Popular Jobs Held 100+ Years Ago Prove How Drastically The World Has Changed
The advance of technology means that the job market of today looks drastically different to that of the early 20th century. Social media manager certainly wouldn’t have been an option 100 years ago, for example! And there are several professions from the Roaring Twenties that no longer exist, too. From lamp-lighters to lectors, here’s a look at 40 of the most popular jobs held back then, according to the 1920 American Census and other sources.
1. Teacher
Although in 1920 roughly 760,000 individuals were employed in the teaching profession, this still wasn’t enough to meet the demand. In fact, a quarter of students were taught by the same person for everything from reading and writing to history and math.
And it’s fair to say teachers weren’t exactly paid well for all this multi-tasking, either. The average yearly salary was $30,000 — adjusted for inflation — compared to the $65,000 figure of today.
2. Deliveryman
It’s hard to imagine in the era of same-day drone-assisted delivery services, but back in the early 20th century, most packages had to be transported by vehicles of the horse-drawn kind.
More than 170,000 Americans earned their living as a drayman. And although this number soon decreased with the advent of the much-quicker motor car, in 1920 members of this profession still provided a vital everyday service.
3. Garment factory worker
Long before the days of fast fashion largely produced by third-world countries, America made the nation’s clothes itself. In fact, nearly 170,000 people were employed as garment factory workers at the start of the hugely fashionable Roaring Twenties.
But soon after the results of the census was compiled, the industry began its shift to outsourcing as a means of saving money. And that’s a trend that hasn’t changed since.
4. Carpenter
There were nearly 900,000 carpenters employed in the United States in the early 20th century. But as steel became more commonly used in the building profession, this number started to dwindle.
Carpentry has never been a particularly lucrative job, either. Those working in the field earned 5 percent less than similarly skilled workers such as electricians in the 1920s. And that gap has only grown wider over the following century.
5. Clerk
Nearly 1.5 million people were employed as clerks in 1920 thanks to the rise of banks and offices in the decades beforehand. It was a job initially dominated by men, but as they began to enter the workplace more, women eventually ended up occupying most of the positions.
The main duties of a clerk were helping with the completion of sales and deliveries, copying accounts, and duplicating letters. Some were even given the responsibility of managing their offices, too.
6. Town crier
The town crier still exists today, of course. But it’s more of a ceremonial position rather than an invaluable news source. Yes, following the proliferation of local newspapers, the idea of relying on a formally-dressed man with a bell yelling about the events of the day became somewhat obsolete.
But back when you had to rely on word-of-mouth to get all the gossip, it was often one of the only ways you could reliably learn about what was happening in your hometown.
7. Train conductor
Now that automobiles are the preferred mode of transport, the role of train conductor is not as prevalent as it once was. Nowadays there are only 42,000 in employment across America, according to recent research.
But 100 years ago, they were undoubtedly part of the lifeblood of the rail industry. And alongside general railroad workers, they accounted for nearly half a million members of the United States workforce.
8. Semi-skilled industrial worker
The steel and iron industries used to be at the heart of the United States. But with the proliferation of other materials such as plastic, combined with an increased reliance on imports, the number of people working in this profession is now just over 82,000.
That’s certainly a far cry from the near-700,000 citizens of the United States who had found themselves employed as industrial semi-skilled workers when the census results of 1920 were officially compiled.
9. Switchboard operator
It’s fair to say that the proliferation of cell phones has significantly impacted the role of the switchboard operator. Back in the day, nearly 200,000 Americans were employed in this field, with connecting one call to another their main task.
There are still plenty of switchboard operators around, though, with most customer service firms still relying on their various skills to help the day-to-day running of their business.
10. Retail worker
It’s little surprise to learn that there are now ten times more Americans employed as retail workers than there were 100 years ago, making the profession, according to Forbes anyway, the country’s most popular.
After all, we’re living in a super-consumerist age. Still, the 413,918 number calculated by the 1920s U.S. Census proved that we have long been a nation of hardened shoppers.
11. Iron/steel manufacturer
In 1920 just under 231,000 Americans were employed in the manufacturing sector, and the majority of these would have worked in the steel and iron industries. Of course, manufacturing remains a key part of the U.S. economy.
But the advent of new technology, a notable increase in imported goods, and a greater use of other materials has significantly reduced the number now working in this particular field.
12. Iron/steel laborer
Laborers in the iron and steel profession definitely deserved to have been paid danger money. Hundreds would lose their lives, or be significantly injured, each year thanks to fallen objects, electrocution, and powerful blast furnaces.
Deafness would also be a regular side-effect of life in the steel industry, in particular, thanks to the sheer noise of its factories. And if English wasn’t your first language, then you were twice more likely to come to harm, as per the U.S. Department of Labor.
13. Stenographer/typist
Stenographer, which is the name of a role given to a person who transcribes speech via shorthand, was a popular profession back in the 1920s. It was largely applied to those who worked in the field of court reporting. But in the modern day, there are fewer than 16,000 with this role.
