I think the point is why bust your balls in the sun for 12 hours a day when you can make the same money doing basic clerical work in an air conditioned office

In Australia, Construction workers, mining workers, etc. do that. They are just compensated well for it.

I'd have to be making well upwards of six figures to be willing to stand in the sun for 12 hours a day.

The jobs that pay the least are the ones that should pay the most.

Negative. Tons of trade jobs make bank and those guys work 12+ hours during peak seasons.

back breaking work, will wear out the body so fast, like around 40ish. thats why trades is not liked by everyone but men, and only specific demographics too.

The pay does do it for some jobs. I was up on a rooftop in -10F wind at 1AM for several hours a month ago fixing a furnace. But I was being paid $50 per hour (in a very low COL area) to do it so I was happy to do it and would be hapy to do it again. I regualrly have to crawl around in the nastiest places in places like meat cutting plants, work in -20F freezers, or on rooftops in scorching heat, but I get paid well to do it and my employer treats me well so I can say I actually love my job. People will not only put up with some miserable conditions if you pay them enough and treat them well but they will often even enjoy it.

The problem is farm work is miserable while still paying like shit and, to top it all off, usually the ones in charge are entitled assholes like the one in the article.

The oil/gas industry is a counter example to this.