Do you sleep too much, or you just love being in bed? If yes, then we've got a job for you. Perhaps you're great at cuddling, or you have a thing for sniffing paper towels? Whichever's the case, we've also got you covered.

All of the strangest jobs in the USA are right here on our list, showing you some of the wackiest career paths around. While some are expected, others are outright bizarre. Nonetheless, all are sure to wow you! Without any further ado, here are 30 odd jobs that people get paid for to do in America!

 

Pet Food Tester

Do you know those flavors that are advertised with your pup's favorite dog food? The beefiness of the gravy, or the perfectly moist chunky texture? All those juicy characteristics need to be established, confirmed, and adjusted according to a professional pet food taster's feedback.

Also known as food technologists, pet food testers don't only taste the food. They provide nutritional reports and brainstorm ideas to ramp up health benefits. From flavor to consistency, everything is evaluated and worked on by those working in this field. You'll need a diploma in food science or a related culinary field to qualify as a pet food taster, though.

Fake Mourner

One may think that a professional mourner is only hired by those who passed without leaving any friends or loved ones behind. However, it's not only the socially isolated or unpopular that opt for paid mourning. The profession actually started in ancient times and has even been mentioned in the Bible.

Professional mourners have been attending Chinese funerals since the year 756, but the practice has evolved over time. The modern professional mourner is an actor of sorts who increases the number of guests at the funeral while interacting with guests to help them deal with grief. Paid mourners usually attend the procession without letting anyone know they're hired.

Chicken S*xer

Did you know that it's so tricky to tell the gender of a chicken that one needs extensive training to do so? To know whether a day old chick is male or female, you either need to be trained at a poultry school or work at a chicken farm or factory to be instructed by someone already doing the job professionally.

Once your accuracy is perfect and proven, you can expect to earn a similar salary to a qualified nurse, HR professional, forester, video editor, or food scientist. It's not bad as long as you can live with knowing the impending fate of the countless cockerels you find.

Legal Bank Robber

The only way to legally rob a bank is if you're getting paid as a penetration tester. Penetration testing is an ethical hack against a company's infrastructure to establish vulnerabilities. Cyber-security experts use a range of techniques to look for security flaws before they're exploited.

While penetration testers won't be putting on a mask and waving a gun around, they will use a combined approach to cracking security. Social engineering, brute force, code injection, and many other social and technological tools are utilized to bypass security and point out latent issues in the process. It's just not as exciting as the heist movies we love watching.

Teddy Bear Surgeon

The official name of this conventional occupation is Teddy Bear Repair Technician, and a large number of Build-A-Bear outlets need one onsite. Technicians fix, restore, and clean damaged teddies. It's not only Build-A-Bears but select teddy bear hospitals where you'll be able to find work if you're great with kids and know how to sew professionally.

Keep in mind, the bears you'll be repairing are relatively high-end, so your skills need to be the best to work at a Build-A-Bear Workshop. You'll be a forerunning personality, making strong hospitality skills essential.

Snake Milker

A snake milker carries out the dangerous process of squeezing out the venom from a snake's fangs. Snake milkers are professionally known as herpetologists, practicing in the field of zoology. Most milkers are employed at serpentariums, which are institutions that breed and research snakes and reptiles. Working within a lab setting, zoologists are responsible for handling venomous snakes, using specialized extraction equipment, and caring for all specimens.

Snake venom is used for developing antivenoms to treat snakebites. It helps create drugs affecting blood pressure and clotting, too. Snake venom also fortifies a range of medical applications. Some block pain, while others save lives by preventing strokes, tumors, and more.

Waterslide Tester

While not the career path with the highest demand or chance for employment, the position of Water Slide Tester does indeed exist. Professional water slide testers test the slides, analyzing the experience on its ability to make money. After all, slides need to be both fun and profitable.

Safety hazards, water flow, water usage, splash rating, excitement, and more are evaluated. Water parks, hotel chains, and travel companies typically employ water slide testers but keep in mind that the institution needs to be large and prominent, limiting the number of places hiring.

