8 of the Weirdest Jobs in the World

By Caitlyn Moorhead

February 20, 2023

Adene Sanchez / Getty Images

There is a job for everything. The list of ways people make a living is long, but it can also have some unexpected entries. If you are tired of working a classic cookie-cutter job, it may be time to expand your horizons, think outside the box and start looking into more unusual jobs.

Read: With a Recession Looming, Make These 3 Retirement Moves To Stay on Track

The Weirdest Jobs in the World

Whether it is full-time employment or even a side gig, how you make money matters. Getting any of the following jobs would be worth it for the business card alone. Here are eight of the weirdest ways you can earn a paycheck:

1. Dog food taster
2. Mourner
3. Odor judge
4. Paint watcher
5. Scuba diving pizza deliverer
6. Sleeper
7. Snake milker
8. Train pusher

1. Dog Food Taster 

Being a pet food tester may sound like a prank gone awry but it is a real job. You may not be able to teach dogs new tricks but you can give a culinary review of their cuisine. Dog food tasting is a way to compare products such as biscuits, canned food or dry kibble to other brands and also human food. 

2. Mourner 

A professional mourner is someone who is hired to emotionally display sorrow through loudly crying and weeping at a funeral, wake or other services. This is a common custom in cultures such as Egyptian, South East Asian, Chinese or Mediterranean. It is seen as a way of better assisting the departed to the afterlife.

3. Odor Judge 

For an up close and personal position, you could look into becoming an odor judge. This requires you to smell the armpits, feet or breath of those that have used certain products to gauge the effectiveness of those products such as toothpaste, deodorant or other odor-removing substances. These workers’ sense of smell is routinely checked to make sure they are still keen to any off-putting funk or flavor. It has to be a rough day at work if the products aren’t working as advertised.

4. Paint Watcher 

Just when you thought nothing could be more boring than watching paint dry, you might want to reserve your judgments when you find out that people can get paid to do so. Though not a common field, there are people hired to watch paid dry to see how long new mixes take to fully dry all the way. This assists in the company’s quality control and advertising accuracy. 

5. Scuba Diving Pizza Deliverer 

Florida understood the assignment that if you are going to open an underwater hotel you better make sure your guests can order pizza. There is a pizza delivery service, where the pizza comes in airtight containers, and is delivered by scuba divers to the guests of the underwater hotel. Not a bad way to build a resume. 

6. Sleeper 

To sleep may just be a chance to dream, especially if your dream is to be able to sleep for a living. Professional sleepers typically are involved in some sort of scientific research such as sleep studies. However, there are also hotels or mattress manufacturers who pay people to test out the comfort levels of what people are sleeping on.

7. Snake Milker 

If you are not someone who scares easily or is risk-averse, snake milking may be a career path for you. This job requires the snake milker to collect the venom of poisonous snakes. This venom is then stored for use as an anti-venom for victims of snake bites or other medical purposes.

8. Train Pusher

If you are someone that is used to a busy commute on public transportation, you might be glad to know that professional train pushers do exist. Prevalent in Japan, where they are called Oshiya, their entire job consists of pushing people into packed passenger cars to make more room and use as much space as possible.

Final Take

Although these weird jobs may not have a water cooler to gather around, there probably isn’t any shortage of interesting stories to share. Next time you feel a little stifled by your daily work routine, maybe look into one of these weird jobs for a nice mental health break.

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