What civilian job right now do you think is the hardest as in manual labor, and what do you think was the hardest in all of history? Talking only about paid civilian jobs here, so no military, slave labor, etc. I also don't mean most dangerous or job that requires the most technical skill, simply the jobs that require the most hard physical work.

Right now I would say based on my experience a race team crew member, at least for an NHRA drag racing team. Such as the clutch guy, etc. These guys usually work 12-18 hour days non-stop for the racing season, and are always working in hot, dirty environment with little to no breaks, physically handling grimy, heavy, and roasting hot objects all day long for low pay. These clutches get hot enough so that the steel welds itself together, and are pulled from the engine just minutes after when the disks are still white hot, and the sintered iron dust gets everywhere, soaking into your skin and lungs.

Of all time I would think probably a miner before the invention of electricity, just the though of being deep in a mine shaft with very little light and zero safety measures alone seems terrible, but on top of that these guys probably worked brutal shifts 7 days a week, and were constantly exposed to the harmful dusts of the mines.