There are many misconceptions about what remote work and other flexible employment can entail, and quite frankly, the majority of them are out of date. To show that flexible work – defined as remote, freelance, part-time, flexible, and alternative schedule jobs – offers far more viable professional options than most people typically realize, we’ve put together this list of 100 of the Most Surprising Flexible Jobs, Past and Present.
You can switch to see 50 of the Most Surprising Flexible Jobs Ever Found by Our Researchers (in Our 10+ Years of Researching!) after viewing 50 of the Most Surprising Flexible Jobs that are currently Active Job Postings.
16 FUN JOBS THAT PAY WELL TOO!
80 more interesting jobs
As you consider fun and interesting careers, take a look at these 80 additional interesting jobs:
20 of the most interesting jobs
Here is a list of 20 fascinating and unusual jobs you might want to think about, along with salary data and job descriptions:
An actor’s main responsibilities include interpreting a role for the stage, screen, television, or other productions. Their main responsibilities include learning and practicing lines, as well as consulting the director on how to best represent a character.
A tour guide’s main responsibilities include assisting guests as they travel to new places. Their main responsibilities include updating clients on the schedule, planning visits to museums and other attractions, and acquainting clients with the area.
A florist’s main responsibilities include arranging both real and fake flowers for clients. Watering plants, cutting and cleaning flowers for storage, and ordering flowers and supplies from wholesalers and growers are among their main responsibilities.
A cake decorator’s main responsibilities are making cakes for customers. Their main responsibilities include using originality to decorate cakes and other special orders, dating and labeling products, and making sure customers are happy with the final result.
A zookeeper’s main responsibilities are to look after the animals there. Their main responsibilities include feeding and caring for the animals, watching over them, preparing food to meet their dietary needs, and enhancing their environment.
A farmer’s main responsibilities are cultivating and raising crops and animals for food production. They are responsible for a variety of tasks, such as operating tractors, caring for animals, and general handyman work.
A ski instructor’s main responsibilities include assisting students in developing their skiing skills. Their main responsibilities involve providing beginner and advanced skiers with new skills and techniques in a fun and safe environment, responding to inquiries, and assisting them in building confidence.
A wedding consultant’s main responsibilities are to assist the bride and groom in planning their wedding. Their main responsibilities include providing guidance on attire for the couple and their guests, assisting with the creation of a wedding budget, and organizing the wedding’s specifics.
A concierge’s main responsibilities are to assist guests in hotels. Their main responsibilities include booking reservations at restaurants, arranging spa services, giving advice on where to shop and eat nearby, and organizing travel for sightseeing.
The main responsibilities of a staff photographer are to take pictures of people, places, events, and objects. Their work could be published anywhere, including magazines, newspapers, and online publications. A staff photographer takes pictures of subjects using photographic techniques and lighting equipment, then uses photo-editing software to improve the pictures.
A wedding planner’s main responsibilities include making sure the event goes off without a hitch. They meet with vendors, prepare the ceremony and reception locations, plan the reception schedule, direct the rehearsal, and deal with any last-minute emergencies as part of their main responsibilities.
A park ranger’s main responsibilities are to watch over and protect public spaces. Their main responsibilities include patrolling the area to make sure guests are following the rules, giving presentations and guided tours, and performing search and rescue missions.
A horticulturist’s main responsibilities include controlling the cultivation and upkeep of plants and crops. Their main responsibilities involve setting up seedbeds, moving plants into containers and around the worksite, unloading shipments of packaged soil, and tilling the ground.
A caterer’s main responsibilities include providing food for special occasions like weddings and conferences. Their main responsibilities include cooking, transporting, and serving food as well as clearing the dining area afterward.
A caretaker’s main responsibilities include helping people with their daily activities, whether they are doing so at home or in an assisted-living facility. Their main responsibilities are to assist the patients with dressing, bathing, and eating. They might be in charge of organizing and preparing meals or performing errands.
