‘Dirty job’ stigma costs workers $100K in earnings over career lifetime, research finds

Workers who are employed in “dirty jobs” – considered occupations that are perceived as disgusting or degrading, like meatpackers, prison guards or paparazzi – face lasting career penalties, according to new research from the University of Florida. 

Those with a history of “dirty work,” which can range from the physically dirty, like a sewer dredger, to socially dirty, like a special education teacher, and morally dirty, like a debt collector, earned an average of 7% less annually in their future jobs, secured lower-prestige positions and experienced longer periods of unemployment compared to those without similar work histories, the research found. 

“Over 12 million American workers in 2024 were employed in a ‘dirty job,’” said Junhui Yang, a Ph.D. student in management at UF’s Warrington College of Business. “Despite many of these jobs being essential to our world, the stigma that these individuals face due to their job history causes them to lose out on earnings and opportunities in the future. The dirt doesn’t ‘wash away,’ so to speak, even when they move into a new role.”

The impact of holding a dirty job

Across three studies, Yang and co-authors Brian Swider of the Warrington College of Business and Yanran Fang of Zhejiang University, found that the negative impacts of holding a dirty job accumulate over time. Each additional year of dirty work predicted a 1% drop in future annual income as well as each additional dirty job predicting 3% lower income in future jobs. For the average earner, that translates to about $104,000 in lost income across their career. 

One of the studies, across 300 managers, found that when managers were considering someone formerly employed in a dirty job, they rated these candidates lower in job-fit ratings and were less likely to recommend them for interviews. On average, the candidates who were offered roles received salary offers that were $1,877 lower than other equally qualified candidates that never held dirty jobs.

Dirty work not only impacts earnings and career opportunities, but also the emotional experience and coping strategies of those who hold the roles. Fifty-five percent of participants in one of the studies indicated awareness that employers held negative stereotypes about them, and 34% reported experiencing shame and reduced self-respect due to their dirty work history. The emotional struggles led 53% of workers to conceal or misrepresent their past dirty work experience. 

How to help workers in dirty jobs

Despite the stigma of dirty jobs, many of these positions play a necessary role in society and  employ a significant number of people. As such, the researchers offer several recommendations for those employed in dirty jobs, employers and policymakers. 

Given these structural barriers, current and former dirty workers may benefit from actively managing the stigma associated with these roles. The researchers recommend using approach-oriented strategies like reframing, which emphasizes the knowledge, skills or abilities, and motivation required for past dirty jobs, and educating hiring managers about their work rather than making excuses for it. 

For employers, it’s key to be aware of the potential bias in hiring former dirty workers, the researchers note. To keep bias from tampering with hiring, the researchers recommend that hiring managers and HR professionals recognize that holding such perceptions can lead to poor hiring results and, instead, focus on analyzing the actual knowledge and skills in a candidate’s previous experience to gain a better understanding of future performance. 

Policymakers can help dirty workers, especially those with a history of dirty jobs, by investing resources to help them overcome sources of self-stigma and work to change public perception of these roles through educational campaigns. Additionally, colleges and vocational schools that prepare people for dirty jobs can also offer training programs relevant to career management. 

The research, “Dirty Work History and Future Career Success: Does the ‘Dirt’ Stick?” is forthcoming in the Journal of Applied Psychology. 

Researchers:

• Junhui Yang – University of Florida Warrington College of Business
• Brian W. Swider – University of Florida Warrington College of Business
• Yanran Fang – Zhejiang University