Thursday, January 17, 2013

Top Job Thursday

25 Well-Paying Jobs that Most People Overlook (and Why)
(spread out over 2 week period, check next Thursday for the next installment)
 
 
Here are certain jobs that nobody dreams of doing when they grow up. “Somebody’s gotta do it”, but that doesn’t stop people from praying that “someone” won’t be them. What’s surprising, however, is how much money some of these stigmatized jobs actually pay people who man up and do them. So if you’re on the fence about where your financial future is headed, stop and consider any of the shockingly lucrative jobs that follow.
 
[NOTE: We realize that there are, technically, people who do want these jobs. The point is to spotlight jobs with stigmas attached to them that pay more than the typical person would think.]
 

25. Crab fisherman

Featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit TV series “Deadliest Catch”, the job of crab fisherman is often called the most dangerous in America. Fishing in frigid Alaskan waters, these brave spirits weather stormy seas, below-freezing temperatures, and the heartache of being away from home for months. The short crab season makes it imperative that they catch as many crabs as possible during that short window. However, this can become astonishingly lucrative once one gets the hang of of it. According to one estimate, even a somewhat experienced crab fisherman can catch as many as $50,000 worth of crabs in an 8 week period.

24. Gastroenterologist

Gastroenterologists are seen by almost every patient they treat as a necessary evil. This is unlikely to change, as virtually no one gets excited about going in for a colonoscopy or an invasive prostate exam. Worse yet, almost all of a gastroenterologist’s time is spent performing these same, routine, unchanging procedures that everyone dreads having. The only saving grace appears to be the eye-popping salary. According to Salary.com, a gastroenterologist can earn as much as $269,500 per year.

 

23. Podiatrist

Podiatry is another lucrative yet otherwise unappealing wing of medicine available to the open-minded job seeker. While Salary.com clocks the annual earnings potential of a podiatrist at $149,527, it will come at a steep price. Should you undertake this career, your days will be spent on such enthralling, rewarding tasks as dealing with ingrown toenails, bunions, and ulcers. As if that weren’t enough, you will also be snickered at by the elite “real doctors” (ie, those with MD degrees) while you toil away as a lowly DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.)

22. Accountant

Often stereotyped as “bean counters”, the accountant is seen as the prototypical “boring” person. Spending the workday digging through hordes of numbers, in a cramped office, under buzzing flourescent lights is just not what most people bargained for. Fortunately, this creates a massive opportunity for those who don’t mind such things! If you’re the kind of person who loves numbers and the quiet peace of being left alone, accounting could be a great fit. The average starting salary for an accountant is roughly $41,000, while the best and most experienced are known to pull down salaries of $200,000 or more.

21. Commissioned salesperson

90% of the job-seeking public have zero interest in jobs without a base salary. “Why would I work somewhere that doesn’t even guarantee me a paycheck?” is the common refrain. However, those who are bold and confident enough to take on a commissioned sales job can make an extremely comfortable living by doing so. The most successful salespeople at car dealerships, electronics stores, and investment banks, for example, regularly drum up $100,000 or more per year in commission.

20. IT Employee

The term “IT employee” is a broad catch-all that encompasses programmers, network administrators, database engineers, and virtually any other job function pertaining to the use of technology. The demand for those skills has steadily risen since the 90′s and there seems to be no end in sight! Fortunately, there may not be as much competition for these jobs as you might think. Despite the average $103,400 salary, many people simply do not want to spend the day in an office cubicle.

19. Roughneck

For an average salary of $46,867, a roughneck can look forward to 12 hour days spent beneath an enormous oil drilling rig. There, they will find the work environment so noisy that they only communicate using hand signals, the air filled with swirling toxins and chemicals, and the most dangerous, backbreaking labor saved especially for them. A typical roughneck might find himself changing scalding hot drill pits or connecting new sections of pipe to one another. Those who can prove themselves capable of these tasks can rise to earn as much as $100,000 for specialized “supervisor” positions.

18. Crop duster pilot

Most people get their pilot’s license to realize their lifelong dreams of taking to the air and soaring high above the lowly ground below. Crop duster pilots, on the other hand, are a slightly different breed. Instead of cruising through the clouds, a crop duster pilot must skillfully navigate his small craft at a dangerously low level, making sure to avoid power lines and fence posts along the way. If he can survive this and continued exposure to toxic chemicals, an experienced crop duster can rake in up to $80,000 per year

17. Iraq private security contractor

“Private security” makes most people think of the rent-a-cops who used to bother them as kids at the local shopping mall. In Iraq, however, the job description takes on a totally different (and dangerous) meaning. As a private security contractor in that area, people are literally asked to shield traveling diplomats and politicians from hostile enemy fire. And despite hundreds of private contractor deaths since the beginning of combat actions, people are still signing up in droves to collect the $10,000 per month fees. If you are willing to become a human shield to make a decent living for a while, this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for!

16. Trash collector

Being a trash man is a “somebody’s gotta do it” job if ever there was one, but depending on where you live, it can be a very high-paying gig. WikiAnswers.com clocks the starting salary of a New York City trash collector at a very respectable $80,000. The salary seems to decline the further south you go, bottoming out at $35,000 in Pensacola, Florida. Still, $35,000 right off the bat is nothing to sneeze at for emptying trash cans into a big truck.

15. Truck driver

Driving a truck might be the only job on this list that is actually proven to shave 10-15 years the average male’s life. The combination of constant driving, sleep deprivation, and fatty convenience foods take a hefty toll on a truck driver’s body and mind alike. The upside is the pay and job security. The average truck driver earns $43,200 without the need for a college degree or extensive training. As drivers become more experienced and establish good safety records, salaries as high as $85,000 are possible.

14. Crime scene cleaner

While the hit show “CSI” has kindled interest in this career path, serious potential applicants should know a few more things about their “dream field.” In addition to mopping up blood, the day of a crime scene cleaner can also include ripping up carpet and floorboards, working in extremely tight spaces, and unearthing bodily fluids and evidence from asbestos-filled buildings. Crime scene cleaners who are lucky enough to get called into a drug lab will get the extra joy of gingerly handling combustible chemicals and compounds while they strive to do their jobs. If none of this phases you, however, an average salary of $50,400 is yours for the taking.

13. Sewer inspector

The unpleasant nature of this job should need no explaining, but suffice it to say that sewer inspectors should expect to work in dark, damp, cramped spaces filled with rats, cockroaches, and a never-ending flood of human refuse. It is through this maze of filth that sewer inspectors crawl in efforts to find and repair cracked, clogged pipes or passageways. While the starting salary for this position is not very high ($34,960), salaries as high as $61,000 have been doled out to people who are brave enough to stick with it and become skilled.

To view the original article CLICK HERE

No comments:

Post a Comment