16 Good Paying Jobs That Most People Look Down On
As a child, did you dream of becoming a doctor, a lawyer, or another high-paying profession encouraged by your parents? You were told you need to make a certain amount of money to make it in this world, equating it to money. However, you weren’t told to look for other high-paying jobs that typically deal with trade work.
Though those positions earn high annual salaries, many consider them dismal or abysmal jobs. Garbage collectors and plumbers brush past the initial judgment of their employment for high-paying annual salaries, regardless of others’ opinions. Which jobs fit the category of high-paid, overlooked professions?
1. Garbage Collectors
When we finish our meals, we place the remnants in the trash. Once we’ve cleaned our houses, we store the dirty towels and cleaning rags in the trash, then transport the trash outside for pickup. Garbage collectors, or waste collectors, operate large garbage trucks and dispose of the trash outside of houses and businesses.
While this job may appear simple on paper, garbage workers need to lift 50 or more pounds, be agile, and have a good sense of time management. Garbage collectors work in all kinds of weather: snow, rain, and heat, requiring adaptability. Also, waste collectors expose themselves to harmful materials on the job, so they wear safety equipment like goggles, boots, and face shields. Garbage collectors look at a salary range of $34,000 to $72,000 each year.
2. Linemen
If you’re scared of heights, move to the next profession. If you’re not scared of being suspended hundreds of feet above ground or looking to move past that fear, know that linemen make good money. A lineman sets up and helps fix issues related to electrical lines and telephone poles.
Linemen rise to their workstations in a few ways. They either strap into a pair of spiked boots and suit up with safety harnesses, or they board aerial lift machines tasked with taking them right to the poles. Suspended in the air, linemen look at power lines and cables, detect issues with them, repair the issues, keep the lines operable, and install new power lines. Salaries for this career range between $80,000 and $100,000+.
3. Mechanic
Have a knack for fixing automobile issues when they arise? Can you tell when a car needs an oil change or an engine replacement? Mechanics spend their labor hours sprawled out beneath cars, caking their hands in oil for the automobile’s health. Mechanics have a deep knowledge of how automobiles work and thrive in problem-solving situations. In some cases, job duties include automobile inspections, repair, restoration, troubleshooting, maintenance, and assembly. Mechanics work with hazardous chemicals like gasoline and oil, forcing them to take precautions when in the shop. They also work in slippery conditions, causing injuries and slips, and with heavy materials or hot surfaces.
Mechanics work in dangerous environments, but their salaries and job benefits override the risks. Mechanics see job stability, long-term work, and insurance and 401(k) packages through select dealerships. Salaries stretch from $37,000 to $63,000 or higher.
4. Plumber
Who fixes drains and toilets when they’re irreparably (at least to the regular citizen) clogged or blocked? The godsent plumber. Besides working with unfavorable clogs, plumbers install bathtubs and sinks, thread piping through each, clean drains, fix broken pipes, and detect issues to prevent further repairs. Plumbers also repair and install water heaters as a part of their job. Safety risks for plumbers encompass burns, falls, cuts, and electric shocks. However, wearing safety equipment and following safety guidelines prevents or lessens these from occurring. Plumbers make between $30,000 and $60,000 a year with opportunities for advancement.
5. Drain Cleaner
Ever noticed a clump of hair and debris blocking a shower drain from working correctly? Masses of dirt pile around the drain, obstructing the passage and leading to a goopy backup in a shower, tub, or sink. Drain cleaners apply their knowledge to these types of situations. Well-versed in pipes and plumbing, drain cleaners pinpoint the issue and resolve it. Drain cleaners use sewer cameras to insert down the pipe and see a clear view of the blockage creating the issue. Additionally, they understand how pipes and drains work and the methods needed to clean them. These workers look at a salary from $53,000 to $71,000.
6. Electrician
Notice a flickering light in your room that you can’t quite pinpoint? How about a faulty control switch in your laundry room? Electricians deal with everything electrical. So, wiring, breaker boxes, and electrical fixtures all serve as an electrician’s bread and butter. During the day, electricians repair or install new electrical systems, pinpoint an issue, design a fixture, perform maintenance on a fixture, and review local and state laws to confirm that the electrical boxes and fixtures align with local and state rules. Electricians work on each duty in homes, businesses, offices, and warehouses. Electricians earn anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000.
7. Boiler Operator
A boiler is a device used to heat fluid. That fluid transfers from the confines of the boiler to water, home heat, ovens and stoves, and electricity. A boiler operator does just that: operates the boiler. Someone with this profession understands a boiler’s inner and outer workings, meaning they keep the machine running without issue. When issues arise, the boiler operator inspects the boiler, finds the issue, and works on the solution.
They also run tests and checks to guarantee the boiler won’t result in any upcoming, unforeseen issues. Safety hazards for this job lie in electrical shock, burns, and access to harmful materials and chemicals, though again, the boiler operators use safety gear for maximum protection. Wearing PPE, or personal protective equipment, minimizes safety risk and injury. Boiler operators around $45,000 to $80,000 a year.
8. Tow Driver
Before you roll your eyes over the tow driver who towed your car a few weeks ago for parking illegally, let me break down the other responsibilities of these workers. Tow drivers help cars and people in accidents or broken-down vehicles safely exit the scene. They remove cars from unsafe situations and drive in poor conditions to reach these troubled vehicles.
