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With inflation reaching record highs, and economic crisis looming above us, our lives are getting tighter. Most people are already feeling it: from increased rent and ridiculous gas prices, to things many people took for granted, like morning frappuccinos and sushi takeaways, now becoming luxuries.

So when every little penny counts, you gotta hustle. In order to get us all some ideas how to survive in this gloomy economy, we looked at these two illuminating Reddit threads (this and this). People are sharing overlooked yet well (some unexpectedly!) paying jobs that desperately need workers right now, so it may give you some ideas for money-making career prospects.

Psst! After you’re done, be sure to check out our previous article about the easiest legal ways to make money on the side!

#1

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Self employed cleaning services (i dont know exaclty what to call it)

My parents started getting paid $35 an hour cleaning a community center to ~$50 from cleaning offices.

My mom started it then my dad joined in to help her with the hours and taking care of the house and kids.

Eventually my mom got good contacts, and started cleaning the offices of managers from factories, Sacramento politicians, and stuff alike.

Can't express how proud i am of my mom. She turned all those shitty Hispanic cleaning lady jokes into something brag worthy.

Eva_NERV , suicide_chewbacca Report

#2

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked I work as a lunch lady.


I get school vacations off, summers off, and weekends. No nights, or even really afternoons, it's amazing. I also get benefits, and every year I get a raise, so between the money and the time off, the job is 100% worth it.

Charliekat1130 , Maryland GovPics Report

#3

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Garbage collectors in New York are paid up to $112k, a solid salary considering you don’t even need a degree. Sounds like a nice fallback plan for me.

BenRS7 , Kenny Eliason Report

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General Anaesthesia
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Try a few months in a city without garbage collectors and then ask yourself if they're worth every penny.

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If you've ever wondered what are the highest-paying jobs out there in this crazy job market right now, pull your seat closer.

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According to recently updated data shared by Indeed, the top 3 best-paid jobs are as follows: cardiologist with a national average salary of $351,827 per year, anesthesiologist with $326,296 per year and an orthodontist with $264,850 per year. Understandably, these jobs are not something you can easily swap your career for and require years of preparation.

#4

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked If you have a strong stomach, cleaning up death and crime scenes pays very well and requires little education.

too_generic , Spotless Report

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Electric Mayhem
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They deserve every penny, they have extremely high rates of PTSD, because they see the outcome of some very tragic deaths and often have to do the cleaning around the family of the decedent, and iirc the average length of tenure in that job it 8 months because of it. They often have to do very physically demanding jobs fully suited up in PPE which can be extremely uncomfortable.

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#5

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Plumbers, they can charge 100$ an hour easy because people are stupid about regular things.

PabstyLoudmouth Report

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Beth
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad is a plumber and I bookkeep for the business. Plumbing can be brutal on the body. It’s not just taking wrenches to faucets, it’s crawlspaces, hunching under sinks and lifting tubs and toilets upstairs! We also don’t charge $350 an hour. Yikes!

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#6

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Great money in pressure washing/exterior cleaning.

Also, gutter cleaning. $100/hr is no problem on gutter cleaning. Requires no skill, and minimal equipment. If you’re ever broke, buy a ladder and clean gutters.

mikehocksbig , Kronoxic Report

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Michael Sanders
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the neighborhood kids that used to go around asking if they could mow lawns are now walking with power washers and make bank.

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If you are still wondering what career path to choose, it’s wise to look at the most in-demand jobs right now. According to indeed, based on 1M job postings, machine learning engineers who’re responsible for programming and deploying machine learning solutions have the biggest demand in the market. These careers have had a 344% growth in job postings since 2015, making it the top in-demand job right now. The average base salary for a machine learning engineer is $146,085.

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#7

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Mobile crane operator, union guys pull over 200k and its a trade thats pretty easy on the body.

anon Report

#8

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked I’m a gardener. There’s a serious lack of folks willing to do manual labour in the outdoors year-round. Most commercial properties have to maintain a certain amount of green area in our city. Hospitals and other places like that need legitimate crews to do the work with professionalism (no cat calling or spitting or swearing etc) including bonded employees and good insurance and equipment etc.
As a result we are in demand and we get paid surprisingly well. No university education needed, low barrier to entry, great pay and job security.

