Almost positive MLB umpires make upwards of 300k, actually [edit: oh that is what you wrote I'm dumb]. But they're the equivalent of tenured professors and while I haven't read the article yet, the part insom quoted is much more apt if applied to minor league umpires. Until you get to the majors your job takes an extreme psychological toll and you get paid on the order of 20k. There are some really interesting books about umpires but I can't remember offhand which ones I've read. EDIT: I think you should read up before making statements like that.I doubt that your average late night convince store employee takes less abuse.
I'm comfortable with that opinion. I deal with the late and drunk crowd from a reasonably well compensated position of some respect and I still get plenty of shit. I think an immigrent getting minimum wage in a no respect powerless poistion has it much worse. Don't know how many umpires have been phisicaly assaulted but It's happened to me more than once, including having a gun pulled on me on late shifts.
Well ... one's a hard job (very, very hard) and one's not. A convenience store worker doesn't go to every shift nervous, unless he happens to live in a very shitty area, and most every convenience store I've been to in a shitty area has the employee working from behind bulletproof glass these days.