It’s not difficult to figure out how the job market works. The most secure, best-paying positions are the one’s with the least amount of applicants because either too few people are qualified, or nobody wants to take them. As anyone with an established career knows, there are times when you have to weigh salary versus general happiness, as the two don’t always coexist. To some, making $90,000 in exchange for putting in long, arduous hours in a terrible work environment is worth it; others are content with $45,000 and a mostly stress-free 40-hour work week. The following jobs have more characteristics pertaining to the former than the latter, which is why they probably aren’t worth the (relatively) high pay. Note: Salaries from payscale.com are for workers with 10 to 19 years of experience in the profession. Salaries from simplyhired.com are averages from all workers, regardless of experience.

1. Gastroenterologist, $122,339-$397,317

Being a Gastroenterologist comes without the usual glamour that’s associated with being a doctor, as, well, the job requires examination of the digestive system, specifically the intestines, stomach, esophagus, gallbladder, pancreas and liver. Dealing with the problems associated with those areas can be messy and quite unpleasant for the patient, with whom the gastroenterologist becomes intimately acquainted.

2. Surgeon, $96,204-$364,895

Routinely ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in existence, surgeons are afforded minimal margin for error during their unpredictable, tedious hours of work. In addition to the possibility of witnessing death and even facing lawsuits, they have to deal with hostile patients and family members, and sometimes embittered hospital staff workers who offer little help. Because they spend roughly 80 hours per week in the hospital, their social lives and family lives leave a lot to be desired, negating a lot of the benefits that come with the high pay.
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