21 Dirty Jobs Are the Backbone of Idaho

BOISE, Idaho. Idaho wouldn't last a week if workers in the following essential dirty job professions gave up on us:

• Mortuary Embalmers
• Dental Hygienists
• Sanitation Workers
• Auto Mechanics

And those are but four of Idaho's 21 dirtiest jobs that need doing. As you scroll through the gallery, we encourage you to imagine how different Idaho living would be without the unsung heroes who work in these dignified but unpalatable professions.

Mike Rowe, the former host of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs television series, has been heightening national awareness and appreciation for the labor industry for the last 20 years. In an interview with Fox News, Rowe expressed concern for the manner in which Americans regard the manual laborers.

Most of us have never really realized it, but we've always intuitively appreciate it. We know that when we flip the switch and the light comes on, that that's the result of a miracle. And that miracle is made possible by men and women doing things out of sight and out of mind. What I worry about is the overall lack of appreciation that has infected, in my view, our society over the last 30 or 40 years.

—Mike Rowe

To the men and women who carry the industries featured in the gallery bellow, we appreciate your grit, your tireless work ethic, and all you do to keep the Gem State running. Thank you.

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