Here are 10 groups of people, identified by Wall Street 24/7, who have to work on Labor Day — and some of them have to work harder on the national day off.
1. Corrections Officers. The 457,550 correctional workers nationwide (median income: $39,040) have to keep the prisoners in place, even on holidays.
2. Electrical Power Repairmen. More than 100,000 linemen are on call 24/7, Labor Day included. Median income: $58,030.
3. Police and Sheriff's Officers. These pros probably work harder on Labor Day. About 645,000 officers don't get Labor Day off, when patrols actually go up. Median income: $53,540.
4. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators. About 5,000 operators monitor nuclear power plants. They are on call 24/7. Median income: $75,650
5. Air Traffic Controllers. About 24,000 controllers work harder on holidays, especially Labor Day when traffic is heavy. Median income: $108,040.
6. Telecommunications Installers and Repair. Nearly 200,000 workers are on call 24/7. Median income: $54,710.
7. Railroad Conductors and Yardmen. Trains have to run. About 43,000 workers have a median income of $49,770.
8. Firefighters. About 300,000 are at work or on call on Labor Day, when fireworks cause fires. Median income: $45,250.
9. Water and Wastewater System Operators. About 100,000 workers with a median income of $40,770 make sure the taps run clean.
10. Registered Nurses. Hospitals never take a day off and many types of hospital workers will be on site on Labor Day. The 2.6 million nurses making a median income of $64,690 are among them.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
