If you ask someone what’s the first career choice that pops into their head when thinking about well-paid jobs, you most likely will end up hearing IT manager and lawyer a-plenty. And while your mom isn’t too happy that you steered in the opposite direction (hi, Liberal Arts degree!), you might be surprised to hear how many little-known, high-paying jobs there are that no one told you about.
A while back, u/yonBonbonbon asked the good people of the No Stupid Questions community “What jobs pay surprisingly high that no one knows about?” From getting to break into big corporations scot-free to braiding horses for hunter shows, we’ve collected some of the wildest answers to help you consider alternative career paths if the current one doesn’t pan out as expected.
#1
City workers.
Lawn Mowers, Garbage Men, really anyone that snooty mothers look at and tell their kids “you don’t wanna end up like that guy”
To be completely honest, unless you have a decent paying job, they likely make more than you do.
Image source: DTux5249, Harrison Haines
#2
I work for USPS in a sorting facility, been here for about 3 years and I make $25/hr, 40 hours a week to type zip codes and put mail in sacks. We’re also unionized, can wear pretty much whatever we want, and can listen to music while we work. By far the easiest job I’ve ever had.
I previously worked for Walmart and was in charge of the truck unloading team of about 25 people, and I maxed out at $15/hr.
Needless to say, I like USPS lol.
EDIT: I’m also typing this from work, because the job demands that little.
Image source: Beardus_x_Maximus, Polina Tankilevitch
#3
My ex-MIL put a stuffed pepper down the garbage disposal several years ago. Plumber came out. Fixed it in an hour. Fee: $600. Three days later, she puts *another* stuffed pepper down the garbage disposal. Calls same plumber and tries to claim he “didn’t fix it properly the first time”. B******t. It’s also a holiday weekend (July 4th) this time, so plumber visit comes at a premium charge: $800. Also only took about an hour to fix. Plumber made $1,400 off *one* person in 72 hours, and for only ~2 hours of his time.
For those wondering, yes, my ex-MIL was a total Karen-type.
Image source: warda8825, wikipedia.org
#4
A lot of medical technician jobs. I am a specialized ultrasound tech making 120k a year. I only have an associates degree.
Image source: Bigfryoncampus, Edward Jenner
#5
I cook for resource camps (treeplanting, firefighting, have done the odd oil rig or scientific expedition in the past) and I get paid an amazing day rate.
Image source: princessdied1997, Andrea Piacquadio
#6
Braiding horses for hunter shows. It’s been a while since I did it, but at the top shows I was getting around $100-150 per horse. On a good day I could do ten horses.
Image source: WanderWomble, haileyps
#7
Programming in COBOL. A whole bunch of banks and investment companies and insurance companies have these 50 year old databases programmed in COBOL, and if you know the language you can make bank, becuase it’s much cheaper for them to pay a cobol develper 250k / year rather than spending 30 million transferring all their database info to some new spec.
Image source: transfemininemystiq, Lukas
#8
Underwater welders
A lot of people don’t even think about the need for them, but they’re really important and have a dangerous job, so they get paid pretty well
Image source: aRabidGerbil, wikipedia.org
#9
“Ethical hacker”. Ethical hacker’ or any role in computer security pays well. It’s rare that you can go from no education whatsoever to earning six figures in two years of part-time self-study (eight hours a week) or three months of intense self-study (eight hours a weekday).
Working in computer security is fun, interesting, and extremely lucrative. I have no idea why every high school in the US is not telling their students about this career life hack.
Source: I’m the CEO of a computer security company and have been doing this professionally for 20 years
Image source: Tin__Foil, cottonbro studio
#10
Medical waste disposal.
Image source: Blamdudeguy00, wikipedia.org
#11
Legal videographers. If you watched Tiger King or Making a Murderer, then deposition videos played, and there was someone behind the camera getting paid anywhere from $60–$125 an hour to film that. Filming depositions is a very common practice in the legal field, and it’s a very easy field to get into.
