16 Jobs You Might Not Think Twice About That Actually Pay Surprisingly Well

Recently, members of the BuzzFeed Community who work surprisingly well-paid jobs shared what they do and how much they make. It inspired even more responses from people who are secretly making really good money, so here they are:

1."I work in quality assurance and food safety. I only have a bachelor's and an REHS license that took a summer to get. I make almost $125k. I work from home most days and it’s so interesting! Easy hours and no weekends."

2."Store directors at Target in southern California can make $150k+ base salary (starting) and $25k–$50k in bonuses."

3."I am a technical account manager for a cybersecurity vendor. No degree, just a couple of certifications in networking. As anyone in the corporate world knows, loyalty is the reaper of financial growth and you get your money on the way in. I started at $60k and was at $100k five years later. Now, I’m at $180k after 9 years, have unlimited PTO, free company stock, a 401k, and all the typical insurance benefits. Work is based around online meetings with customers, so I work from home and the actual work amounts to 20–30hrs a week."

4."I'm a ramp agent for a major airline. I have a high school diploma. I took the job after retiring from baking for 20+ years but there are some lucky enough to get the job right out of high school. Pension, 401k, and you get flight benefits which let you and your immediate family fly the world for free. Plus, you get 24 buddy passes to give to friends per year. Starting pay is low, but goes up every year. Senior guys are making well over $150k a year."

5."I'm a 28-year-old man with about 10 years of experience in the retail industry. I make $120,000 a year as a store manager. Hours can range from 40–70 (70 when a holiday comes around and you don’t have a full management team). It's challenging and people don’t understand what goes into it, but it’s what I’ve signed up for."

6."I own and operate my own food truck. I do summer fairs and festivals. This year I will grow to around $275k from the end of April to November. I pocket half of the gross, so winter is spent lounging and doing light duty paperwork and repairs and upgrades."

7."After 15 years in customer-facing home improvement retail, I moved to the supply chain side. No customers, Sunday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for the majority of the day, I’m at a computer taking care of my associates. My base is $75k plus a bonus twice a year, plus 401k, stock options, holiday pay, and huge opportunity for advancement. Can’t beat it!"

8."I’m a proposal manager and make $100,000 a year plus ~5% bonus. Entry-level jobs in this field are around $60k per year, but I’m at six figures after five years in the industry! Day to day, I help my company respond to prospect/client solicitations, which consists of project management, production work of answering a bunch of questions, and building executive summaries. It’s a pretty easy gig (for a certain type of person, it’s not for everyone!), I work remotely from my dreamy mountain town, and typically stick to a 40-hour work week."

9."I’m a nursing instructor at a community college, and I make over $90,000 per year. I teach two 12-hour days a week, go into the office for a few hours for student meetings each week, and pick up a shift as a regular hospital nurse once every three weeks. I grade papers from home for about an hour each week. It’s a good work-life balance, and I tend to fly under the radar of administration because I do most of my teaching off campus, so when I do run into bigwigs they often mistake me for a student, and I rarely see my boss. I like it that way, and the data the school collects shows that students who have me as an instructor have above-average test scores and give me good ratings."

10."I make over $120,000 a year as an education director at a nonprofit organization. We do online events, put out resources for students and families, and support public K–12 schools. I don’t work directly with students. And best of all, I get to work from home!"

11."I work in a prison as an RN in a psych ward. I actually do nothing, if not much. $51.00 an hour. I love my job. Hell, I am 68."

12."I am the administrator of an ambulatory surgery center and I make $135k per year."

13."I'm a suburban California elementary school teacher with a master’s degree, 10 years of experience. $101,000 per year, plus benefits and pension. The first few years were tough while I developed lesson plans and learned how to control a class. But the work got much easier when I figured out what I was doing, and seniority pays."

14."A lot of medical technician jobs pay well. I am a specialized ultrasound tech making $120k a year. I only have an associates degree."

15."I work for USPS in a sorting facility. I've been here for about three years and I make $25/hr, 40 hours a week to type, zip codes, and put mail in sacks. We’re also unionized, can wear pretty much whatever we want, and can listen to music while we work. By far the easiest job I’ve ever had."

16."I work in public relations, specializing in crisis management. If you need me, you REALLY need me. But most of the time, you don't need me at all. So, I make six figures a year to do nothing at all most days. Just rushing in to save the day, maybe a couple times a year at most."

If you work a surprisingly well-paid job, feel free to share what it is and how much you make in the comments. Or fill out this anonymous form.