Professional Sleeper

Believe it or not, a professional sleeper is a career path. And no, narcolepsy is not a prerequisite. Professional sleepers are typically involved in scientific research that analyzes the quality of sleep, sleep patterns, and the efficacy of products that impact rest. As one can imagine, you need to be comfortable sleeping in a foreign environment and being watched. You also need a clean bill of health.

It's not the type of job that you take full-time, with most opportunities being contract work or medical trials. In 2013, NASA paid their subjects $18,000 for 70-days worth of sleep, but rates drop as low as $10 per hour for lower-scope research.

Warden Of The Swans

Warden of the Swans is an illustrious part-time occupation held by one man only—Professor Christopher Perrins. The Warden of the Swans was established in 1993 in the United Kingdom and is helped by another official, the Marker of the Swans. This strange but prominent position came about when the post-13th-century Keeper of the King or Queen's Swans was divided in two.

The Queen owns all the mute swans in the UK, and once a year, they're counted in the annual Swan Upping, a ceremony that rounds up all the swans on the Thames for a census. After their determined healthy, markers are placed, and they're released.

Zombie

A career as a zombie is not a fantasy. You can play one of the undead hordes in a movie or show or have a long-term job as a London Dungeons zombie. There's much work as a zombie available for the dedicated. A select few do indeed get to work every day in the guise of a flesh-eater.

Places like the UK's London Dungeons and the Walking Dead attraction at Universal Studios frequently host open auditions for ongoing staff. Casting calls for all types of extras are a go-to for many aspiring actors. If you've got a flair for dramatics and desire dressing like death, literally, then this may be the career for you!

Bike Courier

Depending on where in the world you live, a bike courier could prove to be a lucrative career path for the fit. Most positions call for a keen ability to work well under pressure, asserting yourself using sound problem solving and time management skills.

Keep in mind, as a bike courier, you'll be planning routes and making provision for the safe transport of all types of goods. From documents to medical supplies, flexibility is called for. Most bike couriers are self-employed, contracting out their services to a range of different companies. The pay is relative to where you're working and how many deliveries you run.

Body Painter

Body painting is a very flexible term that encompasses a range of different positions. Most body painters are adept artists who offer their services part-time at concerts, photoshoots, carnivals, and other events and places. On a more specialized scale, surreal body painters are found across the entertainment industry, setting up some of Hollywood's most striking transformations.

Across fashion, body painters are frequently used to paint models gracing features and covers. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue often uses painted models, and one can find painted human bodies in all types of arts. From stage productions to TV adverts, body painting is everywhere!

Color Expert

A color expert specializes in consulting clients about the best artistic choices and color combinations for interior design, lighting, furniture, and fabrics. Their insight spans best practice contemporary design, color psychology, trends, design theories, and statistics. Basically, all factors relevant to making the space suited to the targeted demographic or purpose.

Color experts are also employed in the digital and print photography sector and the paint industry. The paint industry's demand appears consistently high, calling for expertise in software like Photoshop and the physical mixing of colors. If you're an expert in all things involving varied hues, this might just be the job for you!

Fake Facebooker

Creating a Facebook account and misrepresenting yourself by using it under false pretenses may be illegal according to the terms of service. However, this doesn't stop an army of internet marketers from doing precisely that. Dedicated fake Facebookers use illegitimate profiles to boost the number of friends for their customers. They also sell likes, reviews, and comments.

Finding fake Facebookers is relatively easy. Just browse around popular freelance platforms like Fiverr or classified sites like Craiglist, and you'll find tons of people selling Facebook services. Delve a little deeper into the industry, and you'll find social media service panels that allow marketers to resell fake Facebook services in bulk.

Flavorist

A flavorist is also known as a flavor chemist. These food scientists are employed to create and duplicate tastes, developing flavors in what can only be called a scientific art. They use a combination of artificial aroma, chemical compounds, and both essential oils and plant extracts to create flavors for food, beverages, medications, and topical products.

To become a flavor chemist, you'll need a degree in food science, food chemistry, or food engineering, as well as extensive experience in consumer product development. After graduating, employment is typically found in research and development for universities, private enterprises, and government projects.

