Job index reveals the toughest jobs in the UK
20th June 2025
Amanda Owen has given an insight into the difficulties of farming, as a poll finds farming is viewed as one of the top 10 most difficult jobs.
The poll revealed paramedics, farmers and armed forces personnel were cited by the public as deserving greater recognition for the physically and mentally draining work they do.
Farmers came in eighth on the list of the top 20 jobs that were viewed as the UK’s toughest. Firefighters came in first place, followed by paramedics, surgeons and nurses, then police officers, armed forces and care workers.
This was judged according to criteria including physical demands, danger and risk, and work environment.
The poll of 2,000 people was commissioned by Samsung to launch its latest Rugged device range, designed to thrive in harsh work environments.
“Farming isn’t for the faint-hearted”
To emphasise the importance of durable technology in tough jobs, Samsung enlisted farmer and shepherdess Amanda Owen to give an insight into the realities of working life on a farm.
From mucking out and herding animals, to operating machinery and navigating unpredictable weather, Amanda shared how physically demanding farm life can be.
Amanda commented: “Farming isn’t for the faint hearted – we’re up before dawn, battling the elements, and it takes real resilience out here. In this environment, our tech needs to be just as tough – anything that can’t handle water or a drop is a liability.
“We need something rugged on the outside and smart on the inside, that can keep up with the job.”
Two thirds of respondants (62%) agreed that tough jobs need more recognition in the UK– saying that they play a vital role in keeping the country running (64%), often work long hours with little rest (46%) and face hazardous conditions daily (62%).
Meanwhile, 63% of people believe for a job to be ‘tough’ it must take place in an extreme environment. 58% of jobs which can be considered challenging also involve working with dangerous equipment, with a further 55% fearing dangerous people.
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The top 20 toughest jobs:
- Firefighter (45%)
- Paramedic (44%)
- Surgeon (44%)
- Nurse (37%)
- Police officer (34%)
- Armed Forces personnel (28%)
- Care worker (22%)
- Farmer (20%)
- Teacher (20%)
- Social worker (18%)
- Fisherman (16%)
- Construction worker (15%)
- Agricultural Labourer (11%)
- Builder/bricklayer (9%)
- Underground utility worker (9%)
- Scaffolder (6%)
- Mechanic (6%)
- Roofer (6%)
- Refuse collector (bin worker) (5%)
- Train driver (5%)
Physically demanding roles
The poll also revealed that nearly half (46%) of respondents said they don’t feel like they have the resilience to take on a physically demanding role, a figure that dropped to 40% among men.
In contrast, 52% of women believe they have what it takes to handle roles that might require higher levels of emotional and mental capacity.
When it comes to younger generations, 61% of those aged 18–24 have considered taking up physically tough roles when exploring career options. This compares with just 11% of boomers, who said they prefer to steer clear of jobs they’d deem tough.
Two in five (38%) agree there’s a misconception that physically demanding jobs don’t require robust technology.
The poll also revealed that nine in 10 of those to respond valued devices that can withstand harsh conditions. Reducing physical strain through equipment (54%), alerting workers to risks more quickly (53%) and automating repetitive tasks (45%) were cited as ways to ease pressure.
Rugged range
Annika Bizon, mobile experience VP of product & marketing, Samsung UK&I commented: “Tough roles demand robust support. Whether it’s maintaining connectivity in the field or ensuring mission-critical tasks aren’t interrupted, having the right tech in place is essential.
“The Rugged range has been engineered specifically for these environments – combining military-grade durability with the business tools workforces require.”
The Samsung Rugged range, which includes the Galaxy XCover7 Pro and Tab Active5 Pro, is designed to take on tough, rugged environments, offering water and dust resistance, drop protection, long battery life as well as replaceable batteries, and enhanced touch sensitivity for use in the rain or with gloves.
From construction sites and emergency callouts to remote locations and extreme weather – where phone failure simply isn’t an option – Samsung says the range is built to go the distance with those who keep the country running.
Key features:
- Military-grade protection, taking up to a 1.8m drop with the cover on
- Programmable hot key allows you to set up shortcuts for frequently used apps
- You can transform the device into a walkie-talkie, torch, scanner, payment terminal or whatever you need it to be
- Ability to set up Knox Suite swiftly with QuickStart Go means teams can be up and running with business-ready devices in no time, while Samsung Knox security keeps data protected against malware or threats
- Three-year warranty, up to eight years of security maintenance releases and eight generations of operating system updates
- Next-business-day doorstep exchange.
The Samsung Rugged devices are available to purchase now. For more information, visit https://www.samsung.com/uk/business/mobile/rugged/.
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