If you spend 40 hours a week in a cubicle, completing mindless tasks assigned to you by five different bosses, chances are you’ve found yourself lost in a daydream in which you had a more exciting and well-paying career.
While the jobs on this list aren’t without their drawbacks, they definitely will appeal to those who have found themselves wasting their lives in the seemingly meaningless rat race of modern society. But, before you stand up from your desk and tell your boss you’re quitting to become a world-famous ice cream taster, sit back down and realize the reason these jobs are so lucrative is because not everyone is cut out for them. But that doesn’t mean you can’t aim high, right?
1. Pro Video Gamer
Every seven-year-old boy’s dream is to get paid to play video games for a living. What used to be a silly and naive entry in a first grader’s journal is now more realistic than ever. But being good enough at playing video games to make a living from it isn’t as easy as you might think.
Sure, you might have been the best Mortal Kombat player in your neighborhood growing up, but to win international competitions you have to be the best in the entire world. Sure, anyone can start up a YouTube or Twitch account and stream their gameplay, but only those with the perfect combination of skills, entertainment value, and marketing savvy will end up making millions. Maybe it’s best that gaming strictly remains a hobby.
2. Instagram Model
It’s never been easier for prospective models to put their name and face out there for others to notice — but this is a double-edged sword. Because it’s so easy for hopeful models to put themselves out there, it’s much more difficult to stand out in the crowd. However, for those that do make it, they make it big.
Some of the most popular Instagram models get paid thousands for taking a picture of themselves in a natural setting wearing a designer’s t-shirt and jeans. Not only do they get paid well, but since the pictures are potentially seen by millions, the models often are able to draw more traffic to their blog or other product, allowing them to start their own business in turn. Not a bad way to get a following!
3. Ice Cream Taster
Another one of those cute little pipe dreams we’ve all had as children, ice cream tasters do exist in the real world. But they aren’t just some jolly fat guys sitting on thrones while workers bring them gallons of the sweet stuff to shovel into their mouths.
Ice cream tasters need to have a strong background in food science, usually equating to some type of chemistry degree. They have to be able to pinpoint exactly what tastes great about a specific ice cream, and what could be improved. If you’ve ever read a review of a wine or craft beer talking about “hints” and “notes,” thinking your review would simply be “It’s great!” or “It’s terrible!”, you already know how difficult such a task is.
However, for their troubles, some of the most critically acclaimed ice cream tasters can make around $100,000 a year. Not bad for being the first to taste Ben & Jerry’s newest quirky flavor!
4. Pro Golf Caddy
Okay, so maybe your childhood dreams of becoming a professional athlete fell by the wayside. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get close to the action as an assistant!
A caddy is a pro golfer’s right-hand man. They’re there to do everything they can to make sure the pro can focus on making the best shot possible, including carrying bags, predicting lies, and performing menial tasks like cleaning balls and club heads. While caddies aren’t guaranteed a big payday, they could end up making 10% of their pro’s purse if they go on to win. Not a bad deal for following someone around for a few hours while they hit a ball into a hole.
5. Pro Poker Player
Many of you have most likely entertained the thought of buying a ticket to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and dreamed of turning $10,000 into a couple million.
While it definitely is possible to go from rags to riches if you “run good” during a big tournament, it’s not likely that you, out of the thousands of entrants, will end up winning it all. However, it definitely is possible to make a living playing poker, online or in person; but it requires much more skill and knowledge than luck.
If you understand the math behind the odds, and are good at reading other people, you could potentially make enough money to quit your day job and focus on crushing the felt a few days a week, while having the rest of your time to do whatever you’d like. Just don’t sit down next to Phil Ivey, or your entire bankroll could go down the drain in a couple hours.
Featured photo credit: Play Among Friends Paf / Paf Poker Challenge via farm8.staticflickr.com
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