An event planner’s main responsibilities include making sure events go off without a hitch. Their main responsibilities include coordinating with suppliers and stakeholders during events, keeping track of budgets, hiring entertainers, photographers, and venues, and performing final walkthroughs on the day of the event to make sure everything is up to code.
A booking agent’s main responsibilities include planning performers’ and artists’ appearances. Their main responsibilities include finding new talent, spotting potential gigs, and negotiating relationships.
Primary duties: A stylist is responsible for providing beauty services. Their main responsibilities include maintaining and cutting hair, providing hair treatments, and making product recommendations. Some stylists also offer additional services like facials, manicures, waxing, and makeup application.
A fashion designer’s main responsibilities include creating clothing and accessories. Their main responsibilities include selecting fabrics, conducting market research to find new trends and techniques, working with team members to choose seasonal themes, and editing lines.
A video game designer’s main responsibilities include creating the characters, animation, artwork, and levels for video games. Their main responsibilities include creating the games using different programming languages and testing early iterations of the games to ensure quality.
You might be cut out for executive recruiting if the thought of having to find someone to successfully lead and run a big company doesn’t intimidate but rather excites you. Executive recruiters excel at their jobs when they enjoy interacting with other professionals, conducting interviews, and reaching difficult decisions.
Some people just naturally set trends; they’re audacious, self-assured, and skilled at pushing the boundaries of fashion just far enough to draw attention without repelling it. Fashion designers balance multiple responsibilities while keeping up with the public’s changing opinions in a very quick-paced environment.
Architecture is not for the weak-willed. If you persevere and get through the initiation phase of this profession, which typically takes some time to start and build a reputation in, you get the privilege of designing the living and working spaces of people around you.
Make a career out of being a pilot if you don’t like to stay in one place for too long and want to be paid to travel the world every day.
You have a natural ability to speak persuasively, but you aren’t interested in becoming a journalist or writing books. Think about sharing your impressive talent with others so they can use speech writing to better communicate their ideas.
See if these unique jobs pique your interest.
There are numerous occupations that you’ve never considered, though everyone is aware of what it means to be a nurse, plumber, or police officer. Jobs like logisticians, clinical laboratory technicians, and management analysts are among them. Many of these unusual jobs have good pay and strong job growth.
To find the best underrated jobs, U. S. News searched for lesser-known jobs that were highly ranked on the Best Jobs for 2021 list. These rankings take into account factors like good pay, low stress levels, and the possibility of a healthy work-life balance.
Here are 20 interesting jobs for those looking for distinctive careers, as determined by our analysis. Data on wages and job expansion are provided by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unusual and Interesting Jobs That Pay Well
Getting a non-traditional job might be important to you. But you also probably want to earn a good paycheck. It can be a challenge to uncover career paths that offer you both. However, with hard work and time, you can certainly find a unique job that allows you to earn a great living. Check out a few occupations that are a little unusual, yet are known to pay quite well:
Fine, sterile needles are inserted into a person’s body at specific locations known as acupuncture points during the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture. These points can also be stimulated with pressure, heat, and electrical stimulation. These are considered therapeutic treatments that offer many healing benefits.
According to Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the body is composed of the opposing forces yin and yang. Qi, the body’s natural energy, circulates to maintain the harmony of yin and yang. However, yin and yang become out of balance when this energy is blocked. According to some, this imbalance causes disease and pain. In order to restore balance, acupuncture is a treatment that releases these energy blocks. It can stimulate and treat illnesses of the nervous system, immune system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, and digestive system.
As an acupuncturist, you must first evaluate the health history of each patient to determine any potential problems. Then you might conduct physical examinations, like measuring the patient’s tongue or heart rate. Following completion of this, you will create a treatment strategy.
Your patient will be made to lie on a table in a soothing environment. Acupuncture points will be treated with needles, which are not painful. Most people do not even feel the needles being inserted. Before being removed, the needles are left in for five to thirty minutes.
