Wouldn’t it be amazing if anything and everything were possible, regardless of how strange or demanding the task? While you can walk on water, most people are a little more down to earth about what they consider a job.
Anything outside of the nine-to-five mold, however, is sure to attract attention. Although many of these jobs are unlikely to exist in the future (we hope), here’s a list of the 22 weirdest jobs that actually pay surprisingly well.
1. Sperm Donor
If you’re willing to make a long-term commitment (you’ll have to submit to a rigorous screening process), sperm donation can be an extremely lucrative career.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, donors can earn up to $1,000 per sample.
That may not sound like much, but if you can produce 20 samples a month, that’s $20,000 per year — and some men can even make more than that.
2. Hair Model
If you’ve got thick, beautiful hair and are willing to shave it all off for a new look or product launch, then this could be the job for you.
In this case, companies will pay handsomely for your services because they know that people will want it once they see it on someone else.
The going rate for this kind of gig can range anywhere from $10-$20 per hour!
3. Beer Taster
You’ve probably heard the stereotype that beer tastes like water to people who aren’t used to drinking it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a skill worth having.
A professional beer taster’s job is to evaluate the quality of a beer and determine how well it holds up against other beers in its category. The average salary for this position is $56,000 per year.
4. Professional Sleeper
A sleep consultant helps people with insomnia and other sleeping disorders get better rest. Many sleep consultants work with doctors or psychologists and must have experience in treating patients with sleep issues.
The average salary for this position is $80,000 per year.
Related article: Most in demand Jobs in the Philippines
5. Movie Extra
Movie extras are paid to play the role of an extra in a movie or television show. While the pay isn’t necessarily great, it’s fun to be on set and be part of something that you enjoy seeing on screen.
It’s also a great way to get your foot in the door in the entertainment industry.
6. Dog Surfing Instructor
Dog surfing instructors are responsible for teaching dogs how to surf. This is a job that requires patience, creativity and a love for animals.
If you have any experience with dogs or surfing, this might be the perfect job for you!
7. Bed Warmer
Bed warmers keep patients warm during surgery and other medical procedures. They’re mostly used in hospitals, but they can also be found in nursing homes and other facilities that care for the elderly or disabled.
The pay isn’t great — between $10 and $20 an hour — but if you’re willing to work nights and weekends, this can be a good way to earn an extra income while working from home.
8. Video Game Tester
Video game testers are paid to make sure games are working properly before release. They do this by playing the game over and over again until they find any bugs or glitches that need to be fixed.
9. Taste Tester
Taste testers help determine how foods taste, which is important for creating new recipes and improving existing ones.
The work is often done in a lab setting, where you would be required to sample different types of food, including candy and snacks, and then rate them on things like taste intensity and texture.
You’ll also need to give your feedback on how likely you think the product is to succeed in the marketplace.
10. Golf Ball Diver
Golf ball divers recover balls that have been lost in lakes or water hazards on golf courses. This can be a physically demanding job that requires you to swim through murky waters while searching for golf balls.
The pay varies depending on your employer, but it tends to be low due to the high turnover rate among golf ball divers.
11. Furniture Tester
Furniture testers are hired by companies to test the durability of their products. This job is pretty simple and straightforward; you get paid to sit on a piece of furniture for as long as possible and then report your findings.
It may not be the most exciting job in the world, but it’s certainly an interesting one!
12. Animal Urine Collector
This is definitely one of the strangest jobs we’ve ever come across! If you hate cleaning up after your pets, we have good news for you—there’s actually a job out there that pays well for collecting pet urine!
According to CareerCast, animal urine collectors earn an average salary of $22,000 per year. That might not sound like much compared to what other jobs pay, but think about how much money you could save by not having to clean up after your pets anymore!
13. Ethical Hacker (Penetration Tester)
A penetration tester, also known as a pentester or ethical hacker, is a type of security professional who tests the security of an information system in order to find vulnerabilities that can be exploited by a malicious attacker.
