WASHINGTON – Low pay, high physical demands and plenty of stress make being an enlisted servicemember one of the worst jobs in America, according to a new analysis by the website CareerCast.com.

In their ranking of 200 professions, “enlisted military soldier” came in third worst, only ahead of dairy farmer and lumberjack. The best jobs in America, according to the web site, are software engineers, actuaries, human resource managers and dental hygienists – all professions with significantly better salaries and significantly less stress.

The list puts the average soldier’s salary at $36,261 and the stress and work environment desirability among the worst of any job. For perspective, garbage collectors came in at spot 159, well above troops. Newspaper reporters also ended up in the bottom five, just two spots ahead.

The good news for troops? If you can rise through the ranks and become a general, you’ll jump all the way up to the 141st most desirable job in America.