Fragrance Chemist

Ever wonder how your favorite scents are made? Well, there are fragrance chemists that specialize in the study of odor molecules and how such molecules can be used for perfumes. These scientists develop and test scents for women's and men's perfume, soap, lotion, and other toiletries.

Since they create fragrance compositions and flavoring, it's considered a challenging profession. Often, fragrance chemists have backgrounds in chemistry and usually have high-level credentials, such as a master's or Ph.D. In 2019, the median annual salary for all chemists was $78,790, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hippotherapist

A hippotherapist provides therapy that uses the movement of a horse. Treatment using a horse's help benefits a range of conditions while also serving as a motivator for inhibited patients. Hippotherapy is usually given to those with cerebral palsy, autism, and sensory processing difficulties. It's also a fantastic form of physiotherapy for stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis.

It takes 6,000 hours of practice and an exam to be qualified as a hippotherapist by the American Hippotherapy Association. Hippotherapy can be used to treat physical, occupational, and speech-related issues, as well.

Professional Mermaid

Are you worried about your future and the lack of career options? Well, you should not worry at all because there are many options for you to start your path to success with. As bizarre as this may sound, there is a need for people who can be mermaids. Yes, you heard that right!

All you will have to do is dress up like a beautiful mermaid and lie exactly like one to gain the attention of the tourists. Don't worry, you are going to get paid for this, so what have you decided?

Horticultural Therapist

Few understand how the outdoors helps our well-being more than a horticultural therapist. They address patients' physical and mental wellness by providing a range of activities that combine gardening with social rehabilitation techniques. Garden-based projects are assigned to patients, with the instruction provided on starting seeds and cuttings, caring for plants, and monetizing the end-product.

The American Horticultural Therapy Association has a four-year degree that calls for 480-hours of further field experience before qualification is granted. Horticultural therapists learn botany, landscaping, plant propagation, and a range of treatment techniques while studying.

Pick-up Artist Instructor

Pick-up artist instructors are dating coaches who aim to help customers level up their "game" by improving their male charisma. While ever-controversial and at-times identified as misogynistic, this profession has been around since the '70s. The majority of instructors have a sound understanding of psychology and self-esteem.

Through a combination of coaching from male grooming to confidence, pick-up artist instructors guide their customers through a series of improvements seen as a regular practice. Methodologies vary significantly on who is self-identifying as the pick-up artist, although certain famous schools of thought have included techniques like Neuro-Linguistic Programming into their approach.

Veterinary Acupuncturist

Acupuncture addresses the underlying conditions present in any living being by working on its natural energy flow. A veterinary acupuncturist does the same job as someone who serves people but instead specializes in particular non-human species. Certain acupuncturists work with exotic animals, while others focus on birds, horses, dogs, or cats.

These acupuncturists need to be both a licensed veterinarian and have training in acupuncture. The most prominent recognized qualification comes from The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, which has been operating since 1974. You'll find most American practitioners to be a part of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA.)

Professional Snuggler

Being a professional snuggler may be the job for you if you thrive on human contact, valuing platonic touch therapy to its fullest. As a professional snuggler, you're responsible for carrying out cuddle therapy, promoting feelings of well-being, security, confidence, and joy.

Cuddle therapy gives patients a soothing sense of non-invasive bliss, free from stress without any other attachments. Certain individuals don't have their basic need for touch met and need this treatment to overcome socio-emotional issues. There's no formal degree or qualification, but it takes a particular type of person to convey the right feeling for this job.

Golf Ball Diver

Essentially, golf ball divers are professional recyclers. In certain areas where golf courses are in abundance, this position thrives. Divers retrieve golf balls from ponds scattered through golf courses. The waterproof golf balls are then cleaned and resold.

Payment varies depending on the arrangement created with the golf course representative. The diver will either pay a rate per ball or a fee for diving the course. As a professional golf ball diver, you'll be descending into the dark, murky depths with a full scuba suit and an item called a roller that helps find the golf balls.

