Only 50% of employed people in the U.S. describe themselves as “extremely satisfied” with their job, so it’s safe to say that everyone at some point in their lives has dreaded going to work on Monday and dreamed of the sort of career you see on television: Fun, exciting, and with a high enough salary to be comfortable.
If you think that “fun” and “pays enough” are polar opposites, the good news is that’s not true. If you want to have a good time while earning a salary, there are some surprising options out there. These jobs may not make you rich, but they will pay your bills while you get to have a blast.
LEGO master builder
If you thought your days of playing with LEGO ended when you became an adult, it’s time to revise your concept of adulthood because the LEGO master builder profession exists. This—and I cannot stress this enough—is a real job. LEGO hires people at its stores and facilities to build, maintain, and repair massive, complex installations. Master builders also perform a PR role for the company, doing interviews and creating social media content.
Getting the job doesn’t require any formal education or certification—a high school diploma is the basic requirement—but a background in art and design won’t hurt. The main qualification is creativity, so having a portfolio of impressive LEGO creations is essential. The company holds regional competitions called Brick Factors where you compete against other LEGO enthusiasts to be named an assistant master builder, putting you on the career track of your childhood dreams, so you’ll have to check at your local Discovery Center for the next opportunity.
A LEGO master builder earns an average of about $46,000, with New York being the highest-paying area at about $50,000 annually.
Roadie
The role of the roadie has evolved quite a bit from the classic image of the grungy dude hauling amplifiers around backstage. Bands and other traveling music performances still need roadies, but the modern incarnations are more specialized, including lighting and sound engineers and instrument technicians. While that might sound intimidating, most roadies learn their skills on the job—they start off with a low-level job at a local music venue, network with artists and managers who come through the space, and often have to work for free for a while in order to establish themselves.
Once you do that, however, you can earn anywhere from $45,000 to $60,000 a year—although it’s all freelance work, so your income will vary tremendously depending on whether you’re touring with a national act or a band that’s just getting started. It can be hard work—long hours and months spent on the road in uncomfortable accommodations—but if you love music and want the rush of setting up a concert for thousands of people, this career could be a blast.
Water slide tester
Yes, this is an actual job you can get. Also called a ride verification technician, a water slide tester is exactly what it sounds like: You test water slides for safety, operation, and any other issues. Some of these jobs are permanent in a specific amusement park, and sometimes they travel around the country testing and inspecting slides everywhere, but it still equates to slapping on some swimwear and taking multiple splashdowns every day for a living.
The main prerequisite is first aid and lifeguard certifications, which can often be obtained from the hiring company itself. You’ll also need to become very familiar with the specifications and operating guidelines for the specific slides, as manufacturers have very strict rules on how frequently people can enter and other stats.
The average annual salary for a water slide tester is about $60,000 annually, although a few years ago someone on Reddit claimed to be making closer to $100,000.
Ice sculpting
If you’ve ever been to a fancy party (or a party that wants desperately to be fancy), you’ve probably seen an ice sculpture or two in your time. If you have an artistic mind and a related skill in carving, this could be a fun career that lets you make money by being creative (and bringing a little joy to people, too).
There are different routes into the career: You can take a class from someplace like the Academy of Ice Carving and Design in Tennessee or from established ice sculptors who offer them, or you can contact local sculptors and see if you can get a job or an unpaid internship with them. There’s no certification process, however, so you can also just start carving some ice and then enter an ice sculpting competition like Ice Alaska or the Québec Winter Carnival. A few awards will be all you need to start getting gigs.
You can make an average of about $50,000 annually as an ice sculptor in the U.S.—but income can be as much as twice as high depending on your location and the opportunities available.
Candle or perfume ‘nose’
If your idea of a good time is being paid to smell things, being a nose is the ideal career. A nose is a professional who works for a perfumery, a candle company, or any other place where smell is a key component of the business.
Becoming a nose (sometimes called a perfumer, especially in the fragrance business) isn’t something you just decide to do, however. While you don’t need to be born with a freakish sense of smell, you do need a lot of training. It starts with getting a degree in a field like chemistry or cosmetic science in order to have the fundamental training necessary. From there it’s possible to find apprenticeship positions in fragrance houses or at candle companies, but your best bet will likely be certification at a perfumery school, which will take years and won’t be cheap. But if your passions run through your sense of smell, this could be the perfect career for you.
And it’ll pay your rent, too, depending on where you live: A nose can make about $70,000 a year on average.