Image source: JulianFromReddit, Netflix.com
#12
Merchant marine officer. Bank money, no expenses, half the year vacation. I travel for work to crazy places. It’s hard on family and relationships.
Image source: kbeaver83, Igor_Kardasov
#13
Arborists
Image source: Aeon1508, wikipedia.org
#14
The traveling version of anything. If you have any skill that you are willing to drop everything and go do at a moment’s notice in some random place you can get paid quite well.
Image source: PaulMckee, Oleksandr Pidvalnyi
#15
I work in public relations, specializing in crisis management.
If you need me, you REALLY need me. But most of the time you don’t need me at all. So I make six figures a year to do nothing at all most days. Just rushing in to save the day maybe a couple times a year at most.
Image source: anon, SHVETS production
#16
HVAC,plumbing,electrical are the fastest growing that I have seen. I would take a do over in a heart beat and open an all in one mechanical and probably be pretty wealthy right now.
Image source: Maleficent_Deal8140, Emmanuel Ikwuegbu
#17
Panda express General Managers, we had a meeting recently and 90 percent of us make over 90k a year while 50 percent make over 100k top earner was 225k I made 125k last year. My cooks all make at least 18 an hour in AZ while my assistant and chefs make 70k a year. Regular high school associates make between 15 and 16. Full benefits at 30 hours, medical,dental,vision,short and long term disability, company paid life insurancez optional paid life insurance, 401k woth co.pany match up to 5 percent. I get 5 weeks off a year (based on time with the company I’m at the max which is 10 years)
Image source: One_Panda_Bear, wikipedia.org
#18
Land surveying. I should be more specific and say professional land surveyors. Due to the aging population of surveyors and no one really knowing exactly what they really do, the pay once you’re licensed is in the 90s to 100 thousands per year and you can pretty much chose what part of the country you want to work in as there is openings everywhere
Image source: Spicy_weenie
#19
Heavy equipment mechanic, I was literally offered a job a month ago where I was told “with ot our guys are breaking $200k a year” to move to Texas
Image source: chaosontheboard, wikipedia.org
#20
Not that no one knows about them, but many of the trades will blow you away in terms of pay and benefits very quickly.
My brother with no experience just picked up a welding job with a payscale that’ll have him up over 80k USD within a year in the US.
Image source: SprinklesMore8471
#21
Residential Backflows and Fire prevention systems. Annual testing, county mandated. Recession proof. Cash cow.
Image source: KawasakiKingpin, Nothing Ahead
#22
Selling Propane and propane accessories pays pretty well so I’ve heard.
Image source: Oneamongthefence24
#23
Crime scene cleaning in the US
Image source: DiligentShower2259, Crime Scene Cleaning
#24
Travel nurses. Can get your associates degree as a nurse at a community college in 2 years. Before the pandemic, the common rate for travel nurses was $40-50 an hour but when the pandemic hit, $100+ an hour is the least I’ve seen offered. Granted the work will be hard but you can work as much or as little as you want and earn an livable income for a year very quickly.
Image source: Adept_Meaning4049
#25
I made six figures bartending last year. Pretty unique job that I no longer have, but you can make pretty good money at a lot of places. It takes work ethic and charm but I wouldn’t say it’s hard.
Image source: anon
#26
Technical and instructional writers. People who write instructional manuals, online courses, etc.
Image source: sci3nc3r00lz
#27
Unionized elevator operators in nyc. Certain freight elevators MUST have licensed elevator operator in them by law, even though they are modern automated push button elevators.
Can make 6 figures doing that from what i hear.
Image source: fun-guy-from-yuggoth, Gunnar Fuchs
#28
Underwriters for mortgages in the US. Easy six figures.
Image source: bertP227, Andrea Piacquadio
#29
Radiology tech….MRI, CAT, etc. Especially if you are willing to travel. Makes bank, you can pretty much get a job any where, or get an RV and travel for a few years.
Image source: Oldladyphilosopher
#30
Geologist. Six figures for working half a year.
Image source: CoatLast
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