You know those big giant antennas that look like they reach just below the wing of an airplane at cruising altitude? Well, someone has to climb them every so often to inspect them or change the flashing bulb. You would think it would be easier to have a helicopter drop the person off, but the obvious reason that can't be done is because of safety concerns. If nothing else, it’s a good workout for the climber. For Nick Wagner, climbing these huge antennas is just another day at the office. Wagner works for National Tower Controls, a company that performs maintenance on towers. Wagner says to do the job you simply can’t be afraid of heights. It’s not like if you get a little wobbly, you can just step down. You would need an airborne rescue team or a parachute. The climb itself takes around 15 minutes, but the view once you get to the top is spectacular. That’s a good thing, since the pay isn’t all that spectacular. Entry-level tower climbers with less than a year of experience average $17 an hour, with more experienced climbers only making $19 an hour. Just in case you’re curious, roughly 100 tower climbers fell to their deaths between 2003 and 2011.
