26 Odd jobs that pay incredibly well

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Even in the face of unemployment, there are still so many ways of making money. One of those ways is with odd jobs.

Pin image of odd jobs that pay well

There are many odd jobs out there to help you earn a living. Though some may be quite uncomfortable at a glance, they are worth the try. 

For instance, you can comfortably make cool cash by being a trash collector. Don’t give me that look! There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping people keep a clean environment; it pays well too.

To make money with odd jobs, you should be willing to get your hands dirty (as long as it’s legit) 

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The following odd jobs are available, and they pay insanely well.

20+ Odd jobs that pay well

  1. Crime scene cleaner 

I hate to start with this because I know that not many people would like to do this kind of job. Who knows? That could be the reason it is a high-paying odd job

Photo of a Crime scene cleaner; one of the odd jobs that pay well

As a crime scene cleaner, you can earn $35,000 for a start. Doing it diligently can make you a six-figure salary in no time.

  1. Bounty hunter

This can be an excellent job for adults because it involves a little bit of running around. 

However, anyone can do the job. Being a Bounty Hunter means that you will get criminals who broke out of jail or skipped the bail back to prison. The earning can be pretty good as you can get between 10 to 45% of the bail amount. You will make more money if you take a higher risk to bring back the criminal.

  1. Sperm or egg donor

Think of it, most of the sperm cells or eggs you produce in your life will not give you a baby.

So, you can easily use your sperm cells or eggs to make money through donations. As a man, you can earn about $200 for each donation, but women can go as high as $8000. 

However, there is a need to be careful before making this decision. You’ll be giving out a very vital part of you and you must be sure you know what you are doing.

  1. Soap boiler
Photo of soap; being a soap boiler is one of the odd jobs that pay well

As a soap boiler, you will work with soap producers, especially the small to medium-sized companies, to help them do some multi-step processes that convert fat to ‘neat soap’, which is used for powders and bars.

If you don’t mind doing something like this, you can go for the job and earn a median hourly wage of $19.27 and a median annual wage of $40,090.

The requirement for this job is a high school diploma.

  1. Oil and gas diver 

If diving has ever been your thing, you can turn your passion into a money-making hobby.

You can work as a diver for oil and gas companies and help them inspect their oil rigs, welding under the water, and laying pipes. With this job, you can easily make up to $80,000 per year.

  1. Pearl diver 
Photo of a pearl driver; one of the odd jobs that pay well

This is a risky job. But if you can do it in Australia, you can make up to $1300 per day. 

That’s real. However, in America, you can earn from $500 and above as a pearl diver.

Sign up to join the pearl diver team. 

  1. Voice over work

Do you love cartoons? If you do, you can do voice-over work to earn well. 

However, voice-over work is not just for cartoons alone. You can earn money from doing voice-over work for Commercials. 

If you are lucky enough to find big companies looking for a voice-over worker, you can earn up to $325. Even as a movie voice-over, you can make up to $80,000 per year.

Find voice-over jobs here

  1. Mystery shopper

Who else loves shopping as I do? Then you can make money as a mystery shopper.

Photo of a mystery shopper; one of the odd jobs that pay well

For this job, you’ll become an anonymous shopper and service evaluator for companies and auditors that want to assess the quality of their services and the behavior of employees at the workplace. 

With this job, it is easy to make up to $100 per week from just one assignment.

Sign up to become a mystery shopper on market force. 

  1. Airplane repo man

This is not a very common job to do, and you won’t sell every day. However, you can make a fortune from just one sale.

I would say you should go for this kind of job if you were born a salesman. 

Being an Airplane Repo Man entails selling airplanes and getting a 10% commission for each sale. So imagine earning 10% of $900,000, which could be the cost of one plane. 

Reselling one plane can change your life forever.

  1. Costume attendant 

You can get into the entertainment industry and make money as a costume attendant. 

Photo of a costumed lady; being a costume attendant is one of the odd jobs that pay well

For this job, you will prepare costumes for entertainers like singers and actors and help them change them when they come down from the stage. You can earn a median hourly wage of $19.91 from this job and a median annual salary of $41,410.

You can do this job with just a high school diploma.

  1. Lipstick reader

This is a really odd job indeed, but it does exist. 

This job requires reading the lip prints of women in high teas or parties.  You can earn between $25 and $50 per hour doing this job. 

As a reader, you will tell the personality and prospects of the person whose lip prints you are reading.

  1. Human scarecrow 

Are you in a rural area, and can you do some farm work? 

If yes, then you can earn from $10 to $15 an hour from helping a farmer in your neighborhood with his farm.

  1. Bridge tender

A bridge tender is responsible for permitting the passage of boats through waterways. 

Photo of a bridge tender; one of the odd jobs that pay well

Though this job is not exactly like that of a captain, you will get to wear a jaunty hat and some sweet pair of boots to the office. That can quickly make you feel like you’ve made it.

The median annual wage of this job is $50,000. You can earn that much with just a high school diploma and job training.

