21 Dirty Jobs Are The Backbone of Beautiful California

Fact: can't all have glamorous gigs.

Someone's gotta do the dirty work, right? That's where the unsung heroes of California's workforce enter the picture.

The unwavering backbone of one of America's most iconic states, these folks get their hands dirty so the rest of us can keep ours clean. They handle the nitty-gritty tasks no one wants to think about, let alone talk about. Without them, we'd be screwed.

California's manual labor force is probably happier than most of us realize.

Manual labor and dirty jobs are the cogs in the wheel of a well-oiled machine. They're not the stars, but it's their talent, skill, and sweat that allows the main actors to shine as brightly as they do.

That may be the reason why Mike Rowe, legendary former host of Dirty Jobs, says these employees tend to happier than most of us would imagine.

People with dirty jobs are happier than you think. As a group, they’re the happiest people I know.

-Mike Rowe

It makes sense when you think about it. These folks maintain infrastructures, they keep services running across a spectrum of industries. They're the ones ensuring society's most basic and most critical needs are met. And they take pride in it.

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From sanitation workers on a mission to prevent the next global pandemic, to the agricultural laborers who pick the fruits and veggies that liven up our meals, their efforts ripple through California society whether we realize it or not.

Yet despite the fact that California can't function without them, manual laborers and dirty job-doers will never earn as much as a professional basketball player or Hollywood star.

Thank you, dirty job-doers. 

You're the unsung heroes, the real MVP's, the ones who keep beautiful California hummin' and runnin', day in and day out. Thank you.

We couldn't squeeze all of them in one shot, but the gallery below includes 21 of California's dirtiest, most thankless jobs its residents would be lost without.

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