Science isn’t all miracle cures and Nobel prizes. There are some pretty nasty science-based careers out there. Just think, kids: you could be a chemist, a medical researcher, or a sewage diver. Isn’t that exciting?
Here are the worst science-based careers in the world.
- Hazmat Divers. Strap on your oxygen tank and get ready to go diving…in sewage! Commercial hazmat divers are responsible for recovering bodies, evidence, or research from a pool of sewage. These divers wear incredibly insulated drysuits, but they’ve still got to dive in pools of nuclear waste or excrement. Worse than the smell, they’ve got to work under the threat of a tear in your drysuit– which could mean nuclear waste, toxins, or harmful bacteria seeping into their suits.
- Forensic Entomologists. These guys get to solve murders, but they have to do so by examining the maggots on a body. Forensic entomologists also examine blowflies, eggs, and pupils to determine time of death. How have TV producers not come up with a crime drama about a bug detective yet?
- Garbologists. Garbologists do exactly what you might expect they do: they examine garbage. They study modern society’s habits involving what they throw away, how much they throw away, and why they throw it away. Garbologists also study how things break down: how long will a half-eaten cupcake last in a dumpster? How about a hot dog? What percentage of modern waste in our landfills could be recycled? These guys (and gals) act like archaeologists for modern societies.
Still interested in a career in science? Start your science career through online Bachelors programs.


