From professional cuddling to pet psychology, some people do the most unusual things to earn a living. If the thought of working in an office bores you senseless, read on to discover some curious careers you probably never knew existed, and what they pay.
This job involves foraging in grassy areas to find the juiciest worms for fishing bait. Pickers are expected to find between 800 and 1,000 worms every hour – so you better get a wriggle on. Picking worms for Canada Live Bait Supply pays up to $9.67 (£6.95) per hour.
These people have the very important job of helping Santa Claus reply to all his letters. There are hundreds of independent agencies around the world but workers at the Finnish post office organise one of the largest Santa Claus letter-writing operations every year, charging around $10.50 (£7.60) per letter and 'niceness certificate'.
'Fountain pen doctors', such as New Hampshire-based Richard Binder, repair and restore old fountain pens. Hoping to make the world a better place one pen at a time, Binder charges anything from $15 (£10.80) to three-figure sums for his writing instrument restoration services. In the unlikely event that Binder can't 'write' your wrongs, you can always send your broken nibs to New York's Fountain Pen Hospital.
One of the world's most dangerous jobs, smokejumping involves parachuting to the edge of forest fires to fight hard-to-reach blazes. Smokejumpers earn around $16 (£11.50) an hour in the US, but a foreman – the first to jump – gets $24 (£17). Not exactly big bucks considering the risks, but the job does also come with hazard pay equal to 25% of the employees' salary, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
A 'hairapist' is a hairdresser who offers their customers unofficial therapy, as well as a great haircut. Apparently, people are more inclined to open up to someone who is touching their scalp as the sensation is associated with maternal care, while the feelgood factor you get from a new cut or colour makes you more honest and chatty. A good hairapist will pride themselves on being discreet, unbiased, and an excellent listener – not to mention a dab hand at cutting your hair too. The average salary for a hairapist is $17 (£12.75) per hour, but it's likely these professionals earn more to reflect their additional therapeutic duties.
Professional mourners, also known as moirologists, are a common sight at funerals in parts of Africa and Asia. The practice went out of fashion in Europe and North America during the 19th century, but rent-a-mourner services are making a comeback in the West. Today, professional weepers charge up to $120 (£85) per funeral.
Remember Pokémon Go? The gaming sensation had people across the world glued to their phones as they tried to 'catch ‘em all'. And some people weren’t just catching Pokémon for their own amusement – they also managed to turn the game into a lucrative side hustle. Pro hunters used multiple smartphones to capture as many creatures as possible before selling their accounts for anything up to $11,000 (£8k). Platforms such as Funzing.com were also recruiting Pokémon Masters to train others how to use the app, a role that involved hosting walks and even raves based on the game. Singapore-based Ivy Lim was the first Master recruited by the online marketplace in 2016 and earned $1,000 (£730) a month.
Are you looking for a hands-on career? Then professional cuddling could be for you. According to JobMonkey, professional cuddlers typically earn between $40-$80 (£29-£58) an hour, plus tips. Research suggests that hugging can lower our stress levels and potentially even boost our heart health, so this job could benefit more than just your bank balance.
Elton John might have said that "sorry seems to be the hardest word", but if you disagree, this could be your dream role. Professional apology agencies in Japan hire freelancers to write and deliver apologies on behalf of their clients, and pay them between $400 and $500 (£290-£365) per gig.
Certain companies in China hire smartly-dressed Westerners to pose as hotshot employees or clients, helping their businesses appear more globally connected. For example, Canadian journalist Mitch Mosley earned $1,000 (£730) a week during his stint as a fake executive in China in 2010.
One of the most tedious jobs in our round-up, professional queue sitters can earn up to $1,500 (£1.1k) for standing in line on behalf of their customers. Sitters such as New York-based Robert Samuel earn the most, scoring must-haves for their clients including cronuts (pictured), new Apple products, and even popular theatre tickets.
New Yorker Jen Glantz was such a great bridesmaid that her friends joked she should do it professionally – so she did. Jen founded Bridesmaids for Hire, which offers everything from one-hour phone calls to vent all your wedding frustrations to the full “wedding wingwoman” experience. This includes vendor coordination, six pre-wedding phone sessions, and 12 hours of support on the big day. Bridesmaid-for-hire packages start at $1,750 (£1.3k).
