it all worth it.
7 Dirty Jobs That Pay Well
1. Plumber
Becoming a plumber usually starts with an apprenticeship or vocational training program. These programs focus on teaching the skills needed to install and repair pipes, read blueprints, and follow safety codes. Many states require plumbers to pass a licensing exam to understand plumbing regulations and practices.
The job isn’t glamorous. Plumbers regularly deal with clogged drains, broken sewage lines, and overflowing toilets. Working in spaces filled with raw sewage, grease, or years of grime buildup is not uncommon. Unclogging pipes can involve cutting through thick layers of grease or pulling out hair, food scraps, or even rodents that have gotten stuck.
Plumbers also work in tight, uncomfortable spaces. This might mean crawling under a house in a dirt-filled crawl space or working in basements filled with dust and mold. Some jobs require breaking through concrete or digging up deep underground pipes, exposing workers to heavy dirt and debris.
Despite the challenges, experienced plumbers often specialize in high-demand areas like gas line installation or industrial piping. Those with years of experience and expertise in these areas can earn upwards of $100,000 annually, depending on their skills, which is quite a bit of pasta for Mario and Luigi.
2. Crime Scene Cleaner
Crime scene cleaners deal with the aftermath of deaths, violent crimes, and other traumatic events. Their work involves cleaning up blood, bodily fluids, and even decomposed human tissue. This often means scraping dried blood off walls and floors, ripping out carpets soaked with biohazards, and removing contaminated furniture. These scenes are messy and have strong odors that linger for days or weeks.
In addition to biological materials, cleaners sometimes deal with hazardous substances like drug residue or tear gas left behind by law enforcement. This requires specialized chemicals and equipment to ensure the space is thoroughly sanitized. Everything contaminated must be disposed of according to strict biohazard regulations, which means using designated containers and following disposal laws.
The job is physically and emotionally demanding. Crime scene cleaners frequently work in spaces that are cramped, filthy, or covered in years of grime. Protective gear, such as gloves, masks, and full-body suits, is required to guard against exposure to bloodborne diseases like HIV or hepatitis. The emotional toll can be significant, as they often face distressing scenes and grieving families. Salaries typically range from $35,000 to $80,000 annually, depending on experience, certifications, and demand in their area.
3. Coal Miner
Coal miners spend their days in some of the dirtiest and toughest conditions imaginable. Working deep underground, they’re surrounded by coal dust, dirt, and debris while handling heavy machinery in tight, poorly ventilated spaces. By the end of a shift, they’re often covered head to toe in sweat, grease, and grime, with no way to stay clean until the day ends.
This job isn’t just dirty—it’s dangerous. Breathing in coal dust over time can cause black lung disease, and silica dust exposure increases the risk of silicosis. There’s always the threat of roof collapses, equipment failures, or methane gas explosions, even with safety protocols in place. Despite these challenges, coal miners earn an average of $51,000 a year, with pay varying based on experience and location.
4. Portable Toilet Cleaner
Cleaning portable toilets means dealing with urine, feces, used toilet paper, and any other waste people leave behind. Workers pump out tanks filled with human waste, scrub away grime stuck to walls and seats, and sanitize every surface to remove bacteria and odors. The interiors are often coated with filth, requiring intense scrubbing and the use of powerful cleaning agents to make the units usable again.
The job is physically exhausting and messy. Cleaners handle heavy hoses to extract waste, carry tools for deep cleaning, and frequently transport full units that weigh hundreds of pounds. They work outdoors in all kinds of weather, often surrounded by the overwhelming stench of raw sewage and chemical cleaners. Despite this, the job can pay well, with annual earnings averaging $36,550 and reaching up to $50,000 or more based on experience, demand, and workload.
5. Sewer Inspector
Sewer inspectors spend their days deep underground in some of the dirtiest environments imaginable. They work in tunnels filled with raw sewage, sludge, and waste flushed down from homes and businesses. The air is thick with the stench of rotting material, and they’re surrounded by contaminated water carrying urine, feces, and all kinds of garbage. Inspectors must deal with dangerous gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide, which can be toxic without proper protective gear and gas detectors.
The job often requires crawling through tight, slimy pipes covered in grease and years of buildup. Inspectors come face-to-face with blockages made of grease, “fatbergs” (masses of hardened oil and trash), and items like condoms, tampons, and rotting food. These clogs don’t just get a quick look; inspectors often have to physically handle the mess to figure out what’s causing the problem. Exposure to harmful bacteria and diseases like leptospirosis or hepatitis is a daily risk.
For those willing to take on the filth, the job pays around $50,000 a year on average, with experienced inspectors earning even more. It’s a tough and dirty job, but it’s crucial for keeping sewer systems running and preventing sanitation disasters.
6. Garbage Collector
Garbage collectors deal with some of the dirtiest and most unpleasant conditions imaginable. They handle trash bags full of rotting food, dirty diapers, and used tissues, and it’s not uncommon for the bags to leak disgusting liquids onto their clothes and skin. Maggots are a regular sight, and they often have to deal with rats or raccoons digging through the garbage. The stench is unbearable, especially in the summer when the heat makes everything smell worse.
The job is physically demanding and even dangerous. Collectors lift heavy, overstuffed bins all day, often dealing with sharp objects like broken glass or rusty nails hidden inside the trash. Medical waste, including used needles, adds another layer of risk, as does exposure to biohazards and airborne particles. Bad weather makes things harder—rain makes bags heavier, snow creates slippery conditions, and the heat causes trash to spill out and stick to everything. Even the trucks they work with reek of weeks-old garbage.
For those who can handle the filth, the pay can be rewarding. Garbage collectors can make over $60,000 a year in some areas, with opportunities for overtime boosting that even higher. It’s a tough, grimy job, but it’s essential for keeping communities clean and functional.
7. Embalmer
Embalmers deal with some of the most unpleasant and difficult parts of death. They start by cleaning the body and removing all bodily fluids, which means working with blood, waste, and sometimes the effects of decomposition. To preserve the body, they make incisions to access arteries and veins, draining the blood and replacing it with embalming fluids. The process can get messy, with leaking fluids, strong odors, and constant contact with body parts that are already breaking down.
After the fluids are replaced, embalmers stitch up the incisions and clean the body to prepare it for viewing. This often includes reconstructing damaged areas, styling hair, and applying makeup to make the body look as natural as possible. They work with strong-smelling chemicals like formaldehyde, which can irritate the skin and lungs over time. For this difficult and graphic work, embalmers can earn between $40,000 and $70,000 a year, with those in busy cities making even more.
Most people won’t go near this kind of work, which is why there’s always demand for those who can handle it. The jobs aren’t pretty, but the paycheck makes it all worth it. If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, there’s serious money to be made.