Penetration testers are often employed by large organizations that want to evaluate their own security or by outside companies that offer penetration testing services.
The job of an ethical hacker can be very challenging and rewarding. You’ll need to have a wide range of skills and be able to work on your own as well as with other people.
The pay is good too — according to Glassdoor, the average salary for an entry-level ethical hacker is $79K per year.
Related: Best Paying jobs for single moms in the Philippines
14. Fortune cookie writer
Fortune cookie writers are like professional nail-biters. They’re paid to sit and think about what life would be like if you were a little less lucky.
They write down their thoughts, then hand them over to other people who translate them into something more than a fortune cookie — they turn them into fortunes that could change the world.
Related: Best Jobs for Introverts
15. Professional Cuddler
You get paid to cuddle people? It’s true — at least according to Snuggle Buddies, an online service that connects clients with professional cuddlers.
The company charges $60 per hour and guarantees clients two hours of snuggling time.
16. Virtual Personal Assistant
A virtual personal assistant is someone who completes tasks for clients online. This can include anything from booking travel arrangements and paying bills to managing social media accounts—anything, really!
The pay is great because it’s flexible, but you’ll need good organization skills and excellent communication skills in order to do this job well.
17. Voiceover Artist
Voiceover artists are responsible for providing the voices for animated characters in movies and TV shows. They also narrate commercials, audiobooks and other recordings, as well as provide voices for video games, radio stations and more.
A voiceover artist must have a strong grasp of language and enunciation to be successful at this job, which requires extensive training before they can start working under their own name.
Voiceover artists work from home studios or recording studios during regular hours but may need to travel frequently if they are working on a project that requires them to record overseas or in another city or country.
The average voiceover artist makes $30,000 to $60,000 per year. But top performers can earn significantly more, with some making six figures.
18. Oil Rigger
You might think that oil riggers make hundreds of dollars per hour. But while they do get paid well, they don’t make as much as you’d expect.
According to PayScale.com, the median salary for oil riggers is $71,500 per year. The top 10 percent make more than $100,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent make less than $40,000 per year.
19. Horse Masseuse
This job actually exists in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. But it’s not as easy as it sounds — horse masseuses must be able to do deep tissue massage on a large animal that is moving around while they’re doing it!
The horse masseuses also need to know how to use acupuncture needles on the animals’ bodies and joints. A few qualified horse masseuses can earn up to $170 per hour in Norway!
Related: Most stressful Jobs in the Philippines
20. Bed Bug Sniffing Dogs Handler
Bed bugs can be hard for humans to detect by sight (or smell), but dogs have an amazing sense of smell that makes them perfect for this job!
A bed bug sniffing dog can detect live bed bugs down to the last egg laid by them, which means they’ll be able to find even those elusive bugs hiding in your mattress seams or other places where humans might not expect them to be!
Bed bug sniffing dogs are often used by hotels and other places that need to make sure their rooms are bed bug free. A few qualified bed bug sniffing dogs can earn up to $200 per hour in Norway!
Related: Happiest Jobs in the Philippines
21. Snake Milker
The career of snake milking is not as lucrative as it may sound. Snake milkers collect venom from snakes and use it in making medicine.
This job requires you to have a great deal of patience, as well as the ability to work in small spaces and with dangerous animals.
Other requirements include the ability to handle snakes without being bitten, and an interest in seeing the world’s most poisonous snakes up close.
22. Pet Food Tester
If you love animals and want to help out a brand name pet food company, then this job is for you. As a pet food tester, you’ll be paid $50 an hour to eat different kinds of pet food in order for the company to create new flavors for their product line.
Final Thoughts on 22 Weird Jobs That Pay Surprisingly Well
It’s fun to imagine doing something different for a living. But if you actually took the plunge, would you like your job?
Other than those lucky people who are passionate about their work, most of us will find at least one common enemy: salaries too small to pay the bills.
We hope this article will inspire you to pursue and potentially create your own job that earns you far more than you might imagine.
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Read our latest article to know the best ways you can earn money sitting at home.
