“People That Don’t Hate Their Jobs And Make A Decent Wage, What Do You Do?” (30 Answers)
While some people experience involuntary eye twitching just at the thought of going back to work alone, others—the lucky ones, one might say—don’t feel hatred towards their job. Not only that; they go as far as saying that they love it.
It might sound unbelievable to some, but it’s true; some people like their way of earning the daily bread. They revealed it in a thread started by the redditor u/puffmonkey92, who asked the members of ‘Ask Reddit’ community what they do so that they don’t hate their jobs and make a decent wage. The answers covered everything from dog sitting to electricians, and everything in between, so scroll down to find them and see if any sound like a dream job to you.
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I work at a pet store (only supplies, no animal sales) and make $18 CAD/hr. That might not sound 'decent' but it's better than minimum wage with no meaningful increase in responsibility (aka stress) compared to any other retail worker. In fact, my work environment is lower stress than any other retail/food job I've had and the owner has a keen interest in our well-being. Yearly raises, Christmas bonus, profit sharing, get paid our full scheduled shift if it's shortened or cancelled for weather, aiming to become a living wage employer with promises to increase wages beyond that so long as the business continues to grow.
Plus no one asks 'why' if I turn down a shift or decline to stay later. Respect for personal time is huge. I'm treated like a human being, not a robot with no life outside work.
Great for OP. A good boss makes everything easier, it completely changes your worklife and often your whole life.
I’m an accountant for a bank.
Good salary, great benefits, tons of PTO and all holidays off.
It’s not particularly exciting, rewarding, or fulfilling but it gives me the security and freedom to make my life as exciting, rewarding and fulfilling as possible.
Good for you !! Fair enough. It (excitement/rewards/fulfilment) does not have to come from the job - as long as fair money is. There are other ways to accomplish that.... sometimes you just can't have it all. I sometimes wonder if people are just over expecting from a job. Work was always exactly that - work. And the excitement/ fulfilment/ adventure/ parts came from other sources.
I work as a housekeeper at a motel. I love my job. It allows me to work alone, I can listen to my music, and I enjoy making order out of chaos. Also, the money's pretty damn good. Because of the way our pay is structured, I make more than double the standard amount in this industry.
I make good money owning a nice dog boarding facility on my property. I do doggie daycare twice a week in addition to 24/7 boarding; picking up happy dogs around town is pretty damn fun. I love working at home, with dogs, and running my own business.
School janitor. $30/hour. 40 hours a week, 12 months a year. I get a shitload of awesome medical/dental benefits, paid vacation, sick days, every provincial and federal holiday off paid.
However, the real perk that I f*****g love, is that I work alone. Once the teachers leave, I have the building to myself. I see my boss once a month, if that. I just show up, put on my favourite podcasts, do my job and go home, money shows up in my account twice a month. I might speak 100 words a shift. It’s absolutely glorious.
About the only thing I don’t like about it are the crappy hours (3-11pm, followed by 7-3 during the winter/spring/summer breaks, but you get used to it), and the lazy f*****g teachers that make my job harder than it needs to be. Overall, I’d give it a solid 8.5/10
Lots of people don't realize it's the "not highly desired" jobs that pay well. I worked on a power tool assembly line in the early 90's and made $13.00/hour. Back then, it was great pay. I also never worried about makeup or "fixing my hair". Brush it, ponytail, wash face, brush teeth and off to work.
I am a kennel attendant. I care for and feed both dogs and cats. One of my daily requirements if I have time to do it, is literally to play with a dog/cat or puppy/kitten. It’s called animal enrichment. It’s meant to help prepare them for a life outside the shelter. Doesn’t even feel like a job.
I worked in construction doing flooring for 25 yrs. I was always excited when the weekend came to an end and looked forward to the work week. My wife got to stay home and raise our kids. We went on 3-4 vacations a year. Put both my kids through college. So satisfying to be able to work with your hands everyday and create something beautiful in someones home, that will last for years to come. Then cash a nice paycheck for all your hard work.
I got to work at JPL for 35 years, designing and flying deep space missions. Galileo, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Stardust, Solar Probe, InSight and others. It was an exceptionally fun job even when it was hard. And I met a whole bunch of very smart people.
I'd love to sit down with OP and just listen to the stories.
Electrician. It’s hard work most days, but satisfying seeing it all lit-up and functioning properly.
Knowing my work will still be in service many years from now feels good, and seeing customers marvel at their new light fixtures looking great is a good feeling
You're the light of my life, OP! In fact, I feel electrified every time I think of you.