  1. Undertaker 

Imagine being in high school and walking up to your dad to say that you want to become an undertaker. Everyone would think that you are crazy. 

However, this is not high school, and since we’ve grown, we understand that there is nothing wrong with helping people that are mourning.

This, as you know, is a tough job, and you have to be ready to direct funeral services and arrange for the transportation of dead bodies from the mortuary. 

You will also interview the family members and even select pallbearers.

After going through this, you should be able to earn more than $14,000 a year as the median wage.

  1. Human statue

This is one of the fun and age-long jobs in America. 

Photo of a human statue; one of the odd jobs that pay well

For this job, you will have to dress up as a cartoon character or idol and go to theme parks or promotional events. 

We are used to seeing these characters but do not know that they earn between $25 and $200 an hour from doing just that.

You can also take up this job and earn that much. The exact amount you make depends on the events you go for.

  1. Automatic door repairman

Automatic doors also need repairs! 

So, you can become a repairman and earn up to $20 an hour. You can easily make up to $1500 a year.

Having a high school diploma should be enough, but since it is a repair job, you need some training. 

So, you will be required to go for some moderate on-the-job training before starting the job.

  1. Airplane painter 

People love to retouch their old airplanes to make them more attractive. 

These airplane designs can range from plastic stripes to different characters. 

If you are good at designs, do this job and earn up to $42,000 median annual wage and a $20 median hourly wage. 

You need a high school diploma and moderate on-the-job training for the job.

  1. An acoustic ceiling tile installer

With no educational requirements, you can earn a median annual wage of $45,700 with this odd job

Photo of a tile installer; one of the odd jobs that pay well

However, you need to go for some moderate training for the job to be able to place acoustic tiles and other shock-absorbing materials on the ceilings and walls of entertainment rooms. 

These acoustic ceiling tiles are needed to reduce or reflect sound.

  1. Forest fire inspector 
Photo of a forest fire inspector; one of the odd jobs that pay well

Would you love to be one of those people that are responsible for preventing forest fires? Then you can join the forest fire inspectors to inspect the forest for fire hazards, enforce fire regulations to forest use, and recommend control measures of forest fire prevention techniques. 

For this job, you need an associate’s degree, but there is no formal training required. This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

This job offers a median annual wage of $45,270.

  1. Embalmer

This is odd, but that is why it is called an odd job.

As an embalmer, you will be required to clean up dead bodies in preparation for their funerals. 

As awkward as this job sounds, you can earn from $45,000 or more per annum.

The requirements for this job include long-term training in the workplace and an associate’s degree. With these two, you are good to go.

  1. Wastewater treatment plant operator 

We can’t make it sound better; wastewater treatment is a dirty job. 

This is because you would regularly be in contact with the sewage, grease traps, sewer lines, and sludge. 

However, the pay is definitely worth the stress. As a wastewater treatment plant operator, you can earn an average salary of $48,000 per year.

Fun Odd Jobs That Pay Well

  1. Underwater demolition driver 
Photo of underwater; being a demolition driver underwater is one of the odd jobs that pay well

This job sounds like one that will earn you some absolute good respect during your High School Reunion. 

Imagine telling everyone, “I’m an underwater demolition driver”, with a smirk. Everyone will be like, “wow!”

You know, these guys inspect, install, and repair equipment and structures underneath the water surface. They also use scuba gear and other tools to check explosives under the water that can cause demolitions.

  1. Theatrical make up artist 

If you are a qualified makeup artist, you can make so much money by becoming a theatrical makeup artist. 

You can quickly earn an average of $76,000 from this job a year. 

That sounds like much for applying cosmetics to singers, actors, and dancers during their performances.

  1. Body advertiser 

This is just another easy way of becoming famous. 

Allow companies to paint your face in logos or etch tattoos on your skin for their live ads. Depending on the significance and size of the tattoo, you can earn from $100 to $5000.

Find it on Indeed.

  1. Movie or television extra 
Photo of movie and television extra; one of the odd jobs that pay well

Being a television and movie extra is a fun job today. Not only because it gives you quick money summer but because you also get the opportunity to feature with your favorite star. 

Also, it is a job you can do on the weekends, so you will have the rest of the week to do other jobs. 

As a movie or television extra, you can earn up to $200 a day. You can go for this job if you’ve ever envisioned yourself becoming a movie star. It is an excellent place to start.

Find a movie extra job here.

  1. Trash collector 

Did you know you can make up to $60000 or more a year by collecting garbage? 

This job has been looked down upon, but it is one of the very high-paying jobs out there. Think about it.

Conclusion 

It may feel tough to do odd jobs, but the salaries make them worth the effort. 

I know that you may not be able to go to the extreme by doing jobs like an embalmer or an undertaker (if you can deal with that, it’s okay), but you can always find some sweet jobs like a mystery shopper, television & movie extras, and the rest. 

Odd jobs are a great way to make a living or extra income on the side. And since most of the jobs are pretty unusual, the niche is not so saturated. So check through the list and go with what suits you best.

Lily & The DollarCreed Team

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