15 High-Paying Jobs You’ve Never Even Heard Of

You've heard of plenty of high-paying jobs, like doctors and lawyers. But what if you want to try something different and still make enough to stop living paycheck to paycheck?

Maybe you like learning about different types of wine, or you want to use your computer or communications skills to earn a higher income.

Check out these options you’ve never heard of that could actually work for you if you want a high-paying job.

A sommelier is trained to know about different types of wine and what makes one wine different from another. Your work could include finding the best pairing of wine and food at a restaurant or serving as an expert at a wine store.

Sommeliers make an annual base salary of $55,129, according to Indeed.

A prosthetist is responsible for creating adaptive devices and artificial limbs for patients who may need aids due to medical conditions.

Expect a prosthetist to earn an average base salary of $84,866 annually.

If you’re interested in glasswork, consider becoming a glazier. This is a specific type of trade that allows you to install glass in buildings and homes or work in the automotive field.

Glaziers earn an average annual salary of $71,164, according to Indeed.

Solar power and solar panels are becoming more popular for business and residential buildings. As a solar installer, you’ll be responsible for properly installing panels to help customers take advantage of solar power.

You can expect an average base salary of $71,079 annually as a solar installer.

As a genetics counselor, you can help patients better understand how their genes could affect them with hereditary disorders and what potential actions should be taken.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that genetics counselors can make a median annual income of $95,770.

Another growing energy area is wind energy, and companies need wind turbine technicians who can understand how to maintain and fix wind turbines so that they run optimally for customers.

Indeed expects wind turbine technicians to make an average annual salary of $58,541 per year.

Fire investigators do the detective work after a fire to determine the cause and interview eyewitnesses and officials to decide if a criminal act was involved. You’ll also compile investigative work to help officials understand the fire.

Fire investigators make an average salary of $88,631 per year.

A respiratory therapist works with patients who have lung diseases and disorders. You may review symptoms, care, and treatment to help patients manage their medical issues and find medication and treatment that works for them.

According to Indeed, respiratory therapists make an average annual salary of $103,585.

Have you ever wondered how an insurance company knows what kind of risk it’s taking on for insurance coverage? 

An actuary analyzes different data to create a risk assessment for insurance policies such as car and life insurance, as well as potential risks posed by weather or other natural disasters.

According to Indeed, actuaries earn an average salary of $122,069 annually.

If you enjoy engineering and design, consider becoming a petroleum engineer. These engineers develop ways to extract oil and natural gas from below the earth for energy sources.

According to Indeed, a petroleum engineer can make an average of $131,250 per year.

Companies’ supply chains rely on logisticians to keep them running smoothly. Logisticians oversee steps in a product’s development from creation to its delivery to consumers.

Logisticians earn an average salary of $63,766 per year.

If you’re interested in computers and cyber security, you may want to consider working as an information security analyst. 

Information security analysts are responsible for finding vulnerabilities in client networks and creating solutions to protect networks from future attacks.

Expect to make $89,851 in average annual salary as an information security analyst, according to Indeed.

Use your public relations or communications skills as a crisis manager, helping companies and clients deal with media and publicity during a crisis. 

You may have to coordinate a response plan and talk to the media as part of a strategy to change a client's or company's perception.

Crisis managers can make an average salary of $47,368 per year.

A videographer is responsible for shooting and editing videos for clients and customers. You may spend weekends videotaping weddings or work during the week recording legal depositions for courts or lawyers. 

You could also work in social media for clients needing a video presence on websites.

According to Indeed, videographers can make an average annual salary of $127,087.

As a land surveyor, you measure official property boundaries using surveying equipment. Land surveyors may be hired by homeowners, businesses, land developers, or even government agencies to help determine land boundaries.

Land surveyors can expect an average annual salary of $86,770.

There are some unique options for finding an unusual job that can make you money.

Remember to factor in any potential costs you might have to take on for training in a new field or look into jobs that require skill sets you may already have to help you get ahead financially.