Air Traffic controller. Made around $120k last year with overtime. Staffing sucks. Availability of leave sucks. Tons of mandatory OT. But I still love my job. 10 years in, 13 years until eligible for retirement. Forced retirement in 19 years.
I am the only IT guy for a family owned business. They know nothing about computers so as long as everything is running smoothly they leave me alone. I only put in about 45 minutes of actual work every week.
EnvironmentalPack451 replied: I got into a position like this fairly recently, and the toughest part was coming to terms with not working hard every second after years of working hard every second.
Can't think of a worse hell than only having to put in 45 minutes of work a week. I'd die of boredom. And not in a panda kind of way.
I work in the pathology lab at a hospital. I process blood and biopsy samples onto microscope slides for the pathologists to read. I love it! I feel like I’m helping people, even though I never meet them and they have no idea who I am.
Im a librarian and part of my job is organising and creating workshops for children/adolescents regarding STEM. So I get to fiddle around with 3d printers, lasercutters and all kinds of cool things. On the side I also do graphic design and build websites since my previous job was web developer.
My job is different every day and since I work for the government the benefits are really good. Only downside is the pay but I gladly earn a little less to do a creative job where I can basically do what I want.
I feel like being a librarian would be a very enjoyable job, especially because I’m an introvert who hates noise
Plumber.
I'm in high demand, so I get to work the hours I want for the pay that I want, more or less. Lots of autonomy, and I get to tinker with things and fix things all day.
One of the better paying jobs. A buddy of mine from high school lives out in Montana. Makes $170,000 a year working on pipes.
Farmer here. In the winter I can be in knee deep snow with numb toes and fingers fixing fence, and in the summer I can be working on an irrigation system with a heat index of 110°F. I never feel like I'm actually working. Life feels like an open world RPG with somewhat vague deadlines to meet throughout the year. The hardest part is keeping yourself motivated so you don't fall behind. We start planting in mid April, but we've been working on the planter for most of this week and should be field ready tomorrow. I could sleep in till noon every day if I chose to but the seasons are changing....
Good on you. Most people don't know what's involved in farming or ranching. Lot of long hard work & nobody is getting rich
Entomologist. I’m just here for the bugs. It’s like $65k a year, and I live in a not super expensive area, so it works out when combined with my fiancés income.
Software maintainers are just there for the bugs too. Come to think of it, so are Venus flytraps.
I’m a statistician and work with a government agency. I particularly really enjoy not having to interact with too many people.
I’m an Estate Buyer, I travel all over the country buying peoples stuff. Antiques and what not. Pays well and I don’t spend a dime on travel, rental car, even my food is paid for. I just show up to an event and buy. It’s wonderful and I get to see a lot of cool stuff I’d normally never see.
National Park Ranger. Thirty-two years and counting. As with any profession, there are still bad days.
BlueberryUpstairs477 replied: I did two seasons with the [Forest Service] as a wilderness and trails ranger but declined a position in 2020 because of fuck-ups due to covid — decided it wasn't for me and wanted to make more money. Well, I'm coming back around to the idea because I'd rather love my job and make ok money.
I’m a service navigator for children’s intensive mental health services. I work for a nonprofit so I make an ok wage (I’ve been able to be the main income provider in our household and although things are tight I’m not currently worried). But I also get 4 weeks PTO, a week off at Christmas, benefits for myself and my husband, and a pension. Everyday is different and I do my best to help people.
Land Surveyor
I get to work outside for first half of the day and then am home by lunch to upload the field data into CAD and create maps. I dig it.
I stock shelves at a grocery store, it’s a simple job where you can just shut off your brain while doing it
Self-employed contracted ‘cleaner’. Not everyone’s cup of tea which I totally understand.. but I just have a knack for cleaning well and it doesn’t feel as strenuous as it does for some? I make sure the work I do is excellent and have built a rep that allows me to charge a high rate.
This is a life skill that’s so imperative to feeling positive and productive in ones own space that others who don’t hone it naturally (or lazily, lol) are willing to pay good $ for someone else to care for their home. I can be picky with the work I choose - I mainly did Airbnbs to begin with and now stick with commercial spaces and student rental common areas in quality upgraded apartments with good landlords etc.
My absolute favourite part is the personal freedom. I make my own schedule, work on my own, slap the wireless headphones on and haul my rainbow sack full of cleaning goodies and get er done in peace.. It is absolute bliss after many years of a variety of other gigs that dealt with.. people.
