These Are the Top 50 Most Common Jobs in Maine 150 Years Ago

I found out today that Oscar Mayer is taking applications for "the next class of hot-doggers", according to cnbc.com. Being a "hot-dogger" is basically an opportunity to drive across the country as a spokesperson in a wienermobile. Classic. I'd do it if I wasn't so in love with radio.

However, that news break is what sparked my curiosity for what people even did for work before things like the radio and a giant hot dog truck were a thing to make profit off of. It's also amazing to me (in the worst way possible) that social media influencers can make my entire salary in one day in 2024.

Meanwhile, minimum wage in Maine is $14.50 an hour, and many people who aren't locked into TikTok all day work very hard to make a paycheck.

Here's a quote from squareup.com about the recent minimum wage increase in Maine:

"The minimum wage in Maine is increasing from $13.80 per hour to $14.15 per hour effective January 1, 2024, which is $6.90 more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25. For tipped employees, employers can take a tip credit of up to $7.08 and must pay tipped employees a cash wage of $7.08 per hour. Note that an employee’s tips plus cash wage should equal at least $14.15."

Rewind to Maine 150 years ago in the job market. I'm assuming most of these aren't going to come as a surprise to you as you sift through them, but you never know. Check out the top 50 most common jobs in Maine below.