These surprisingly high-paying jobs, some which don't even require college degrees, will shock you!
Tube Operators
“Tube as in the British Subway. Because the job is so depressing, whoever takes on the job actually gets paid quite a decent amount. However, the conditions are actually awful. Underground means not much lighting, the air is stuffy, and there is no one to talk to” (source)
Nuclear Divers
“They make repairs in nuclear reactors, it’s actually not very dangerous if you don’t do it a lot, water is a very good shield against radiation and the divers receive a relatively small dose if you compare it to the background radiation we all get during a year of just living our lives. You only have to work once every few months because of the amount of radiation you receive, and can make up to 100,000 dollars per year” (source).
Timpanist
“These kettle-drummers of the orchestra gets paid really well. Only the first violin gets paid more. It turns out that keeping those kettle-drums tuned requires an enormous amount of skill”(source).
Specialist Welders
“My brother in the southeast makes 250k+ to do welding on Nuclear projects. He has to have a security clearance and a bunch of unique training. He works ridiculous hours in spurts but has a lot of downtime when a project is either being treated or he’s waiting on some special metal to arrive. I’ve heard of underwater welders making similar money but they have to live on a rig and most of it is really just hazard pay” (source).
Crime Clean Up
“People who clean up crime and accident scenes. Someone shot themselves in the head in your house? Old lady died and wasn’t found for a few weeks? The medical examiner and emergency teams will come take the body, but all that blood, leaked fluid, and complete nastiness… Yeah that’s on you to deal with. Enter people who clean up scenes like this for a living! And they can charge whatever because can you really put a price on not having to deal with that mess yourself?” (source).
Court Reporter
“Being a court reporter pays extremely well. I live in Texas; the salaries for court reporters here average $75,000 and upwards (including retirement and paid vacation time). Even as a freelance deposition reporter you can make upwards of $100,000 if you put in the time. It’s definitely a unique skill though. You need to have a strong command of the English language. The theory behind writing on steno machines is also incredibly unique; you will need to alter your normal ways of spelling to be able to write correctly. In Texas there is a state certification that must be passed before you can be licensed. Texas requires you to write at a speed of 225 strokes per minute for at least 5 minutes. The test is definitely a huge barrier for a lot of people to get licensed” (source).
Sexton of a Church
“The sexton of a church is a person who gets paid a substantial salary (with benefits and pension) to ring the steeple bells on the hour. Between bell-ringing sessions, he polishes the brass in the church and gets it ready for funerals, weddings and weekend services. But most of the time, he acts as a ‘tour guide’ for those visiting the building on weekdays who want to see the church’s original Tiffany stained glass windows” (source).
Health Economist
“The field of health economics didn’t really take off until the late 90’s, and it’s booming as of today. OECD countries are starting to realize that they need more efficient ways to manage and organize their healthcare systems. Countries like Italy are still at ground zero when it comes to economic evaluation of drugs/technologies/diagnostic tests/treatments/etc. The prime example is the UK, which has a completely separate body called NICE to carry out evaluations for the NHS. People with a Masters/PhD in Health economics are in massive shortage and wanted by pretty much every international organization/technology consultancy/governmental body and of course by pharmaceutical companies, and they are paid very, very well” (source).
Merchant Marine Officer
“The starting salary is USD $75,000-100,000 takes about 10 years to make captain, and by that time you are making $200,000-350,000 a year and you usually work 50 days on and then get 50 days off. Great job, not as dangerous as it sounds, and once you know what you are doing, its pretty easy work. If you work inland a lot you can become a pilot and make anywhere from $300,000 to $950,000(!) a year working 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off and never have to go more than a few miles off shore” (source).
Pipe Fitter
“In Colorado, a good Pipe Fitter can make $75,000 a year (before any overtime) by the time they’re 22 or 23. That’s with basically no student debt accrued . It’s a job that is always in demand too. It can be a tough job, but you’ll never hurt for work. No idea if this is true or not, but when I was in the Army, we were told that parachute riggers (the people who pack parachutes) work by just having a certain quota of chutes they have to pack per day. Apparently it’s a very boring task, and the longer they keep going the more likely a mistake will be made. Because of this the guys who have been doing it for years and are really good at it complete their quota for the day in like 2-3 hours, so they’re home everyday by 11:00” (source).