Formerly lucrative professions now pay a pittance or no longer exist, while many strange jobs can lead to some very big paydays. Lots of weird vocations pay very well. If you want to make big money in the modern economy, thinking outside the box is definitely necessary. These are the 10 weirdest high paying jobs that you have ever imagined before.
1. Hot dog vendor
It may be a little hard to believe, but some of the people who run hot dog carts on the street corners take home really big bucks. The average vendor makes around $50,000 a year, but a person with a cart in a good location can earn $100,000 a year.
The advantage – is minimal capital investment, and it’s a cash business that’s easy to get into.
Drawbacks – staying on your feet all day in all kinds of weather.
2. Embalmer
If you can live with the idea of touching corpses, preparing dead bodies for funerals can really pay off. The average salary for an embalmer is $43,680 a year, but some earn quite a bit more.
With an aging population, it’s a growth profession. The only threat to the future is the growing popularity of cremation.
3. Dog Walker
An experienced dog walker with a good client base can make as much as $50 an hour.
The advantages – You get to be with dogs all day and do plenty of exercises together.
The disadvantages — a pooper scooper, and dogs aren’t always that well-behaved.
It can also be very hard to find clients so you have to live in a fairly affluent area and do a lot of hustling to succeed.
4. Horse Rider
Earn an average of $50,691 a year in the saddle exercising horses. There are a lot of rich people who own horses but don’t have the time to ride them regularly.
Connections might be necessary to find a job, and you’ll have to live in horse country to be easy to connect with horse owners.
5. Wine Steward
A good wine steward at a fancy restaurant, casino, or luxury hotel can earn an average of $50,868 a year.
You’ll have to be a people person and like working in the restaurant industry, and do a lot more than just serve wine like buying wine, managing the cellar, and traveling to vineyards.
6. Bingo Manager
Bingo is big these days with large, commercially operated halls and games at casinos.
Experienced bingo managers average $56,593 at a commercial operation. The pay is even higher if you can own and operate your own bingo hall.
It’s usually a management position that involves a lot of customer service. The big drawback to bingo management is that you’ll have to start at the bottom and spend years working in the industry to work your way up.
7. Locomotive Engineer
Working on the railroad can be very lucrative. The average engineer makes $63,620 a year, and it’s a union job with great benefits.
Those that work for certain railroads or drive specialized equipment like high-speed passenger trains make even higher salaries. The drawbacks are long hours, a boring repetitive routine, and spending a lot of time away from home.
8. Ethicist
An ethicist tries to counsel professionals, usually scientists, on what is right or wrong.
Ethicists also write reports on the ethical implications of actions. Clinical ethicists who work in laboratories, medical facilities, and research facilities make up to $66,966 a year.
If you’re looking for a way to make money with a degree in philosophy or theology this might be the way to go.
9. Prosthetist
This position refers to a person whose job is to fit, maintain and sometimes make artificial limbs and orthopedic braces.
The job can be very rewarding since you are helping people walk or use their hands again.
It can also be very rewarding financially, with the average salary at $67,938 a year. You’ll need specialized training and certification.
10. Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth nurses are nurses that provide medical care advice to patients remotely from a different location.
This is done through the use of telecommunication and information technologies. They work in collaboration with other healthcare providers, including physicians, medical assistants, and medical transcriptionists.
A telehealth nurse is usually paid around $30 – $40 per hour. The pay rate can also depend on their location as well as their level of expertise in the field. In fact, this is one of the remote jobs that pay well you can do from home.
11. Private Mercenary
If you’ve had military experience, you can make it pay off as a private security contractor or mercenary.
Veterans of elite military units such as the Navy SEALS, Delta Force, or British Special Air Services can earn up to $10,000 a month for some “assignments.”
The drawbacks—you’ll probably be in a war zone; there’s a good chance of getting killed and the willingness to kill others is a job requirement.