I’m not glorifying scrubbing toilets and floors but if you have a great groove at something and can hone that into a business, you’re set. It can be so hard working for someone else’s dream at a salary less than you deserve OR can even live on in 2023.
Independent Dog walker, all of my clients I either found on my own through dog walking apps I was using (and then moved off the apps), or were referrals. I live in a city big enough that it provides me with a healthy income.
Technical Illustrator. I love working with 3D models and illustrating. I work from home half the time and keep whatever hours i want. My boss has faith that i will do my job so i rarely ever see him. Since starting this job 2 years ago i have paid off all my debt and even sent my parents some money for everything they have done for me.
UX/UI designer. I design software. Not the most exciting job, but I like the problem solving aspect of it, and I can work remotely. I make 185k.
I bartend at a brewery and I LOVE my job. I’ve worked with the same crew for the last two years, I only work two days a week and make btw 1500-2000 biweekly.
Babysitting and nannying. Currently getting paid 26/hr by one family for 12 hours each week. One family pays 18/hr and I watch them for 24 hours a week. One other family pays 20/hr for pickup/drop off each day. I live in SC where the minimum wage is still 7.25 so it’s pretty decent money. Only downside is crazy kids but even crazier parents.
I work in Robotics and Machine Learning, love my job and most companies that have jobs in this field have very good work environment to attract good candidates. Pay is well above average if you have a degree. I earn around 220k total comp 4 years experience.
I do data analytics and financial modeling for an IT company. Great environment with great perks. My boss is an awesome guy, too. Love all my colleagues. Easily the best company I’ve ever worked for, and I actually look forward to logging on every day. Our attrition rate is less than like 1%, it’s that great. Only way I’m leaving is if they shutter the place.
I’m a colorist. It’s like Photoshop for movies. I love it. But I feel very lucky to have this job, and to be successful in the industry.
Longshoreman. But specifically operate large machines. I'm alone, outdoors, getting paid really good. I'm really good at my job. I'm on the spectrum with some ADD. Having so many variables all day is actually relaxing. Also work with my mom occasionally. Also get to make my own schedule so I never miss anything with my kids
I work at Wendy's, make $13.65 an hour (pays well in my opinion) I love my job. I hate interacting with people but when I get to work I get excited to talk to customers. It's exciting to me honestly I don't know if I'll quit fast food and retail. Its making my life a bit more interesting.
Edit: I still work there
I'm a primary school teacher. My job feels really important, the kids make me laugh every single day, and I get paid an above average salary which is more than enough for me.
I was idealistic at first but quickly became disillusioned which only worsened every year for 25 years.
Massage therapist, ~70/hr. I work 2.5 days a week and bring home ~950. I am in an incredibly supportive environment, clients are great, love my coworkers.
BugsyBelle replied: I was a massage therapist for 10 years, and I miss it so much! It was the least stressful job, and I got away with only working four 5-hour shifts a week. The physical part of it eventually ended my ability to keep massaging, and now, I have a stressful office job in management.
Not for everybody; but I am a lighting designer. Days are long, but there’s something amazing about finishing out a day by making a musicians show look as incredible as they sound. Used to tour, but hopped off the road because my partner and I had a kid, so now I’m working at local venues, and while you don’t build the same relationship as you do on the road, working a different show every time you go in means needing to be prepared for anything, it’s all very rewarding, and while the days can be super long, they’re very rarely dull. And I mean, I get paid to go to concerts, so that’s also a nice touch.
Computational biologist. I'm a classically trained cellular and molecular biologist that specializes in computer analysis of biological data. I work in rational drug design, so more or less I receive concepts for for drugs from staff, do some genetics and modeling work, and generate molecule designs that I send off to a robot to synthesize. They screen them to see which work best, and those that show a favorable combination of potency and specificity ultimately proceed to becoming drug candidates and going into clinic.
It's nice in that I can frequently work from home. There's lots of problem solving. It's nice mash-up of computer science and biology. The company and my peers are all great. And it's still got that kind of cutting-edge this-is-the-future-today feel to it.
I coach figure skaters as head coach or jump technician and hockey players on skating skills. I love the job, but I have worked in plenty of rinks I absolutely hated working in though. Because of this I put my energy into working freelance and not at any specific rink, and it makes me way happier to do that, although building clientele is more difficult.
I love what I do and feel I have a lot of knowledge to pass on to people who hope to make a profession on the ice one day like myself. I don't have the patience anymore for rink b******t though.
I work in a shipping terminal with one other guy. Pretty chillax atmosphere, winter times are hardly busy. Work a straight 8, Monday through Friday. No absurd hours and if I have to cover for someone at a different location, I'm compensated milage.
