Most people, when picking a career, choose to go with the beaten path. Sure, being a doctor or lawyer offers job security and high salaries, but there are other less conventional career paths that may grant the same benefits. In fact, because of the unconventional nature of these jobs, the market is less saturated and therefore professionals who have the right skill set and enough experience can find themselves in high demand. Here are five unconventional jobs that are both in high-demand and potentially lucrative:
Bed Warmer
You probably won’t find a more unconventional job than that of a human bed warmer. Believe it or not, the responsibilities are exactly what the job title says – people pay you to jump on a bed and warm it up for them. Apparently, the ultra-wealthy of society can’t stand their nice and clean beds being cold when they get on it. What’s even harder to believe is that human bed warmers can make up to $200,000 per year doing this full-time. Perhaps the main challenge of establishing a career in this field is the lack of an actual process or leads to get started. You’ll have to network nonstop until you find enough clients.
Computer Hacker
Don’t worry, choosing this career path doesn’t mean you need to go dark and criminal. There are ethical hackers out there working for companies. Ethical hackers are brought in to protect a company’s network, its databases, and the sensitive data it contains. Ethical hackers, also known as white hats, can make upwards of $100,000 per year, plus tech companies usually toss in stock options and year-end bonuses that add up to a few thousand dollars. A possible barrier to entry to ethical hacking is the technical challenges and learning curve needed to be proficient in the job.
Parking Lot Sweeper
Parking lot sweeping doesn’t sound like a job that would make you a lot of money, but it’s one of the labor jobs that few people want to do and a lot of people need, hence why sweepers make a good living. Parking lot sweepers usually start out as contractors and then build their way up to a full-on commercial company that caters to multiple local businesses. You can also live almost anywhere and do this job, you can find jobs for parking lot sweeping in Dallas, TX, Florida, California, pretty much any state in the U.S. you are currently living in. As a parking lot sweeping contractor, you’ll need starting capital to buy professional equipment and a reliable vehicle to get around.
Bug Bounty Hunter
Similar to computer hackers, bounty hunters that search for software bugs can make a lot of money. Software is written by humans thus errors are inevitable. More tech companies are starting bug bounty programs to purge their codebase of any software vulnerabilities with the help of third-party experts. According to surveys, the best in this line of work makes up to $350,000. But like computer hackers, the learning curve for bug bounty hunters often takes time and a lot of self-study and practice before you can be proficient enough to do it full-time.
Body For Hire
What’s unconventional about this job is that it doesn’t really entail a specific set of responsibilities. One day you might be mourning for a random person at a funeral, the next you might be standing in as best man for the groom who you only met a couple of days prior. This spontaneity may not sit well with people who prefer some degree of consistency in their career. But what’s also great about it is that you can charge higher rates and choose gigs that you want to do. You can make upwards of $1,000 for each event you partake in, depending on the clients you find, the number of days your services are required, and the amount of responsibility your role is given.
Final Thoughts
These five unconventional jobs are only the tip of the iceberg. Other options to consider include treasure diver, fortune cookie writer, street performer, and animal psychologists.
Unconventional jobs are worth looking into, whether you’re a high school or college student about to graduate or a professional looking to transition to a new career path. When choosing an unconventional job, don’t just look at the potential money to be made. Balance the income element with job security, career advancement opportunities, and if you are actually passionate about the work.