Some conditions that you could treat include:
Depending on the state in which you intend to practice, there are many different routes to becoming an acupuncturist. Therefore, it is crucial to check your state’s requirements because the requirements for education and experience can differ greatly.
Around the world, many wealthy people and businesses own personal and business jets. As you might expect, the cost of these jets is not cheap. Additionally, there are instances in which these jets must be repossessed because the payments on them were not made when money was tight. Enter the airplane repossession specialists. These people are in charge of rescuing commercial aircraft from all over the world, occasionally from less-than-ideal locations or owners, which makes for occasionally dangerous but equally exciting work.
Similar to a private investigator, your duties will include locating the aircraft and keeping an eye on the area. You’ll choose the most advantageous moment to board the aircraft and take off in it. It is not as easy as the car repo man showing up in the middle of the night with a tow truck. Planning to legally seize a plane whose owner refuses to surrender it can make you feel like a secret agent in the newest Hollywood blockbuster.
Aircraft repossession professionals rarely take ownership of aircraft on their own. Usually, you travel in a group with a mechanic who examines the aircraft to make sure it is ready for takeoff. Despite the fact that individuals who work in airplane repo come from a variety of backgrounds, you will need to become a commercial pilot in order to fly the aircraft. And you could anticipate getting paid well for it. You will likely work on a commission basis.
One of the underrated but interesting jobs that pays well is elevator mechanic. A mechanic for elevators, escalators, and other mechanical and motorized lifts installs, fixes, and maintains them. They must possess extensive knowledge of electronics, electricity, and hydraulics. Additionally, they frequently have the following responsibilities:
To become an elevator mechanic, you’ll probably need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program supervised by the National Association of Elevator Contractors. However, finishing a mechanical engineering or electronics engineering and technology program at a school for skilled trades may enable you to progress through your apprenticeship more quickly. Check your state’s requirements before you start any training. The Occupational Outlook Handbook states that most states demand that elevator mechanics hold a license.
Food scientists are the people who can make food fun. A food scientist once worked on almost every food item you see on grocery store shelves. They are in charge of creating nutrient-dense food that consumers will enjoy and is free of bacteria that could make them ill. To develop safer foods, preservatives, and processing methods, food scientists carry out studies, experiments, and clinical trials. They might be experts in creating novel products, improving production techniques, or creating improved packaging techniques.
Food scientists work for companies like Jelly Belly. They develop delicious flavors like banana and coconut, along with wackier tastes like rotten egg and canned dog food. And at Ben and Jerrys, food scientists are called flavor gurus. They are the masterminds behind mouthwatering ice cream treats with names like Half Baked and Cherry Garcia.
On a more serious note, as the world concentrates on feeding a growing population and developing sustainable food systems and packaging, there may be more opportunities for food scientists. You’ll probably need to complete a bachelor’s degree in a subject like food science, chemistry, or microbiology in order to enter this field of work. The most typical places where food scientists are employed are food manufacturers, laboratories, universities, and government agencies. A degree can help you prepare for positions in these settings.
Funeral service managers have an important and serious role. They oversee funeral homes, and depending on the size of the organization, they might also be involved in daily operations. They assist individuals in organizing memorial services for their departed loved ones, so they must be affable and sympathetic to provide comfort to bereaved families.
You might be in charge of overseeing every element of memorial services, wakes, cremations, and burials. You will participate in major decisions and show sensitivity to the cultural and religious practices of each family. Your assistance could also be provided with benefit applications, notifying the appropriate government agencies, and completing and submitting important paperwork such as insurance policies and death certificates.
Many funeral service managers employ staff to assist with the administrative duties so they can devote more time to operational tasks like accounting, budgeting, human resources, and marketing, all of which are necessary to maintain the funeral home’s efficiency and organization. In the end, you and your staff handle the details so that families’ stress during the planning process is reduced and they can concentrate on grieving and remembering their loved ones.