Software developer (web stuff). Spent my career at startups. Always work with people who care about what we're doing, know and trust each other.
Event Staging Technician. Love the gear, the interaction with the clients and the camaraderie with my fellow workers.
Electrician in the film industry. I make great money and I work when I want to, so I have time off to travel and stuff. Most jobs are always at a new location, so I’m never bored, and I mostly work with my friends. It’s really cool.
Oilfield Mechanic: get to fix tangible problems everyday. Get paid well. The best thing about my career is my schedule, 14 days working and 7 days off. Been doing it so long I can’t fathom working a 5-2.
I'm a therapist.
Dealing with insurance is the worst but it's a small part of the job.
The pay is usually livable. It's pretty easy to find work in most states. I'm in private practice now so I take flexibility over benefits. I've always had supportive supervisors and a good community of co-workers when I did agency work.
You hear some deeply f****d up stories and it can be draining to hold space for people's trauma but these things happen and it feels good to be a support to the people that have lived them.
I run insurance data files.
I make my money when they’re incorrect.
Other than that, it’s lots of clicking and emails.
I'm a paralegal at an attorney's office. I essentially do all the writing and research for cases and assemble the files and information an attorney needs for trial.
I thought about going to law school, but during my internship clerking for the county courthouse, I found that people with Bar cards were working clerk jobs like me, saying there's too many lawyers out there to get a job. I decided that throwing down six figures on law school and not even having a job guaranteed at the end is too big of a risk, and instead got a paralegal certificate for a fraction of that price, and have been doing paralegal work for 10 years now. It's not crazy money by any means, but $40k+ a year supports me and my family, and that's fine by us.
I work in a logyard in S Oregon. Log trucks come in and are unloaded. The load is rolled out on the ground, and I scale the logs. I measure the lengths and diameters, calculate the gross volume in board feet, and make deductions based on defects such as frost seams, insect damage, burn scars, lightning strikes, etc. I work outside, so it can be rough in the winter/summer, but it keeps me moving, and it's an interesting gig. Been doing it about 6 years now. AMA
I'm an IT generalist. They fit me in wherever help is needed. I don't love my job, but I definitely don't hate it, and it pays well. I think one of the things I like though is that I sometimes end up with weeks of downtime where I have very little to do.
I'm a phlebotomist and I absolutely love my job. I swear I scroll TikTok more than drawing blood so there is a lot of downtime. But I don't get paid enough unfortunately. But enough to pay bills.
Therapist. I love helping people and seeing progress in their goals. It's challenging but in a great way because it's never boring.
I have a flexible schedule and can see people whenever I want or not if I don't.
What I love about this thread: it shows that happiness is primarily sourced in internal qualities rather than external circumstances.
I wouldn't say that. There is an absence of micromanaging bosses and toxic work colleagues in just about every case.
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Federal Correctional Officer here. I would go back to "loving" my job if we were full staffed or at least had more staff than what we have now. I love helping inmates when I can. Most want to turn their lives around and do good, but they just need some guidance and understanding. Your job is different everyday. I only work in a medium security prison, so it's pretty chill. You do have to be "on" all the time, but you get used to it. You're never alone if/when things go south. The pay and benefits are pretty good too. What angers me the most working here is other staff. This type of job also attracts people who love to bully others. (They are fortunately in the minority here. No one likes them. But nothing seems to be done about them). They are the same people that call in "sick" whenever they just don't feel like working forcing others to cover for them. I'm getting really tired of this place.
Tell us a story you like to tell everyone, or the one you've never told anyone.
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What I love about this thread: it shows that happiness is primarily sourced in internal qualities rather than external circumstances.
I wouldn't say that. There is an absence of micromanaging bosses and toxic work colleagues in just about every case.
Load More Replies... Federal Correctional Officer here. I would go back to "loving" my job if we were full staffed or at least had more staff than what we have now. I love helping inmates when I can. Most want to turn their lives around and do good, but they just need some guidance and understanding. Your job is different everyday. I only work in a medium security prison, so it's pretty chill. You do have to be "on" all the time, but you get used to it. You're never alone if/when things go south. The pay and benefits are pretty good too. What angers me the most working here is other staff. This type of job also attracts people who love to bully others. (They are fortunately in the minority here. No one likes them. But nothing seems to be done about them). They are the same people that call in "sick" whenever they just don't feel like working forcing others to cover for them. I'm getting really tired of this place.
Tell us a story you like to tell everyone, or the one you've never told anyone.
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