Do you fancy yourself as the Mary Poppins of the animal kingdom? The Sloth Institute in Costa Rica hires specialist sloth nannies to nurture their baby tenants, preparing them to be released back into the wild. The average salary for animal carers in the US is $29,000 (£21.2k), but biologists and zoologists who have specialist knowledge can expect higher salaries. Wildlife biologists, for example, earn $62,560 (£45.7k) on average, according to SimplyHired.
Every year, between 12,000 and 15,000 bikes end up in Amsterdam's 165 canals. Waternet, the Dutch capital’s water authority, hires teams of bicycle fishers to dredge the waterways and recover them. In the Netherlands, conventional fishermen and women are paid an annual salary of $41,500 (£30.3k) each year, while street cleaners earn around $40,500 (£29.6k), according to SalaryExpert. We’re guessing that a bicycle fisher’s salary falls somewhere around the two.
Teddy bear surgeons or repair technicians work at teddy bear clinics such as the Build-a-Bear Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri, "operating" on damaged bears and nursing them back to full health. Salaries for toy surgeons vary, but a typical toy maker will earn $41,800 (£30.5k) each year, according to SalaryExpert.
A light bender is a very real job, entailing the shaping and lighting of glass neon tubes. Why would you do that, you ask? Well, neon lights – from spectacular Las Vegas displays to 'open' signs – don’t just bend themselves into shape. It’s quite a technical job, involving flames that burn at 1,700°C (3,090°F), with the light benders heating and manipulating the glass by hand. Neon sign makers can earn anything from $26,680 (£19.5k) to $46,070 (£33.7k) a year.
Supplying animals for films, adverts, and music videos is big business, and agencies such as Hollywood Paws have teams of agents who scout out new four-legged talent. Talent agents for humans make an average annual income of $50,200 (£36.7k), according to Salary.com. It's likely their animal-focused colleagues can expect a similar rate.
Futurists, or prophets as some like to be known, analyse data and trends to try to predict what might happen in the future. Until 2019, David Shing (pictured) was a professional Digital Prophet at the American online services company AOL. His role involved anticipating future trends and working out how the corporation's brands could adapt to the changing world. Glassdoor says the average salary for a futurist is currently $52,520 (£38.4k).
If you're a fan of all things fluffy, you could become a pet psychologist for around $61,680 (£44.3k) a year. As the job title suggests, this role involves analysing the behaviour of animals and helping their owners to discover the cause of any problems. You'll need to be a qualified vet or have a relevant PhD to apply for this position.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, but it can also help you pay the bills. Laughter therapists use special techniques to combat a range of mental and physical health conditions. According to job site ZipRecruiter, these jolly professionals currently earn $71,750 (£52.4k) a year on average.
A staggering three billion fortune cookies are consumed every year. Makers of the crunchy after-dinner snack hire teams of freelancers to write the millions of one-line fortunes. Aspiring writers can expect to earn around $0.75 (£0.55) per message, which adds up to between $40,000 and $80,000 (£29.3k to £58.5k) a year, according to JobFlare.
Ever wondered what happens to all the golf balls that disappear into the water? Well, it’s somebody’s job to dive down and collect them. That somebody gets paid around $200 (£145) a day, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, but annual salaries can reach $100,000 (£73k). It can be strenuous work, though, as divers are expected to collect around 3,000 golf balls every day.
Major corporations and government agencies hire computing experts to hack into their systems and expose any security vulnerabilities. Known as ethical hackers, these professionals use the same techniques as malicious hackers to beat them at their own game. Hackers who are using their powers for good can expect a salary of around $101,390 (£74.1k), according to Salary.com.
Here’s a job title that’s bound to break the ice. A mysteriously named 'flavourist' is responsible for improving the taste of food and drinks by studying ingredients and developing flavours. Professionals need a scientific background and can expect to earn an average of $125,425 (£91.7k) a year for this highly technical role.
That's right, you can listen for a living – and get paid $184,460 (£134.8k) on average to do it. Technically, you need to be savvier with social media than with people, as the role involves monitoring a brand’s presence across its social networks and taking notes of any comments. It's not exactly eavesdropping on conversations, but this is a great job for nosy people nonetheless.
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