7 weird jobs that are well-paying but nobody knows about, according to a viral Reddit thread
Malte Mueller
- A Reddit user asked what are weird jobs nobody knows about but pay well.
- Thousands of Redditors described these obscure, lucrative jobs.
- From pine cone harvester to artificial flavor maker, these are some of the jobs that were shared.
A Reddit user asked which jobs were relatively unknown but lucrative and the post went viral. Thousands of users responded with obscure jobs they have or know about, and many shared what the jobs consist of and how they got their jobs.
Business Insider picked out the top answers that were upvoted by Reddit users:
1. Teeth designer
A Reddit user said he makes teeth on a computer using CAD/CAM software for dental laboratories. "I work remotely and do pretty well."
A teeth designer, often referred to as a dental CAD/CAM technician, is a skilled professional who uses specialized computer software to design dental restorations like crowns and bridges.
Another Redditor chimed in and commented, "My husband is a dentist and his 'luxury' crown lab guy makes $$$...he's super expensive to use, but his crowns are phenomenal."
2. Ice sculptor
Reddit user IndependenceNo2060 commented, "I once met a professional ice sculptor who made a killing at corporate events and weddings. It's a niche skill, but the pay is pretty impressive."
Ice sculptures are popular at events like weddings, and corporate functions. Another user commented that one of their colleague's husband is an ice sculptor and chef. "They have a catering business. So they make bank because he caters and also does the ice sculptures for a lot of functions."
3. Candle scent sniffer
User Loreo1964 shared that their sister-in-law is "the nose" for Yankee Candle. "When a vat of scented wax is ready, she sniffs it."
Other users chimed in and commented that they knew official tasters for Heineken, or that they taste different types of food and non-alcoholic beverages for work. "I did get sensory training for beer in my undergraduate program," wrote user moodycats.
4. Artificial flavor maker
One Reddit user wrote, "My dad was a master flavorist. He made artificial flavors for candy, beverages, and lots of other things. He made a LOT of money during his career."
Another user die_lahn commented that they are an analytical chemist who reverse engineers flavors and that the job is indeed lucrative, but extremely complex: "Finding out how you can make a naturally derived ie citrus flavor taste the same every time when you have to source your extracts and oils from different places in the world, at different times of the year, while the stock might be a different age due to supply issues can be a lot more complex than one might think."
5. Bat tracker
An urban bat tracker is responsible for monitoring and studying bat populations within a city environment, which involves a blend of scientific research and fieldwork.
"My job is a blend of science and solitude. Armed with detectors that translate bat echolocation into something audible, I map their flight, study their behavior, and contribute to research that's vital for urban ecosystem conservation," a Reddit user wrote.
"The pay is decent, surprisingly. It's a niche field, and expertise in urban wildlife ecology can be hard to come by."
6. Hand pollinators
A hand pollinator manually pollinates plants and plays an important role in the agricultural industry.
Reddit user solarblack wrote, "My Aunt and her daughter both do seasonal work as hand pollinators and harvesters. Certain plants, such as saffron and vanilla orchids, have very small windows of time for pollination or harvesting, ranging from a few hours to half a day. So the growers need people who can work fast and delicately to hand pollinate or harvest these plants."
7. Pine cone harvester
A Reddit user shared they once worked as a pine cone harvester: "A helicopter would cut off the tops of trees and bring them to us to pick off the pinecones, which would then go to tree planters to germinate and plant."
They wrote that they were paid $35 to fill a five-gallon bucket and experienced pickers would fill two and a half buckets an hour. "But the sap getting all over your clothes, skin, and hair is very annoying and a big deterrent for most."