Tow drivers know how to properly load and unload vehicles onto the back of a tow truck, which requires sectioning off portions of the road or working around traffic flow. Because of the location of work, tow truck drivers face deadly risks when on the job, although preventions and precautions exist to secure their health. Tow truck drivers should wear reflective suits to alert cars of their presence and always set up cones, urging other cars to drive around the scene. Tow truck drivers make between $33,000 and $60,000 on the higher side.
9. Truck Driver
Truck drivers spend copious amounts of time behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler semi-truck. They drive for hours on end, carrying food, gas, liquid, farm supplies, and all sorts of goods from one place to the next. They also load their trucks and sort through the materials upon loading and unloading. Handling cargo, inspecting damaged goods, and reporting timeliness all land on the job duty checklist. Truck drivers face risks like car accidents, injuries, drowsy driving, and exposure to harmful products or chemicals. This job brings in $62,000 to $100,000 to drivers.
10. Deckhand
I follow a TikTok account dedicated to showcasing the triumphant nature of those who work in the deep sea. A terrifying rendition of “Hoist the Colours” plays through the background of these videos, adding to the vast unknown that is the sea. Deckhands work on a ship, prioritizing the passenger’s safety and, for lack of a better cliche, ensuring smooth sailing.
They clean the ship, help dock and undock the boat, learn how to secure cargo, and may take over or help the captain with directions. Weather fluctuates when cruising through different climates. Therefore, deckhands might fall ill more frequently than people with office jobs. Also, deckhands handle extraneous materials and equipment that might harm them. Deckhands enjoy the job for the flexible schedule and pay, as they make between $35,000 and $53,000. Pricing depends on the captain and the ship.
11. Street Sweeper
Late at night, trash piles outside of busy establishments. A few hours later, come morning, that trash has vanished, revealing a sparkling street with zero evidence of dirt from the previous night. We can thank street sweepers for returning the streets to their pristine conditions. Street sweepers drive a tank-esque vehicle boasting brushes on the front of the vehicle. The vehicle holds other sanitation equipment, too. The driver uses the vessel to tidy up parking lots, streets, alleys, and gutters, then reports what they cleaned and when to their supervisor. Since street sweepers run on a specific schedule, the workers must demonstrate time-management and problem-solving skills to get from point A to point B on time. Street sweepers collect $39,000 to $61,000 every year.
12. Security Guard
Public and private places hire security guards to watch the property, zapping potential crimes or dealing with trouble should it pop up. Many security job duties incorporate monitoring and watching surveillance footage or keeping watch over spaces like parking lots. When security guards notice strange happenings or suspicious people loitering, they assess the situation and respond. They act as the liaison between criminals/ suspicious people and police, holding the person until the cops arrive. Security guards make $30,000 to $70,000 based on position and location. Private security guards tend to make more money than people patrolling public grounds.
13. Underwater Welder
Underwater welders dive into deep, pressurized waters to perform an important job. Above-ground welders work with heat and pressure to merge two structure parts. Think pipes, cars, or bridges. Now, take that job description and head underwater to barnacle-ridden structures and heavy pressure lapping in your ears. Bridges, seawalls, docks, ships, oil rigs, artificial reefs, and nuclear power stations all benefit from underwater welders’ skills.
Due to these people’s high-risk environment, underwater welders must learn extensive safety precautions. Other risks might affect the job, such as heightened pressure, ear, nose, and throat issues, low sight, explosions, drowning, and electric shock. Like any dangerous job, for the several people who go into this line of work, the benefits outweigh the risks. Underwater welders receive job security, longevity, high pay, insurance, and retirement packages. This profession pays between $60,000 and $200,000 a year.
14. Saturation Diver
Sometimes, hours of underwater work don’t quite scratch an itch. Saturation divers live underwater for weeks, thanks to pressurized chambers. These divers plunge into the deep sea for weeks of work, where they monitor and fix underwater equipment, lay down piping, check existing structures, and peruse the bottom of the ocean. Saturation divers face the same risks as underwater welders at a larger scale, given they dive to the ocean’s floor and work in complete darkness. Rates for Sat divers start at $77,000 and grow to $172,000 a year.
15. Hazmat Divers
Have you noticed a trend in high-paying jobs? A lot of professions pay their workers to get filthy or to dive. What happens when you combine both of those hobbies? You get a Hazmat diver, who suits up in protective gear to dive into contaminated water or sewage. Hazmat divers swim through polluted waters to clean them of the pollutants. They fix sewage pipes underwater, find lost objects in the pollution, fix oil rigs, or retrieve drowned bodies. Hazmat divers experience potential exposure to toxic waste and sewage, risks of drowning, possible pressure sickness, and the possibility of hypothermia during a shift. The profession pays between $96,000 and $144,000 on a full-time basis.
16. Embalmer
Embalmers perform a difficult job in which they prepare a dead body for a funeral. Families of the deceased depend on the embalmer to restore their loved one’s appearance to normal–or as close as possible–for the funeral or celebration service, putting extra pressure on the embalmer.
Embalmers exhibit their skills through facial reconstruction, body preservation (removal of blood for embalming fluid), makeup (facial and to cover scars or wounds), and hair care. Embalmers work with deceased flesh, exposing themselves to diseases, infections, and formaldehyde, a chemical that can cause irritation. Embalmers earn between $38,000 and $54,000 every year.
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