From Lovemoney
Taste-testing Easter eggs, building sandcastles, or cruising down water slides might seem like activities you'd do in your spare time, but there are some people who actually earn a living doing these things.
Santa letter writer: around $10 a letter
These individuals have the very important job of helping Santa Claus reply to the abundance of letters he gets swamped with come Christmas time. You can either start up your own letter writing company and charge customers as you see fit, or sign up to an existing one where how much you’ll earn depends on the amount of letters you churn out.
Netflix tagger: several hundred dollars a week
Could you imagine getting paid to watch Netflix? It doesn't seem real, does it? But it is. Netflix tagging is essentially a job that allows you to binge watch Netflix on the basis that employees then enter key describing words into the system for each show. Sounds like a pretty good deal for a salary that is estimated to be "several hundred dollars a week", according to LA Times.
Water slide tester: $28,500 a year
This job is not for those with a weak stomach. Water slide testers are responsible for travelling the world to test the speed and landings of slides as well as the standards of pools at resorts around the globe. The role makes them around $28,500 annually.
Fake executive: $1,000 a week
Westerners in China, specifically males, are being hired to be fake executives. They are paid $1,000 per week and given executive titles, according to CNBC. They are usually required to give a couple of speeches and a few attend important events so it appears as though the company has a link to the Western world. However, that’s the extent of their responsibilities.
Cruise ship entertainer: $4,500 a month
Not only do cruise ship entertainers get to travel the world, but they also get to perform and have fun while they do it. They are provided room and board and make an average of up to $4,500 each month.
Professional snuggler: $40 an hour
Everybody loves snuggles. Whether you'd admit it or not, cuddling is great. And there are people out there who earn money to do just that. Professional snugglers can be paid around $60 an hour to cuddle up to strangers and help them relax after a long day. Ahhh.
Bridesmaid for hire: thousands of dollars per wedding
A bridesmaid for hire not only attends your wedding, but acts as a personal assistant to the bride and a general problem solver so that other bridesmaids and family members can enjoy their day. Professional bridesmaids can earn thousands of dollars for each wedding.
Pet psychologist: $30,000 a year
For around $30,000 (£23k) a year, you could become a pet psychologist. The job title is quite self-explanatory as the role involves analyzing the behavior of animals and helping their owners to discover the cause of any problems. You do, however, need to be a qualified vet for the role, or have a PhD in something similar.
Coffee taster: $30,000 a year
Gayan Munaweera has every caffeine addict's dream job as a coffee taster for UCC Coffee. Regularly traveling the world to find the finest beans, he can taste up to 500 cups a week. The average salary for such a role is around $30,000 (£23k) a year.
Sweet taster: $31,600 a year
Every child’s dream job is a reality for a select handful of adults around the world who make as much as $31,600 annually. This job requires you to taste the goods that your company is producing, as well as its competitors, and often is part-time so that your taste buds are not overwhelmed and have time to recover.
Panda nanny: $32,000 a year
The main duties of this role are to keep the pandas company, which includes making sure that the pandas are cuddled and feel loved. At a research centre in China, these panda minders get paid $32,000 annually for cozying up to the cute cubs.
Golf ball diver: $33,000 a year
Ever wondered what happens to all the golf balls that disappear into water? Well it’s somebody’s job to dive down and collect them. And that somebody gets paid $33,000 just for retrieving said golf balls. On an average day, divers can reportedly collect around 4,000 balls.
LEGO-certified professional artist/sculptor: $38,000 a year
Honing your LEGO skills as a child could lead to a paid job later as there are several people who craft LEGO sculptures and sell them to willing buyers for a variety of events. On average, an expert LEGO builder could bring in a yearly salary of $38,000.
Laughter therapist: $43,000 a year
While you could possibly enroll the assistance of your friends to help you laugh, laughter therapists are trained to use special techniques to combat both psychological and physical pain. Their average salary is $43,000 per annum.
Beer taster: $45,000 a year
While most jobs ban alcohol consumption during work hours, this job wouldn’t exist without it. Beer tasters get to taste a huge variety of beers every day to ensure the quality of the brew and usually bank $45,000 annually.
Hotel reviewer: $48,000 a year
Travel companies want to ensure they help their clients book the best quality hotels. So they offer a salary of $48,000 to qualified individuals to visit hotels all around the world so that they can review them and report back.
Professional traveler: $53,000 a year
Professional travelers usually run a successful blog or some type of social media platform where they catalog their travels and review various attractions around the world. The amount of money made in this job can reach up to $53,000 on average, but this varies drastically from person to person due to profile, location, experience and any sponsorship or endorsement deals they have signed.
