“Reporter” listed as worst job of 2013

From the Wall Street Journal:

This year, several professions geared toward serving the financial and health needs of an aging population made the top ten, says Lee, including audiologist, financial planner, and physical therapist.

As for the worst job of 2013? Newspaper reporter bumped last year’s loser, lumberjack, for the ignominious distinction.

“It’s been low for a while,” says [Tony] Lee of CareerCast.com (last year it was ranked 196 out of 200). “What probably pushed it to the bottom is that several things got worse – job prospects decreased, the average salary continued to fall, and work hours continued to rise. Those factors also make the job more stressful.”

But not every reporter (including this one) would agree with the final assessment.

Rocco LaDuca, covers crime and courts at the Observer-Dispatch in Utica, New York. He says he became a reporter in part because of fond memories of reading newspapers with his grandmother.

Pay is an issue, he says (the median salary for reporters in 2010 was $36,000); he’s not sure he can raise a family and send kids to college on a reporter’s salary. And yes, the stress and the hours can be taxing. But he says, “I’m not sure I’d be happy in another setting. I can’t think of any job that would be as exciting or as fulfilling as this.”

“People in the community are affected by what I write,” he says.

What’s the best job?  Check the link to find out.