Working a job you hate is like walking through mud—you know you have to do it, but you’re stuck in the same spot and feel like you’re going nowhere. Sure, a steady paycheck is nice, but if it’s coming at the cost of your sanity, it’s not worth it. Thankfully, members of an online forum shared some jobs that pay well and don’t make you hate life. These 12 jobs use your skills and talents while offering plenty of room for growth and financial security.
1. Accountant
One person extols their career as a bank accountant, describing their good salary, benefits, ample personal time off, and all recognized banking holidays off from work. They write, “It’s not particularly exciting, rewarding, or fulfilling, but it gives me the security and freedom to make my life as exciting, rewarding, and fulfilling as possible.”
2. Information Technology Specialist
Working as the only IT specialist for a family-owned business is an excellent career for one participant in the discussion. They describe being left to their own devices as long as everything is working as it’s supposed to, which results in them only putting in less than an hour of actual work each week.
3. Electrician
An electrician on the thread admits the work is challenging most days. Still, they receive great personal and professional satisfaction, knowing that their efforts will be functional for many years and that customers appreciate their work. In addition, electricians are always in high demand, so they never have to worry about being out of work for extended periods.
4. Rocket Scientist
This commenter spent thirty-five years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, planning and flying missions into deep space. Even when the work was challenging, they found it to be a great deal of fun, in addition to meeting many brilliant people.
5. Voiceover Actor
According to someone on the forum, beginning a career as a voiceover actor comes with long hours and little pay. However, once you’ve built a resume, it can be a fun, well-paying, more lucrative long-term occupation.
6. Cybersecurity Professional
Tasked with keeping an organization’s data safe and secure, a responder says it’s a good-paying career and is a “pretty chill job until a security incident happens, but if you do your job right, you can mitigate those incidents and just attend meetings every once and a while.”
7. Pathology Laboratory Technician
Processing samples for pathologists at a hospital pathology lab is a well-paying and fulfilling career for a contributor to the discussion. They love helping others, despite never meeting the people they’re running tests on.
8. School Janitor
Regarding having a job with decent pay, excellent benefits, and plenty of time off, another contributor to the forum says their occupation as a school janitor has it all. Other perks of their job include having the school building to themselves after everyone leaves for the day and working alone while listening to their favorite podcasts.
9. Lighting Designer
One of the more remarkable careers on this thread is somebody who works at setting up the stage lighting for musicians putting on shows at local concert venues. They say even though their days are long and they have to be ready for anything to happen, there’s great satisfaction and reward in seeing the results of their work. As a bonus, they get to attend the concerts they’re designing for.
10. Kennel Attendant
In what has to be the most fun, appealing job from this online community, a contributor cares for and feeds cats and dogs for a living; they also engage in animal enrichment or play with kittens, cats, puppies, and dogs. They love what they do so much and say it doesn’t feel like work. A good-paying career that doesn’t feel like work is the kind of job that’s hard to beat!
11. National Park Service
An overwhelming number of commenters agreed that the NPS was an ideal job. “I’d leave in an instant for a job with the NPS,” shares one user while another says, “Once you get permanent and start working up both the step levels and the pay grade, you do ok and have pretty good federal employee benefits. Nobody’s getting rich, but it’s decent.”
12. Court Reporter
If you speak a second language, being a court reporter is in high demand. One user shares, “I’m not a life coach, but court reporting is a dying skill that is still needed. I work for a specific department for the court in my county, and I get to spend most of my day hanging out with my department and hardly working.” You never know, you could end up reporting on the next Depp v. Heard celebrity case!
America’s 10 Saddest States: Is Your State on the Dismal List?
Regarding happiness, several internal and external factors are taken into consideration. While it’s easy to influence happiness from the people you spend time with and the activities you participate in, high inflation, high unemployment rates, and poor sleep are enough to make anyone miserable. According to a 2023 research report released by WalletHub, these are the 10 saddest states in the United States, ranked.
America’s 10 Saddest States: Is Your State on the Dismal List?
Go Alone and Pay More: 11 Insights About How Much Expensive Solo Travel Is In America
Out of curiosity, a solo backpacker asked people on the Internet why is it more expensive to travel alone in the U.S. The traveler was met with a flurry of responses, ranging from the thrifty to the extravagant. Sifting through the noise, some opinions stood out. But it still seems that expenses can be really high when crossing the vast American landscapes on your own. And while some costs are obvious, others are more hidden, waiting to ambush the unsuspecting tourists.
Go Alone and Pay More: 11 Insights About How Much Expensive Solo Travel Is In America
Capture the Best Fall Foliage in the United States At These 18 Amazing Spots
In each state in our country, unique fall foliage is happening near you, bringing brilliant colors practically to your doorstep. The fall color’s timing and intensity are influenced by temperature, rainfall, sun exposure, tree species, and elevation, among other factors. Henry David Thoreau wrote in an 1862 essay for The Atlantic called it autumnal foliage, “October is the month of painted leaves. Their rich glow now flashes round the world…” The popularity of leaf peeping has contributed mightily to tourism across the country in recent years, touted by each state’s vested interests. A study from the Appalachian State University estimates that tourists seeking the best view of colorful leaves contribute more than $30 billion to local economies across 24 eastern states. I’m partial to the East Coast, especially New York and New England, but fall foliage is everywhere. You can check out the Smoky Mountains fall foliage map, which predicts each state’s start and peak time. Go on a scenic drive with the top down, ride a bike, or hike to explore the area.
Capture the Best Fall Foliage in the United States At These 18 Amazing Spots
11 Strange Facts About Popular Everyday Jobs You’d Probably Never Guess
Beyond the basic job descriptions and well-publicized duties, there are hidden layers and unforeseen intricacies to some of the most popular jobs. With a good dose of curiosity and an open mind, people in an online discussion group revealed strange yet surprising things about their jobs, some showing the less-than-glamorous side of their everyday work.
11 Strange Facts About Popular Everyday Jobs You’d Probably Never Guess
It’s Just Easy on the Outside: 11 of the Most Common Tasks That Are Harder Than You Think
The handyman inside us often takes out our curiosity and hype, pulling us towards fascinating common tasks. These activities, while seeming simple at a glance, cleverly mask their actual intricacies. We might even think of them as straightforward, no-sweat tasks. Once we delve into the process, we realize it’s not as easy as it initially seemed. Being a subject in an online forum, these tasks, according to people, can go from easy peasy, lemon squeezy to hard fart lemon tart.
It’s Just Easy on the Outside: 11 of the Most Common Tasks That Are Harder Than You Think