If you have a natural curiosity and find weather patterns and atmospheric forces fascinating, you might want to think about specializing in the earth’s atmosphere. As a meteorologist, you’ll need to comprehend, pay attention to, and foresee atmospheric phenomena as well as any potential effects they may have on the planet. Not all weather reporters are meteorologists, despite the fact that most people associate meteorology with weather reporting and forecasting. Additionally, there are many different specializations within the field of meteorology. Some of those specialties include:
A bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science or meteorology can set you up for a rewarding career as a meteorologist.
Primary healthcare services that are typically provided by doctors and obstetricians are provided to women by nurse-midwives. In the past, midwives were in charge of taking care of expectant and new mothers. Additionally, midwives are almost exclusively used for prenatal and postpartum care in some parts of the world. Obstetricians and other specialists, however, are only brought in for difficult cases.
You will give pregnant women thorough, individualized care as a nurse-midwife. When it is medically safe, you can foster an environment where women can give birth more traditionally and naturally. You can educate women about personal hygiene and healthy habits, assist them in managing their physical and emotional changes, and give them the power to plan and personalize their births.
Midwives typically care for women who are in good health. Obstetricians or other specialists are recommended to patients with specific medical conditions. Additionally, midwives can provide preconception, prenatal, postpartum care, checkups, labor and delivery services, and family planning services. There are three different types of midwives, which you should be aware of if you’re thinking about taking this career path:
The best path to career opportunities and financial potential is to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife. Being a registered nurse (RN) is the first step in pursuing this career. After graduating from RN school, you will need to complete midwifery school and fulfill the ACNM’s certification requirements.
Even though you may not have known about this unusual profession before, it is a very significant one. People seek an ocularist’s care to have artificial eyes fitted for them when illnesses, diseases, or other trauma cause them to lose one or both of their eyes.
A skilled technician known as an ocularist can create, fit, sculpt, and maintain artificial eyes, also known as ocular prostheses. A patient can maintain their appearance even though an artificial eye cannot restore their vision. The field has advanced thanks to modern technology to the point where, on occasion, you might not even notice that someone is wearing an artificial eye because it looks so realistic. People who have lost or have had their vision diminished can adapt to their new life more easily with the aid of an artificial eye.
As an ocularist, you will take an impression of the patient’s eye socket to create a cast. After creating and shaping a mold, you will paint it to precisely match your patient’s other eye. Once a perfect eye has been made, acrylic is applied and polished. The artificial eye fits over the ball of muscle that already resides in your patient’s eye socket, allowing it to move slightly and enhancing the appearance of a living eye.
After receiving their new eyes, your patients will visit you roughly every six months for checkups and maintenance. Additionally, you’ll instruct them on how to take care of themselves in between checkups. They must understand how to care for their artificial eyes and keep their eye sockets clean.
Becoming an ocularist does take quite a bit of time. The American Society of Ocularists (ASO) requires that you complete a training and apprenticeship program that can take up to five years to complete.
FAQ
What is the most interesting job ever?
- Actor.
- Tour guide.
- Florist.
- Cake decorator.
- Zookeeper.
- Farmer.
- Ski instructor.
- Wedding consultant.
What are the top 10 coolest jobs?
- Brewmaster. Before the beer goes into the bottle, can or barrel… .
- Game Designer. …
- Movie or Food Critic. …
- Geo Travel Reporter or Photographer. …
- Google Street View Team Trike Member. …
- Hollywood Stunt Person. …
- Professional Bridesmaid. …
- Fortune Cookie Writer.
What is the #1 Happiest job?
- Dental Hygienist.
- Physical Therapist.
- Radiation Therapist.
- Optometrist.
- Human Resources Manager.
What are cool unique jobs?
- Fashion show manager. National Average Salary: $12.62 per year. …
- Ski instructor. National Average Salary: $13.62 per hour. …
- Floral designer. National Average Salary: $13.96 per hour. …
- Fish hatchery technician. …
- Zookeeper. …
- Dog trainer. …
- HIV testing counselor. …
- Grain elevator operator.
