In the name of money, we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community who work surprisingly well-paid jobs to share exactly what they do and how much they make. Here are the responses that may or may not have you considering a career change:
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1. “Grocery store manager. We typically make close to six figures before bonuses! It’s an extremely interesting field, and you do not need a degree to access it. It’s hard work both mentally and physically, but basically recession-proof, and you will meet the best people!”
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—Anonymous
2. “I’m a portfolio manager for HOAs and condominiums, and I make $94k a year. I’ve got the flexibility to work remotely, and it’s a great company. Admittedly, in the northern Virginia area, it still doesn’t feel like a lot.”
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—Anonymous
3. “Airport bartender. I’m making well over $100k a year and have amazing benefits. I’m home by 8:30 p.m. at the latest, and walk out with $500–$1,000 per shift.”
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4. “I’m an account executive for a manufacturing company. Essentially inside sales, no cold calling thankfully. My base salary is $78k with bonus potential max at $104k. Monday through Friday, 9–5, no overtime, and I get the week after Christmas off.”
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5. “I’m a closer for a supermarket warehouse. Basically, my job is to make sure that everything is loaded in the trailer, then I close it, seal it, and send it on its way. There’s a fair bit of knowledge and experience that you need to have, and there’s also some liability involved (if something doesn’t make it to the store, it’s your fault). But there’s also a lot of downtime. I’ve paid my dues and done the grunt work. Now I’m reaping the benefits. I work about 50 hours a week, and between my base pay, overtime, and bonuses, I should clear $90k this year.”
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6. “I’m a nuclear-trained officer in the Navy, been in for seven years now. If we agree to stay in, we get an additional bonus. This year my total entitlements will be approximately $180k. On top of full benefits, a good retirement plan, and 30 days of paid vacation (if I’m able to use it), a portion of my pay isn’t taxable, so my take-home pay is higher that it would be if I were a civilian. It’s not for everyone, though, and sometimes the hours definitely suck.”
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—Anonymous
7. “I do tech consultant specializing in marketing, sales, and customer service platforms. Base pay at my full-time job is $165,000. Plus quarterly and annual bonuses, totaling $20,000–$30,000. I also own my own business doing the same thing for smaller clients, which brings in another $50,000 minimum (but usually more). I do not have a degree.”
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—Anonymous
8. “I’m an administrator for residential mortgage systems (any and all that touch mortgage). I’m the only one in this role, so it’s a lot. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not, but working from home offsets a lot of that. I make $52 an hour plus overtime.”
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—Anonymous
9. “Medical laboratory scientist. It requires a bachelor’s degree program that’s just like a nursing program, but has no patient contact! It’s a great option for people halfway through a biology degree and realizing med school or nursing isn’t for them. I made around $75,000 as a new grad doing the night shift in New Jersey, which is typically much more than the common alternative of entering private research as a new grad.”
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—Anonymous
10. “I offer plan-ahead cremation services. I’ve made $83k in nine months.”
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—Anonymous
11. “The touring entertainment industry. Think about every concert you’ve been to. Lots of local labor helps set it up, but they’re run by people who work for the tour itself and travel to every city to set up, tear down, and maintain the gear. You work long hours and are away from home a lot, but without even having a bachelor’s degree, I can pull at least $75k–$80k a year from six months of touring, which means I can have literally six months at home to do whatever I want and still earn twice the median income for a single earner. If I want to work more, I can clear six figures annually. You won’t start off earning those numbers, but good people are appreciated in this business, and you can rise up the ranks quickly if you’re a solid worker and a person who people want to work with.”
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—Anonymous
12. “I’m a registered nurse now in my 30th year. I make $134,000 a year working in a specialty clinic. No weekends or holidays.”
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—Anonymous
13. “I make $80 per hour tutoring math online and in-person part-time. Worth it to revisit Algebra.”
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—Anonymous
14. “I’m essentially an event planner for a homeowner’s association, and I make $70,000 a year! I help put on all manner of events from small informational meetings, to large festivals for thousands of people. It’s fun!”
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—Anonymous
15. “I’m a nurse in a prison. I work nights and mostly sit around playing video games because the inmates are sleeping. I work two to four days a week and make $74k–$78k a year.”
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—Anonymous
16. “Bartender. I worked at a famous drummer’s restaurant in the Hawaiian islands, and I was making $300–$400 per NIGHT, four to five days a week. The shift was long, and you definitely had to put up with some entitled people, but it wasn’t a dive bar, so you weren’t throwing A-holes out every night. I bought a new car in cash and paid off $8,000 in debt all within a year.”
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—Anonymous
17. “I’m a CT scan tech in a small community hospital. You only need a two-year associate’s degree in radiology to get certified as an X-ray tech first, and then an eight-month certificate for CT. X-ray is the gateway path to so many opportunities in medical imaging. A very in-demand field. It definitely can be stressful, but no two days are the same. I’m a full-time tech with four years’ experience. With shift differential, weekend premium pay, and overtime, I’ll make a little over $83k this year. Our pay is on par with the registered nurses.”
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—Anonymous
18. “Car salesperson at a large dealership. I make about $170,000 per year, and there are a couple people here making well over $200,000.”
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—Anonymous