As for typists, well, if you class secretaries in this field, too, then there are now nearly 4 million across America. That dwarfs the 615,154 number which included both stenographers and typists 100 years ago.
14. Coal miner
Approximately 730,000 Americans worked in the coal industry at the start of the 1920s. After all, the energy source was the main way of powering everything from machinery to heating appliances.
But coal mining, in particular, was a dangerous profession, with 1,500 people losing their lives in accidents on average every year. As more environmentally-friendly alternatives have been discovered, the need for miners has drastically decreased. In fact, there are only 55,000 working in America today.
15. Construction worker
As long as property developers are trying to make money, there will always be jobs for construction workers. Just over 623,000 were employed in the industry back in the 1920s.
But that number has ballooned to over 1 million more in recent years, with the increase in large commercial structures such as skyscrapers and constant demand for new-builds no doubt responsible.
16. Bookkeeper/cashier/accountant
This is one of the few major early 20th-century professions which has actually grown in popularity over the years. Yes, there are now nearly 1 million more bookkeepers and accountants today than there were back in 1920.
And there’s been a significant shift in the gender make-up, too. Women only accounted for 11 percent of the accountancy field 100 years ago. But thanks in part to changes in regulations, that number has now risen to 61 percent, as per Zippia.
17. Diemaker
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a diemaker is classed as someone who can ““set up and operate machine tools to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.” This definition can also apply to the terms toolmaker, machinist, and millwright.
As you would expect, the numbers for these professions have dwindled in the technological age. While there used to be nearly 900,000 in employment, there are now fewer than 470,000.
18. Acoustic locator
Acoustic location is the name given to how soundwaves can be used to help determine an object’s position. It was first used frequently as a tool for military air defense during World War One.
But those employed to conduct this method had to learn a new skill by the time World War Two came around. By then, an aircraft’s presence could be detected solely by radar and so the acoustic location practice had been rendered obsolete.
19. Servant
Judging by period dramas such as Downton Abbey, every household had some form of servant in the early 1900s. That isn’t true, of course. But there were still more than 1.2 million people in the profession back in the day.
This number consisted of everything from butlers and bell boys to cooks. And despite the growth in popularity of vacations and getaways of the luxury kind, only 42,350 still fulfill similar roles today.
20. Dairy farm stock-raiser
There’s a reason why the number of dairy farm stock raisers was so high — more than 6 million — back in the early 20th century: back then, kids were allowed to work on farms!
Thankfully, changes in law have put a stop to this form of child labor. But as a result, the number of dairy farm stock-raisers across America has significantly reduced.
21. Dairy farm laborer
There are nearly 1 million ranchers, farmers, and other manual agricultural workers employed in the United States today, with the majority of those in the Midwestern part of the country.
It’s still an impressive figure, for sure. But back in 1920 there were more than four times that number. The gradual decrease over the past 100 years is attributed to the rise in tariffs and imported goods.
22. Hairdresser/manicurist
You might expect, in this far-more-image-conscious modern era, that there would be a greater number of hairdressers, barbers, and manicurists working today than back in 1920. But that isn’t actually the case.
In fact, more than 216,000 people were employed in the beauty profession 100 years ago. These occupations may still be prevalent throughout the United States, but the roles are notorious for their rather paltry salary levels.
23. Milkman
Nowadays, you can buy a 6-pint bottle of milk from your local supermarket which will keep in your refrigerator for a week. But in the early 20th century, most people didn’t have the luxury of such a kitchen appliance.
To make sure they weren’t always eating dry cereal in the morning, households would rely on a milkman to deliver a fresh bottle of the dairy stuff on their doorsteps every day.
24. Daguerreotypist
Alongside the list of popular early 20th-century jobs that still exist today, there were several which have fallen by the wayside. Take the daguerreotypist, for example. This was an individual that was vital to the world of photography before negatives came along.
They were able to develop images on polished silver, an early example of the art form. But as the advances in technology continued to grow, daguerreotypes became seen as old-fashioned.
25. Pinsetter
If you wanted to enjoy a spot of ten-pin bowling before the year 1936 then you had to rely on a veritable army of children to keep the game flowing.
Named pinsetters, these youngsters were tasked with repositioning the pins each time they were knocked over, keeping the machines clean, and attending to any jams. The role was made obsolete when the sport introduced more mechanical methods.
26. Lamp-lighter
As its name would suggest, the lamp-lighter’s main job was to illuminate the various high lamps that adorned the streets of their hometown, and then put them out, of course.
It was a particularly popular job for Irish immigrants according to the United States Census of 1900. Of course, with the advent of electricity, this manual profession rapidly became obsolete.
27. Lector
Without any radio stations to make the daily grind that little bit more bearable, factories in the early 20th century often employed entertainers known as lectors to keep up morale.
