Spain's formerly lucrative professions face growing precarity

Engineers, architects, and lawyers: from mansions to teaching posts

What peine to the professions that once guaranteed a large house in the Sierra de Madrid, domestic help, and a luxury car? The short answer: they have become precarious. The long answer is an inventory of jobs that went from being a windfall to an obstacle course. Starting with journalists, construction workers, tour guides, waiters, architects, engineers, and lawyers, the diagnosis is consistent: prestige and salaries have deflated. The case of engineers is the most cited: a new graduate was guaranteed a mansion, help, and a car; today, they share a flat in a big city. Architects, despite huge social prestige, work "like clockwork for peanuts," emigrate, or seek secondary school teaching positions. Journalists and proofreaders, once stable and seen as intellectuals, are paid per piece and live hand-to-mouth. Proofreaders, quite literally, have disappeared.

From free tours to minimum wage: guides and waiters

Tourism is another major casualty. Tour guides were freelancers with high rates who often earned significant untaxed income; now, most are employees of free tour companies, earning very little and rarely given full-time contracts. Waiters, especially in tourist areas, used to earn enough during peak seasons to live year-round. Today, the narrative is different. Hospitality has ceased to be that seasonal safety net and has become low-wage, high-turnover employment.

Vets, physios, and dentists: from family business to franchise

A pattern repeats itself: professions that shifted from family businesses to franchises and are now tough and poorly paid. Physiotherapists, veterinarians, and dentists appear on this list. A vet was a highly respected professional in rural towns for saving livestock, even if sometimes paid in chickens or onions. In cities, there were few dogs, and sick ones were left to die. Prestige may have improved, but the business has shrunk. With dentists, opinions vary: some argue they still make big profits—a five-minute check-up, vaccine, and sealant for €40—while others place them among sectors competing "like dogs" for clients.

Public sector as refuge and the shadow of AI

The flight to the public sector is another common thread. Some note that C1 civil service posts go unfilled because they require moving to big cities where living costs are prohibitive. Civil service appears as the great refuge: "almost anything, which is why everyone wants to be a funci (civil servant)," summarizes one comment. Artificial intelligence adds a layer of uncertainty: any task an AI can perform is under suspicion. One participant shares how an AI tool returned detailed information on a 1990s legal case in seconds that Google had never provided, describing the level of detail as "terrifying." Beyond the specific case, this anecdote illustrates the antiestéticar that automation will wipe out skilled jobs.

The counterattack: builders, sales, and civil servants

Not everyone accepts this framework. Construction workers are the most repeated counterexample: there is a severe labor shortage, they are highly valued, and many have schedules similar to civil servants. Sales roles are also defended: "no sales, no business, no jobs," sums up one message. And civil service, far from being a precarious refuge, is described as a space where certain feminized jobs have improved: nurses, it is argued, are now A1 civil servants with salaries comparable to doctors. The discussion shifts to a more uncomfortable issue: professionalism. Previously, real training and experience were required; now, it is claimed, anyone can do anything. The gym instructor who knew routines, diets, and maintained equipment has been replaced by a young person with a few-hour course.

Which professions have not become precarious?

The inverse question—listing what hasn't become precarious—provokes an awkward silence. "It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't recall," jokes one message. Others point to fishing captains, who still earn good salaries, or commercial pilots, albeit with nuances: a veteran lives well, but young entrants push hard and force continued study of telemetry on new aircraft. The dominant feeling is that work has leveled down: earnings are similar almost everywhere, except commissions or selling hype. With rents eating into wages, any monthly net salary below €1,900 is perceived as precarious.

The initial question was which professions have become precarious. After all, the answer seems to be: almost all. Fortunately, we always have selling hype.