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Most people go about living a comfortable and fulfilled life with their regular jobs. But some people make an unusual career choice and try a unique path. Whatever you choose, it’s always crucial that you earn enough money to be independent. Luckily, many odd jobs pay well on the market.
According to a 2011 survey, about 46% of the surveyed parents stated that their kids would have to be 12-14 years old to get a permit to work odd jobs.
Most of us are not even aware of these weird jobs that pay well but come to know; these can lead you down an untraditional path towards a booming career.
In this article, I will introduce you to some high paying odd jobs that you can strive for. I am not just talking about the odd jobs that you might do once in a while to make some “pocket money”. Some of these unusual jobs are salaried positions, and others are more “gig-kind,” i.e., per-case basis jobs.
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Best Odd Jobs That Pay Well
Let’s look at these 15 odd jobs that will help you choose a non-conventional career that pays well.
1. Bereavement Coordinator
A bereavement coordinator is adept for aiding the families that have critically ill or recently passed away loved ones. Their job is to take charge of all the paperwork and appointments. They take up the management of the funeral services and supervise staff and volunteers so that the family can have a little bit easy to go through such difficult times.
The position of a bereavement coordinator is also a type of “counseling service”. They arrange to counsel for the bereaved when needed. The average salary of a person in such a job is around $47K per annum, and they generally work in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice settings.
2. Bed Warmer
There cannot possibly be any weirder job than a “human bed warmer”. The position is what the credential name says. There are people who’d gladly pay you for getting into their bed. I know it may sound insane, but, you just gotta warm their bed up before they get into it.
Cold, freshly made beds can be off-putting for some bed. They prefer warmth and they can pay you for giving it to them. They refuse to withstand even 1 minute of getting into the coldness of a fresh mattress. You can earn up to $200K as a bed warmer! It’s a legit, high paying job.
3. Color Expert
A color expert’s exciting job is to use color psychology, stats, trends, and theories to suggest the best colors for company buildings, homes, brand logos, etc. A color expert is expected to develop layouts and produce designs, mostly for a brand, an office, a house, or an entire building.
This job doesn’t necessarily need a college degree, but it sure needs some training. If you’re an innovative and creative person, you can surely pursue this impressive, odd career.
The average income of a color expert can range from $17- $23 per hour.
4. Computer Hacker
If you’re a fan of watching crime thrillers, you’d know how the “good guys” almost always end up using the “computer hackers” to solve their cases.
Most computer hackers aren’t malicious or evil as they depict in these thriller movies or serials. A lot of them work in the security industry and earn pretty awesome in the real world.
The salaries for the “ethical” computer hackers can be as high as $100K. It’s amongst the high-paying, totally legal odd jobs.
5. Online Dating Ghostwriter
The job of an online dating ghostwriter is to write profiles for the people on dating websites. It’s a perfect job for you if you’ve got good writing skills and can create witty, exciting dating profiles. You can try this job as a freelancer.
The best thing about being an online freelancer is that you can work from anywhere across the globe and get clients from around the world. You can also approach the potential clients directly, or you can work with popular dating sites.
You can earn up to $23 per hour as an online dating ghostwriter.
6. Costume Character Actor
A costume character actor’s role is to dress up as a historical figure or a children’s character and scare or entertain people that are visiting events or at tourist attractions. They can also apply to be a mascot in a sports team or work at Christmas events on a seasonal basis.
Someone who loves entertaining people couldn’t ask for more than breathing life to their favorite characters through this odd job.
One needs to have exceptional interpersonal and acting skills for this job, along with confidence, energy, and a good sense of humor.
Keep in mind though; this odd job is not a piece of cake. You may need to have a specific height or appearance kind. You may be required to work long hours on your feet in uncomfortable costumes.
The good news is that you can make up to £30K if you’re lucky enough to be working at a top tourist destination in London.
7. Bingo Manager
The primary duty of a bingo manager is managing everything in a casino. Yes, this job doesn’t require any college degree. But it does need you to have at least five years of experience akin to the managerial position.
The duties include complying with the state and federal gaming rules & regulations, handling customer complaints, overseeing payouts, and approving jackpots. You’ll also be responsible for the budgets and casino staff.
The annual average salary of a Bingo Manager can be anywhere around $53K.
