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9 High-Paying Jobs That Aren’t for Everyone

While these high-paying jobs definitely aren't typical, those who have them claim they're worth the bucks.

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Diver near boat
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Oil-Rig Dive Technician

You won’t stay dry, but you will make lots of dough building rigs and laying pipes on the ocean floor. A diver can make $1,500 a week and over $100,000 a year. These are the weirdest jobs you didn’t know you could apply for.

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Small plane on approach
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Airplane Repo

If you’re willing to get shot at—and potentially thrown into a foreign prison—then this job is for you. Aircraft repossessors can earn commissions equal to 6 to 10 percent of the resale price of a plane, which means seizing an aircraft worth millions of dollars can bring in about $900,000.

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Open handcuffs hang on the cage. Successful escape exemption
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Bounty Hunter

Although this particular line of work may get you killed, the pay ranges from 10 to 20 percent of your quarry’s bail deposit. So is it worth the risk? Well, a suspect who skips out on $100,000 bail could net a bounty hunter $10,000 to $20,000 upon his or her return.

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cultured pearls factory on the sea
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Pearl Diver

It’s dangerous out there in the deep-blue sea—especially when the job description calls for you to slowly skim the ocean floor off the coast of Australia as sharks glide by. That being said, diving for pearls is lucrative—rates reach $1,200 per day.

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Chef preparing food
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Submarine Cook

First, move to Australia. Submerged chefs Down Under receive up to $187,000 per year—all because the job is “critical to the navy.” These will be the most in-demand jobs in 2020. 

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Male hands typing on laptop closeup. Black man working outdoors on computer with blank screen for copy space. Technology, communication, education and remote working concept.
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White Hat Hacker

Instead of illegally gaining access to and tampering with computer information, these do-good cybergeeks help companies or governments find security holes in their computer systems. A top certified ethical hacker can earn $132,000 a year; an applicant typically has a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology.

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Professional condenser studio microphone
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Voice-Over Work

Showcase your pipes in a quirky cartoon or comical radio commercial and, after five minutes, you could earn $325. Even lesser-known voice-over artists can pull in $50,000 to $80,000 per year. Make a fortune with the highest-paying jobs in each state.

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Middle-aged psychologist sitting next to his patient and listening to her childhood story in order to find reason of her disease
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Bereavement Coordinator

Bereavement Coordinators manage the social workers that deliver bad news about a loved one to his or her family. You probably won’t be leaving work every day with a smile, but the median income is around $58,000.

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golf ball on lip of cup
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Golf ball retriever

If you have this job you get to pick up after other people’s mistakes. All you have to do is dive into the lakes and ponds on golf courses, collect the balls, fix them up, and sell them at a discount. Some divers have reported making up to $100,000 in one year. Next, read about the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest