17 Odd Jobs That Pay Well

Any odd jobs near me? Looking for an out of the box career? Consider one of these odd jobs for money.

Growing up, you probably dreamt of becoming an engineer or doctor. And, during career day, you probably went round the gymnasium, talking to engineers, architects, and trying to gather as much info as you could about different career paths.

At the end of the day, I doubt you sat down with your folks and told them, dad, mom, when I grow up, I want to be a funeral director or a hippotherapist. Maybe you didn’t even love horses as a kid.

As we grow up, things change. We end up taking different paths from what we envisioned while growing up. Maybe you were not fortunate enough to pursue that college degree, but you still have bills to pay. You want to take on any odd job near you that will keep you going.

What options do you have?

What type of odd jobs can one do if they never went beyond high school?

Today we are going to take a little break from the normal freelancing jobs that you are used to and take a look at some odd jobs that can earn you money.

Some, may fall under the same freelancing gigs you’ve come across, while others may leave you wide eyed. Some of the jobs I’ve listed below may require one to have a degree in a specific field while others, a high school diploma and some training is all you need.

17 Odd Jobs You Can Do to Earn Money

#1. Voiceover artist

Do you believe you have a great voice? Do you love acting? If you answered yes to the two questions above, voiceover jobs may be a good option for you. This is a great option for those who want to work from home and use their talents to make money.

As a voiceover artist, all you need is some vocal training and the ability to speak clearly. Being able to speak in different dialects is a plus. As a voiceover actor, you may be hired to produce voice overs for commercials, movies, television, movie trailers, video games and others.

Median hourly wage: $80.00 per hour

#2. Hippotherapist

If you love animals and love helping people as well, working as a hippotherapist is a career you should consider.

Hippotherapy basically means “treatment with the help of a horse.”

To work as a hippotherapist, you have to be certified or licensed to practice as a speech or language therapist, occupational therapist or physical therapist in the U.S.

Median hourly wage: $24.92 per hour

Median annual wage: $51,826

#3. Art therapist

If you are a creative and love helping people, art therapy is another option to consider.

While hippotherapists use horses, art therapists just like the name suggests, use art to help patients cope with mental and emotional health problems and allow them to express their feelings.

According to the American Art Therapy Association, a masters degree is a requirement for entry level into art therapy work. Other licenses may apply depending on the state you want to work in.        

#4. Funeral director

Working as a funeral director may never have been your first career choice in school, but it’s a very essential and respected job.

If you’ve ever lost a loved one then you’ll appreciate what funeral directors also known as undertakers do. As an undertaker, you are responsible for coordinating transportation of the body, choosing pallbearers and so much more.

To work as a funeral director, you will need a post-secondary certification, an associate degree and some training.

Median hourly wage: $24

Median annual wage: $50,462

#5. Braille proofreader

Proofreaders are always in demand. Every editor wants to publish error free content. And this is no different for those who are abled differently.

As a braille proofreader, your work is to catch errors before those books and scripts go into the printing stage. You have to be able to read braille to get the job.

Median hourly wage:

Median annual wage: $57,855

#6. Embalmer

Working as an embalmer is not for the faint hearted. If you don’t like talkative coworkers and you are sensitive and compassionate, why not try embalming as a career. And what’s more, you’ll make over $7,000 above the U.S. average annual salary.

To get started as an embalmer, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree or associate degree in mortuary science. In some instances, on job training is all you need.

Median hourly wage: $22.96

Median annual wage: $47,760

#7. Profile ghost-writer

If you have a way with words and can transform a boring piece into an eye catching one, you should try ghost writing.

A lot of people are always looking for someone to write their online dating profiles, make them more appealing. As a ghost writer, you don’t have to limit yourself to writing dating profiles. You can extend your services and spruce up people’s professional profiles as well.

Ghost writing is a work at home job that enable you to set up your own hours. You can work for multiple clients and from any part of the world.

Median hourly wage: $31

Median annual wage: $63,915

#8. Vet acupuncturist

Acupuncture is not only limited to humans. And just like humans, veterinary acupuncture is used to treat a variety of diseases in animals such as reproductive disorders, arthritis, paralysis, muscle injuries among others.

To work as a vet acupuncturist, you’ll need to be a licensed veterinarian with training in anatomy, muscle physiology and acupuncture techniques.

Median hourly wage: $18

Median annual wage: $38,044

#9. Clinical ethicist

Maybe you want to pursue a career in medicine but not necessarily as a doctor. Working as a clinical ethicist is a good option to pursue your passion. A clinical ethicist is tasked with educating patients and their families. An education in medical ethics is required.

Median hourly wage: $29

Median annual wage: $60,273

#10. Computer hacker (ethical hacker)

Ethical hackers help companies secure their systems. As an ethical hacker, your work is to find loopholes in a company’s system and seal them before malicious hackers are able to find them.

Median hourly wage: $57

Median annual wage: $119,289

#11. Marijuana extractor

A good number of states have legalized marijuana especially for medical use. As the legalization continues, the need for professional marijuana extractors is on the rise. Professional marijuana extractors ensures that the products created especially edibles are of good quality. Training is need.

Median hourly wage: $16.39

Median annual wage: $52,381

#12. Airplane painter

Are your paint brush skills good? Can your painting be paired with da Vinci’s work and still get noticed by someone? How about airplane painting as your way of earning money? With a high school diploma and some on job training you should be able to make $14,000 more than the average US annual wage.

Median hourly wage: $20.60

Median annual wage: $54,099

#13. Soap boiler

Want to help people to stay clean? How about working as a soap boiler? Small and medium sized soap manufacturers are always looking for soap boilers. Soap boiling is a multi-step process that turns fats into soap that is used for powders and bars. You’ll only need a high school diploma to start earning.

#14. Costume attendant

Did you always dream of pursuing a career in theater but never qualified for that role? You can still work in theater as a costume attendant. If you’ve always wondered how actors/actresses are able to change so quickly from one costume to the other, they get help from a costume attendant. You only need a high school diploma, some training and lots of patience.

Median hourly wage: $19.80

Median annual wage: $41,190

#15. Faller

Felling of trees needs a little bit of technique to do it right. Fallers, also known as lumberjacks use their tree characteristics knowledge to take down trees in style. This is a relatively easy job to get as woodsmen and woods women require a high school diploma and some on job training.

#16. Seismograph Shooter

Do you love starting fires, but not the arson kind of fires? Then you should consider a career as a Seismograph Shooter. Seismograph shooters set off explosives in shallow boreholes to loosen the earth to allow for seismic readings to be done in order to reveal petroleum deposits. You’ll need a high school diploma, industry experience and training in order to do it as a pro.

Median hourly wage: $25

Median annual wage: $51,826

#17. Bridge tender

Do you love the sea but didn’t make it to become a ship captain? Check out if a bridge tender job is something that might interest you. Working as bridge tender involves controlling how boats pass through waterways and get to where they are going. A high school diploma and some training is all you need to get started and make over $5,000 more than the annual national median wage.

Median hourly wage: $21.92

Median annual wage: $45,601

What odd job have you done to earn money? Did you enjoy working at that particular job? I’d love to hear what other interesting odd jobs you’ve taken up.