Whyevenbotherbeing , Joey Genovese Report

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#9

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked I'm a petsitter & I make pretty good cash from it during the busy times (summer & holidays) for very little effort in some cases. I've been doing it for a few years now & after busting my a*s & whoring my time out to clients & their critters I've built a great client base and can relax a bit now. Of course I work a full time job too, petsitting isn't steady enough to rely on but I can make an extra $5-600 a month when it's busy. It gets hectic figuring out the timing between the two jobs sometimes but it's so worth it. I'm currently petsitting for a week, $245 to hang out with two adorable dogs, eat their food, drink the wine they bought me, and relax. I love what I do.

isecretelyeatbunnies , Humphrey Muleba Report

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Russell Rieckenberg
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"hang out with two adorable dogs, eat their food..." No thanks, I think I'll stick with people food.

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The second most in-demand career is a full stack developer. This position requires a person to have a wide skillset and be able to work in front and back-end development with a variety of programming languages. Indeed states that these developers are in high demand, capturing 828 out of every 1M job postings. Full stack developers earn an average salary of $114,316 per year.

#10

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Waterslide tester, the rides are already confirmed to be safe enough for humans to ride. You're basically getting paid to ride on a safe waterslide and give feedback.

3x3master , Iker Urteaga Report

#11

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked I was a bathroom attendant in a fancy restaurant. Made hundred of dollars a night in cash to do next to nothing.

FireAndBees , Anwar Jibawi Report

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Diolla
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bathroom attendants? Really? What for? Do they also clean the toilets or is that a different person?

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#12

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Collecting golf balls. Saw on the news a guy makes over $250,000 traveling around and using scuba gear getting golf balls.

throwaway55555mmm , Ioan Sameli Report

The third most in-demand career right now is realtor. Realtors play an integral role in helping people to buy and sell property. There has been an incredible 138% increase in job postings for realtors since 2015, which should be surprising considering the booming real estate market. Although most realtors work on a commission basis, the average salary earned is around $96,820, Indeed states.

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#13

Technical writing. If you have the ability to take complex technical information and simplify it according to the reading audience, you can make well over $100K annually.

People ridicule English degrees until they find out how much can be earned as a technical writer.

WriteAway1 Report

#14

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Medical illustrator.

You know like the anatomical drawings in scientific journals and such, the people behind that make a pretty good living. My friend dated one for a while and I was surprised how well she was doing.

-eDgAR- , Double-M Report

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Chucky Cheezburger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, but ya gotta have the talent to draw well. Some folks (me) can barely draw a stick figure.

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#15

Skill trades. You don't need a 4year degree. Some programs are less than a year. Not everyone needs to be an engineer. Go be a welder, electrician, machine repair, or a pipe fitter.

level 1 XIGRIMxREAPERIX Report

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Chucky Cheezburger
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This.All this. College is an expensive scam. A lot of knowledge learned in the trades can be used in other places. Im not a plumber, but I can repair my homes plumbing because I learned basic plumbing skills where I work. You can save money because you learn to fix your own stuff.

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#16

I drive machinery in a coal mine in Australia. I make about 170k. Even our new trainees are paid pretty well, about $48 per hour. I think it ends up being close to 90-100k. Easy money for sitting on your a**e in an air conditioned cab.

stupidperson810 Report

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Angela B
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tried to get in to the industry for ages. Never happened. It came across as being a "Not what you know but who you know" type of industry.

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#17

Becoming a locksmith changed my life. Well paid and I get to help people out I love it

winterparkroadside Report

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Qadgop the Mercotan
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Q: Who are you and how did you get in here? A: I'm the locksmith and I'm the locksmith

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#18

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Utility lineman. There is a developing shortage nationwide due to baby boom retirements. It's well paid base, but the overtime is fabulous.

prophet583 , Western Area Power Report

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Rachel Ratty
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NO thanks - have watched life on the line - high risk of death, especially for a clumsy sod like me

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Boards Of Panada
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a lineman for the county And I drive the main road Searchin' in the sun for another overload

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HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad was a lineman for 25 years. It is very dangerous, and he had to be out in every storm which terrified me. He certainly did not get rich and overtime in the 50's, 60's and early 70's was not what it is now. His best friend committed suicide by grabbing a live wire. My dad was in the bucket with him.

