As kids, we're often asked, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" and the responses usually don't often have much variety to them. Even as older children or young adults, we're fairly limited in what we pick out as a future career, simply because we probably don't know how many options exist.
There are, of course, a lot of obscure jobs out there. However, some of them pay considerably better than others, like the ones below.
1. Golf Ball Diver
Ever wondered what happens to the golf balls that end up in lakes and ponds? Divers are specifically employed to salvage them from potentially-hazardous waters and they get paid up to $100,000 a year for doing so.
2. Water Slide Tester
At $30,000 a year, this job won't exactly afford you a mansion; but why would you need one when you're literally just riding water slides all day?
3. Elevator Mechanic
While it might not sound like the most interesting career choice, working as an elevator mechanic could score you around $80,000 a year, which is more than some doctors earn. But, like all jobs, it has its ups and downs.
4. Master Sommelier
Getting paid to drink booze sounds like the ultimate fantasy, and some people are living it. The average salary for top wine tasters is $150,000, but getting to that point requires passing a ton of very difficult exams.
5. Furniture Tester
This one is on the lower end of the pay scale at $35,000 a year, but you've got to admit that's pretty good for sitting around all day. I mean, I do that for free all the time.
6. Pet Food Taster
It sounds weird, but someone's got to do it. And, if you don't mind chowing down on questionable cuts of meat from a tin can, you could earn yourself a tidy $40,000.
7. Crime Scene Cleaner
Do you want $80,000 a year? Are you ok with blood and guts? Then this is the career choice for you. Providing you're also willing to interact with the occasional bio hazard, of course.
8. Food Stylist
It might sound simple, but making food look good for a photo shoot requires a lot of talent. It also makes a lot of dough (lol), with some stylists earning upwards of $50,000.
9. Professional Snuggler
No, this isn't a euphemism for something else: you can literally get paid to cuddle people. Obviously these kinds of jobs are not in high demand, but you could find yourself making $60/hr if you're hired.
10. Embalmer
If you can stomach it, preparing corpses for burial pays a neat sum of $45,000 a year. On the plus side, you probably wouldn't get many difficult customers, and you'd never run out of business.
11. Computer Hacker
In films and TV shows, hackers are always portrayed as rogues or bad guys, but you can legitimately get hired as one. Companies will pay up to $130,000 for ethical hackers to test and repair their computer systems.
12. Voice Over Artist
We've already seen that you can get paid for eating and sitting, now you can earn money by talking, too. Voice over artists pocket up to $80,000 a year, or even more if you land a permanent gig on a big show.
13. Sewer Inspector
Ok, we're back to the undesirable sector of occupations. Sifting through waste almost certainly isn't anybody's dream job, but it does pay up to $61,000. You have to deal with a lot of crap, though.
14. Art Therapist
Making a living is often very difficult for artists and other creatives. As an art therapist, though, you can put away a tidy $32,000 - and have the satisfaction of helping people.
15. Patent Examiner
These guys are essentially responsible for making sure that patents submitted for new designs or ideas don't conflict with any existing ones. The top dogs in this role can pocket over $150,000 a year.
If you're considering a career change after reading this, I don't blame you. Personally I've got my eye on the sommelier role. With all my wine-drinking experience, I think I'd be pretty good at it.
