Brought to you by a Reddit thread.
Two generations ago, travel wasn’t counted among the most lucrative jobs or businesses. Now the industry is flooded with listings—and not just regular desk jobs, flight attendants, travel agents, or hospitality staff—there are Instagram concierges and kite concierges! Well, if you thought that was unusual, companies are also paying people to sleep.
Related: 10 Hotel Jobs You’ve Probably Never Even Heard Of
Every industry has unique jobs and requirements for employees. So, when a Reddit user 4mer_stoner asked, “What weird jobs do you all have?”, the range was astonishing. Hopefully, you’ll encounter some jobs here that you haven’t heard of, or jobs that you never actively thought about.
Installing Telecom Equipment
The original poster described their own weird job of installing “equipment in data centers and substations and weird huts off the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. All over the country, often alone, sometimes for weeks in a row.” They mentioned that it’s peaceful but isolating.
In reality, telecom installers and repairers aren’t that hard to find in the U.S. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 178,000 jobs in 2021 and the average salary per year is $60,370.
Delivering Movie Reels
Another Reddit user godlike_hocus-pocus commented that they used to deliver reels to theaters and drive-ins in rural towns. “Most of the places would be closed by the time I arrived, so it felt eerie, especially the drive-ins. No podcast back then. Lots of time to daydream.”
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Most theaters these days use digital cinema packages (DCPs), so delivering movie reels has become an unusual job. In fact, movie theaters across the nation have been struggling for decades. In the 1920s, there were 20,500 theatres in the U.S., but the figure was less than 5,500 in 2020 and the pandemic further reduced the number.
Face Painting and Balloon Twisting
For anyone looking for a change from corporate life: a part-time job painting faces and twisting balloons at children’s parties is fun and pays well, Adriaaa99 said.
Balloon artists have become really high-profile. NY Post interviewed a balloon designer who charges $1,000-$1,300 for large-scale installations and often influencers and celebrities approach her. And it’s more than a hobby—you can earn a certification from balloon company Qualatex and take it up a notch. The company also has a balloon network with resources to hone your craft, as well as tools, designs, and sheets. If you’re interested in making a career in the field, you should also attend the largest convention of balloon artists, the World Balloon Convention.
Making Safety Labels
Lazerwulv shared that they make safety labels for power equipment. They work in a warehouse away from the main office, “so I just get to zone out to the gentle hum of printers running all day.”
Haberdasher
A part-time job making hats by hand with equipment from the 1930s doesn’t sound like an exciting job. But it exists.
Describing it as a dirty, filthy job, ToneBoneKone1 said they worked alone for six hours and listened to podcasts about Jim Jones and cults. “I wasn’t too good at making hats. I could never make them fast enough, and I think I would have been fired had COVID-19 not shut down the store anyway.”
According to IBISWorld, which conducts industry research, there are just 26,859 people in the Hat & Cap stores industry, and employment growth is in decline.
Designing Hiking Maps
Orangutanglibrarian made a living by making hiking maps in China before COVID-19. That sounds pretty cool and the Reddit user has made quite a leap. They are now getting a degree in applied engineering at a community college.
Cartography is an ancient science. A formal degree in cartography or geography can help you get a job as a cartographer, or you can even enroll in online courses. The median pay for cartographers and photogrammetrists is $33.12 per hour according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The employment opportunities are growing slower than the average for other occupations, and there are just 1,000 openings each year.
Medical Coding
“I read hospital rounding, office visit, surgical, lab, and diagnostic testing notes all day and assign diagnosis codes and CPT codes based on the current years coding rules.” Afire2285 mentioned that it’s interesting, sad, and boring, but it allowed them to work from home and it’s flexible.
The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) offers certification in medical coding and you can learn more about medical coding here. A medical record specialist can make $46,600 per year and there are 14,900 projected openings every year.
Related: 10 Bonkers Hotel Jobs You’ve Never Heard Of
Guiding Ghost Tours
Someone in this thread has been a ghost walk tour guide in Ottawa! Coveredwmold did it for four years between April and November and recommended it to another person, saying it’s fun and there’s a lot to learn from customers.
Tour guides are a regular job profile now, but a ghost walking tour guide requires nerves of steel!
Making Picture Frames
“I work for a company that makes picture frames and art prints.” Pressedflours works in the art department where they handle prints, and said it’s kind of cool and kind of boring. It’s monotonous to work 40 hours a week at the framing studio, but they love to tell people they do this.
There are 9,000 local frame shops in the country, Vox reports. In addition, there are online services like Framebridge, Simply Framed, Art.com, and Keepsake. You can find a framer on the Professional Picture Framer Directory (PPFA is a membership association of framers). On Glassdoor, the salary of a picture framer starts at $14 per hour.
Writing Resumes
And lastly, Arfie807 confessed, “I avoided getting a real job by sitting at home and writing resumes to help other people get real jobs. The irony is never lost on me.”
Resume writers may sound unconventional, but they are widely sought-after. From companies that offer this service (such as Zipjob and ResumeWriters.com) to free website and apps (Indeed Resume Builder), it’s a lucrative field. You can also find freelance jobs on Upwork, where writers are able to make $25-$65 per hour.