Bed Tester

Bed testers are integral to mattress development and prototyping. Professional bed testers lay and sleep on a mattress, pillow, or other sleeping product, evaluating and reporting quality, comfort, and other marketable factors. Certain testers will have their sleep quality analyzed, while others are involved in more concise tests.

Bed testers can expect to test the mattress, pillow, or product under a range of conditions. From different temperatures to comparative tests, sleep under the effect of alcohol or caffeine, and sleep at various times of the day, tests vary. If this is the field for you, be on the lookout for sleep intern jobs, bed testers, and professional sleeper positions!

Paper Towel Sniffer

Almost every paper towel carries either no scent or a very specific scent. No one wants towels that stink in any way, and to guarantee perfect smelling towels, you need a professional paper towel sniffer. Sniffers also identify how well towels work for masking odors.

This odd job doesn't call for very much more than a sharp sense of smell and the ability to dissect what you smell into a detailed, logical description. Communication and smell identification skills are imperative, and you can look forward to massive companies like Kleenex hiring full-time paper towel sniffers.

Face Feeler

Face Feelers are also known as sensory scientists and are hired to feel other people's faces after being treated with specific skincare products. You'll find face feelers testing the feel of skin after using a razor, cleanser, or cosmetic goods. Sensory testing takes extensive training and a high degree of tactile sensitivity, which is formally tested.

Most face feelers receive three months of training, according to ABC News. Certain individuals find that they perform a more accurate, more sensitive sensory evaluation of arms, legs, or other body areas, leading to an alternate specialization.

Line Stander

A line stander is also known as a professional queuer. As the name suggests, line standers are employed to stand in place of another person in a queue. Seat holding is another in-demand occupation that seems just as strange at first. However, given the immense amount of time spent queuing or retaining a seat, the position can pay quite well.

From queuing at the DMV to making sure you're in the best seats at opening night, line standers can make a tidy living. Business Insider reported that high-paying queuers were earning up to $1,500 a month in 2015. Just imagine how much more valuable that time is today!

Body Part Model

If you pride yourself on the beauty of your feet, hands, arms, calves, thighs, waist, or any other specific part of your body, then you may just have a career as a model. There are jobs for models covering every particular area, thanks to the fashion industry's wealth of products.

Certain jobs like hand, feet, and leg models are in-demand, but this doesn't mean that the others aren't hiring. The best way to get your start is to develop a collection of stunning shots and then partner with a modeling agency. Not every agency represents body-part models, so make sure to confirm before sending your details.

Worm Picker

There are two main types of worm pickers. The most common professional worm pickers will wander grassy areas, marshes, and other fertile dirt sites, picking worms as live bait supply at night. Work starts at dusk and ends at dawn, with each worm being counted and added to a marked and tracked collection.

After a basic introduction to the exercise, a worm picker will sprinkle chlorinated water on the area concealing worms. This causes them to rise to the surface, where they are caught with the help of a flashlight. The alternate worm picker job involves picking worms in a laboratory environment for use in the food and pet food industry.

Stunt Tester

Stunt testers go by several names but are best known as obscure stunt testers or gross stunt testers, depending on the nature of what they commonly test. Shows like Fear Factor and other reality TV productions employ stunt testers to evaluate their escapades' safety and severity before being launched to the public.
Risk is typically high, and it takes a great deal of fortitude to pull off untested stunts. Stunt testers are vastly different from stuntmen or stuntwomen. This paid job typically involves consuming something disgusting or being exposed to appalling conditions. Are you up for it?

Armpit Sniffer

One of the strangest jobs around has to be that of a Professional Armpit Sniffer. Deodorant companies hire armpit sniffers to identify which scents and products work best to mask or neutralize body odor. Tests are also carried out to evaluate how long deodorant lasts and how well it holds up over time.

You find armpit sniffers typically employed by consumer research firms and centers. Even Princeton University has its own, as do most other leading tertiary education providers. Industry averages see Professional Armpit Sniffers smelling up to 60 armpits per day. We don't know whether we should be amazed or repulsed!