The now-defunct profession involved keeping workers up-to-date with the latest current affairs as well as reading from books. Lectors became so popular that once upon a time, if firms decided to get rid of their services, their employees were known to take industrial action!
28. Computer
Back in the early 20th century, people couldn’t rely on spreadsheets, calculators, or any type of accounting software to crunch their all-important numbers. You might be surprised to learn, though, that they could still use computers.
Yes, there were computers, just not the modern type that was only invented decades later. Yes, computers was the name given to the profession, largely populated by women, in which figures were calculated using nothing more than the human brain.
29. Crossing-sweeper
The poor crossing-sweeper wasn’t always given thanks for his or her public cleaning. Some local residents tended to view these people as irritants who got in the way of their daily business.
But most appreciated the effort they put in sweeping the paths of anyone walking across dirt-filled streets and rewarded them with some small change. Still, as public services improved in the 20th century, the profession was no longer required.
30. Knock-knobbler
The knock-knobbler may sound like a rather risqué profession, but it was actually fairly innocuous. It referred to the individual tasked with ensuring that church services were free from any canine interruptions.
Yes, back in the day, nuisance dogs apparently liked nothing more than setting up camp in a religious space. And the chasing knock-knobbler, often armed with a scary-looking pair of tongs, soon became their arch-nemesis.
31. Phrenologist
Forget methodical approaches such as I.Q. tests: back in the 19th century, many people believed that you could determine a person’s intellect simply by the size and shape of their head.
Phrenologist was the name of the role given to individuals who relied on this unorthodox method to calculate both intelligence and personality traits. As per the Irish Examiner, they were even called upon to help men work out which of two or more women would serve as a better wife!
32. Ratoner
The ratoner essentially served as their hometown’s answer to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Now, we can’t imagine that many led the rodents to a nearby cave armed with nothing but a flute.
But they were certainly largely effective in eradicating vermin from the streets, a particularly useful skill during the days of the plagues. The ratoner still exists today, of course, but nowadays members of this more niche profession tend to rely on a mix of mechanical and chemical methods to catch their prey.
33. Groom of the stool
This is certainly one job we can’t imagine being around anymore. A term coined by Henry VIII, the groom of the stool was the name given to the individual tasked with inspecting a royal figure’s excrement.
If that wasn’t bad enough, they also had to inhale any time their employer broke wind. This was viewed as a valid way of checking whether there was any likely illness!
34. Powder monkey
Another popular form of child labor between the 1500s and 1800s was the powder monkey. This sailing-ship role involved a young teenage boy resupplying cannons with gunpowder after each firing.
Youngsters were selected for this role due to their agility and fast pace. It was obviously a lot more thrill-seeking than your average 13-year-old’s job. But it also came with the risk of getting blown to smithereens.
35. Leech collector
The leech collector was invaluable to the medical profession on both sides of the Atlantic in the 19th century. Their role was to wade into murky swamps with horses in tow and then pick off any of the blood-sucking critters that attached themselves to the animal’s skin.
If they didn’t have a four-legged friend close to hand, then the collector would have to venture into the swamps and allow the leeches to feast on their own skin.
36. Mudlark
Commonplace between the late 1700s and early 1900s, the mudlark’s main role was to hunt for items along the riverbanks of London. What they found — typically pieces of coal that had dropped from barges, pottery shards, and rope fragments — wasn’t normally valuable.
At most, they would earn themselves a few pence. And to make matters worse, they, and those around them, had to deal with an unimaginable stench. Typically, it was a job carried out by young boys.
37. River pig
Also known in the logging trade as catty men and river rats, the river pig’s main responsibility was to transport logs to saw mills down-river. It was often strenuous, arduous, and life-threatening work.
If a log suddenly jammed, for example, then the river pig would have to try and dislodge it while navigating between the moving logs at the same time. Deaths were a regular occurrence in the profession, and due to the watery surroundings, the bodies would often not show up for days.
38. Alchemist
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines alchemy as a “a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life.”
And so the alchemist, a profession which originated in Greco-Roman Egypt, was essentially deemed a miracle worker. You might not know it, but this at-best speculative forms of science is still practiced in some parts of the world today.
39. Knocker-upper
Before the days of alarm clocks, those wanting to get up at a particular time had to get creative. One of the most popular ways of guaranteeing you weren’t late for work was to hire a knocker-upper.
This was the name given to an individual who would knock at your window with a large stick, or pea shooter in some cases, at the specific time scrawled on your property with chalk.
40. Gong farmer
Take 100 guesses as to what gong farming could entail and you would still probably get nowhere near! This job required an individual to visit properties at night, obtain all the excrement that had gathered underneath its privy, and then transport it to a waste disposal unit.
![Lewis Wickes Hine/Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_"Reader"_in_cigar_factory,_Tampa,_Fl.jpg){kind=link}
This manure could then be recycled as either building materials or fertilizer. Although it seems unthinkable now, the gong farmer was a role that, up until the late 1800s, was highly in demand.