8. Body for-hire
Don’t get any wrong ideas. It’s probably not the job you’re thinking. Well, this is not specifically a “job,” but an act in which you’re supposed to rent out your body for a short- term. For example, you can become a “mourner” at a funeral or become a stand-in bridesmaid at a wedding.
The pay can vastly vary, but you can be earning in 6-figures in the year if you can get enough gigs together.
9. Hippotherapist
A combination of riding horses and therapy is the job of a Hippotherapist. It’s a kind of treatment that’s used for both adults, as well as children. You need to be a certified therapist if you want to opt for this career. You need to be acquainted with the different kinds of disabilities, plus (this may sound funny), but you need to be good with horses.
Hippotherapy is used for improving the patient’s socialization, recreation, and interaction skills. In this job, you’ll be a part of a team of specialists who help create goals and plans for the patients.
A Hippotherapist can make up to $30 per hour.
10. Diver
It’s not as simple as the name suggests. You’re not going to get rich by just scuba diving. You need to actually “work” while you’re under the water. You must have the ability to perform specific underwater tasks to be a highly-paid diver.
For example, welders can earn huge bucks. The extraction industry also needs divers who can build and repair pipelines and platforms underwater.
The salary of a diver depends on the kind of task they take in hand as a diver.
11. Veterinary Acupuncturist
Humans get acupuncture therapy all the time, for all kinds of healing and treatments. So can animals! A veterinary acupuncturist uses non-surgical and a “no-drug” approach for treating animals. They use tools, needles, and techniques such as blood-moving approaches, massages, polarity devices, and frequency approaches.
If you want to opt for this odd profession, you’ll need to have training and certification in acupuncture. Love for animals is also an essential factor if you’re going to succeed in this role.
A veterinary acupuncturist can make about $35 per hour.
12. Snugglers
Yes, this is a real job. I am pretty sure you must have read about this in many other lists of unusual or weird jobs. Professional snugglers make quite good money by snuggling with strangers. Now, snuggling with strangers can be a pleasant experience or a complete nightmare!
Again, just like many other jobs in this list, the pay for a snuggler can also vary vastly. But if you’re a good snuggler, you can make a good income.
13. Flavorist
The job of a flavorist is to create artificial and natural flavors. To be a successful flavorist, you need to have a thorough knowledge of botanical extracts, essential oils, essences, and flavor aromas to recreate flavors from nature.
If you want to stand out, you should be able to create irresistible flavors that people fall in love with. For this odd job, you need to have a Ph.D. in either biochemistry or chemistry. Besides, you should also have extensive experience as an apprentice with good flavor companies.
A flavorist can make $17-$35 per hour.
14. Childbirth Educator
We all see childbirth and pregnancies on television, and it looks quite “casual.” But the hard truth is that pregnancies and especially “childbirth” requires a lot of preparation, and a childbirth educator does most of it.
Childbirth educators are not doctors. But they always have an educational degree and several years of experience. No, they are not supposed to “deliver the baby” but prepare for the D day with information and classes regarding the whole process and procedures. They teach about labor trends, delivery technology, and also hold pre-conception classes.
They work mostly in the area hospitals. Childbirth educators are not only the initial source of information for expectant parents, but they are also quite useful even after birth.
The annual median salary of a childbirth educator is $62K.
15. Soap Boiler
As a soap boiler, you can help people become squeaky clean. Soap producers need soap boilers for their multi-step process of turning fats into “neat soaps” used for powders and bars.
According to Britannica, soap – making process is quite colorful. You need to deal with “curdy grainy mass of soap” and “pasty boiling mass” that is treated with brine.
You do not need to have any specific degree to become a soap boiler. All you need to have is your high school diploma, and you can make up $40K in a year as a soap boiler.
Final Thoughts
It’s not important whether you are working a regular job or trying out an odd job that pays well without a degree. The important thing is to feel fulfilled and satisfied in life. You should achieve your worth.
If you are still undecided then don’t worry, we have jot down a list of best side hustle books that covers some great odd ways of making extra income.
Whatever you choose to opt for, make sure you do a good research first. Check out online reviews, meet the professionals in your interested fields, and learn about their hardships and achievements. All these small things go a long way and can make you successful in life.
Which one out of these jobs do you find most unusual?
Well, I never thought that warming someone’s bed could make you $20 an hour.
Good luck!