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Brandi Delph
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Different uncle from the one mentioned in another post did this for a short while. Came within a hair's breadth of being electrocute. Family begged him to find a different job and he did

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Sportsgal
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My uncle did this, and has lots of injuries from doing it. Body is wrecked...

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OffKeySinger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I worked for a federal energy organization. Lineman with overtime make more than electrical engineers.

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#19

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Court reporting. Stenography is a tough skill to learn, but plenty of court reporters earn over $100k. And no college degree required (although most CRs will need to be certified).

tracygee , Saúl Bucio Report

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Stephanie A Mutti
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a risky job field to start in at this time. Automated voice stenography is not far from being perfected and once it is, the need for stenographers is going to plummet along with the salaries.

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#20

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked UPS drivers can make close to 100k if you stay there long enough.

The_Balding_Fraud Report

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Chucky Cheezburger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But the stress of finishing your route and you don't start as a driver. You have to work your way up to being a driver

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#21

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked I work at home as a closed captioner broadcaster for the News. I make my own schedule and make between $35-$65 per hour depending on the job. Large investment to get started but significantly worth the payout.

Ishtastic08 , ed100 Report

#22

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Environmental Inspector in the Oil and Gas industry. Make $200,000 a year saving the planet.

branst1513 , Ellie Meh Report

#23

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Landscape lighting installation, never knew the industry existed. Now I love it and hope to run my own company someday.

Megelendosh , Lowe's Home Improvement Report

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Glen Ellyn
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even better, how about focusing on environmentally-friendly, dark-sky compliant plans and fixtures?

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#24

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Scrum masters in software development industry. They are paid 6 figures for basically setting up meetings and being cheer leaders. They don't have any responsibility for delivery of work and they don't have any work beyond what I described.

Update: I am talking about a dedicated scrum master who does absolutely nothing else but be a scrum master.

Update 2: I agree with you when you say you hate that this position exists as an individual entity and do believe that having one person just do this is wasteful.

Update 3: I am specifically referring to Scrum masters. Project Managers and engineering managers and POs are not included in this.

halfelfrogue1 , Campaign Creators Report

#25

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Hotdog vendors can earn 6 figures in a year

sektornite , Daniel Ramirez Report

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Olivia Lisbon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the operative word here is probably “can” - surely a lot of factors at play here.

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#26

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Dog groomer. It’s a weird industry, though, and a skill that really has to be learned hands-on (grooming schools can be a good start, but I know great groomers that never went to school for it, and terrible groomers that spent thousands on classes). Just being good at handling dogs is the best foundation for success.

It’s not the easiest job in the world. It’s largely commission-based, and you’re lucky if you get any benefits out of it, but if you get enough practice in to be good at it and build up a loyal clientele base in a decently affluent area, it’s good money. The haircuts I do range from $70-$175, and I’m paid 50%, which averages out to around $30-$35 an hour most days. Not everyone tips, but those that do usually tip $5-$20 per dog, and because I do about 40 dogs in an average week, that’s an extra couple hundred in my pocket.

So if you don’t mind working on your feet all day, sustaining repetitive motion injuries, not taking lunch breaks, dealing with insane customers, and picking s**t off dog buttholes, it’s a good living.

somesweedishtrees , Александр Гросс Report

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#27

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Did you know people put gutters on their houses to catch the rain as it falls off the roof? I didn’t either until a guy walked up to me and handed me a job doing it. Turns out making $300-600 a day is an every day thing doing it piece rate in Florida.

farlack , Kim Siever Report

#28

Underwater welding pays a tremendous amount.

The only one I know personally retired comfortably in his 40's.

Scrappy_Larue Report

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Wandering Hammer
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You have to spend all day in heavy gear underwater and frequently get shocked

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#29

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Funeral Director is a great paying job with not a whole lot of schooling. That’s what I do and I make about $75,000.

Undertaker89 , The Good Funeral Guide Report

#30

30 People Share What Great-Paying Jobs Are Often Overlooked Ice, producing Ice with industrial machines and selling it to people who export food makes you about 3k per day(about 60 tons of ice sold per day)

Marcoa999 , kallu Report

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