Fortune cookie writer: $53,000 a year
You've probably never really thought about how those profound little messages appear in your fortune cookies, but in case you were dying to know, there is actually somebody who gets paid to write them. And you could too, all for around $53,000 a year.
Easter egg taster: $54,000 a year
While many of us might get to eat a few Easter eggs this year, this lucky woman gets to spend months tasting delicious chocolate eggs. Holly Underwood (pictured) is a confectionery product developer for British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and has tasted around 250 different eggs this year. It isn't known how much an Easter egg taster earns, but an expert chocolate taster can earn as much as $54,000. You’d be hopping mad not to go for this egg-cellent opportunity…
Ice cream taster: $56,000 a year
All those tasty ice cream flavors in shop freezers were approved by these ice cream connoisseurs before making their way to you. Typically, this job will earn you about $56,000 (£42.7k) each year.
Google Earth mapper: $58,000 a year
Ever wonder who’s responsible for taking all of those images for Google Earth and Maps? Well, it could be you if you become Google Earth’s next bicycle mapper. You could receive a salary of up to $58,000 to ride around on a 250lb tricycle with a large digital camera attached to the back getting shots of areas inaccessible to cars.
Video game tester: $58,000 a year
Getting paid to play the latest video games seems ludicrous, but it’s actually a reality for some professional gamers. They play games before they’re released to ensure there are no glitches and that it provides an enjoyable experience for those playing. Experienced testers can earn up to $58,000 a year.
Mermaid: $62,000 (£47k) a year
Quit your jobs now and practice your swimming, because the possibility of becoming a mermaid has become reality. Being a professional mermaid is essentially like being a model; you just sit there and look exquisite all day. Aside from that, you'll also be taught how to swim with a fin. Oh, and you'll be paid around $62,000 (£47k) a year.
Sandcastle builder: $65,000 a year
This job will require a combination of artistic skills and unleashing your inner child. You’ll need some pretty nifty tools beyond a bucket and spade to construct the type of masterpieces that could earn you a salary of $65,000 per year if you’re lucky. But one of the biggest perks will surely be basking in the sun beside your artwork as people show their appreciation through generous donations.
Celebrity party planner: $68,000 a year
If you want to get up close and personal to the stars and attend some of their parties, what better way to do it than to be paid to organize them? Typically party planners can expect to be paid around $68,000.
Luxury bed tester: $70,000 a year
Getting paid to sleep sounds like an oxymoron, but it is in fact an actual job. Experts monitor the sleep quality and patterns of the tester while they trial different mattresses. This job is usually on a contract but a permanent role could earn you up to $70,000 a year.
Gadget reviewer: $77,000 a year
Gadget reviewers get first dibs on the latest innovations before they hit the markets for the general public to purchase. These people get to test out the products and are paid to give their professional feedback about it. While the tech toys are usually returned after the review, the role can command a salary of up to $77,000 per year.
Listening officer: $79,000 a year
Yep – you can listen for a living. And get paid up to $79,000 for it. Technically, you need to be more savvy with social media than you do with people, as the role involves monitoring a brand’s presence across all social media platforms and taking notes of any comments. Great title though isn’t it?
Flavorist: $80,000 a year
Also known as flavor chemists, flavorists earn a yearly salary of $80,000 to use their expertise in chemistry to manufacture the yummiest food flavors that are, of course, safe for humans to eat.
Caretaker of an exotic island: $120,000 a year
Back in 2009, Tourism Queensland in Australia advertised a position described as the Best Job in The World. The successful candidate would spend six months taking care of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. However, this is not unique. Private island caretaking is actually a job available to a select lucky few and can earn you a salary of up to $120,000 per year to live in paradise.
Spirit sniffer and taster: $150,000 a year
Wine is not the only alcohol that can benefit from a decent sniff. Having a good "nose" can be lucrative, and spirit brands such as Absolut Vodka employ sniffers with an extraordinary sense of smell to check their alcohol to see if the distillation process has been contaminated in any way. A master wine sommelier can earn as much as $150,000 a year, and we imagine the spirit equivalent's salary wouldn't be too far off.
Bike fisher: salary unknown
Amsterdam is often known as the city of bikes. However, the fact that those bikes share the city with 165 canals means that sadly many end up in the water. This has led to the hiring of full-time bike fishers to clear the water ways. They chug down the canals and use a crane claw to lift 12,000 to 15,000 bikes from the canal bed every year, according to Waternet, Amsterdam's Water Authority.
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