We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the jobs they have that people generally think are "cool," along with how much money they make and if they think it's worth it. Here's what they had to say:
1. "I was a forensic scientist in the DNA section of the local government crime laboratory for 20 years. My pay at the end was about $75,000 a year in a city with a relatively low cost of living. Was it worth it? I knew I was entering public service, so I knew I’d never be wealthy, but it was pretty disappointing to be at that salary after 20 years there. I retired the second I could. I have a lot to be proud of from that job, but I’m not sure I could recommend it to anyone else. The stress of the job and the consequences should you ever make a mistake that isn’t caught is almost paralyzing — it can literally be life or death based on your work. When I retired, I told my daughter my salary compared with my husband’s salary (finance), and she said, 'But your job is so much more important.' I know, honey, I know."
—Anonymous
2. "I help run the video board (jumbotron) for professional sports teams. The pay varies by position: Camera operators make about $200 per game, instant replay people make about $250, and directors are normally in the $400 range (at least in my region). The real money is in the TV trucks, though; rates basically double for those guys. Pay can be sporadic depending on the team’s schedules, but you have to remember you’re in a building full of people who paid to get in, and you’re getting paid."
—Anonymous
3. "Zookeeper. After a four-year college degree, multiple unpaid internships, and almost 10 years of work experience, I make a little over $40,000 a year. It's an extremely physically demanding job that is all outdoors all the time, no matter the weather. The animals are amazing to work with, but it's definitely a 'passion' job, so the upper management doesn't need to pay competitively because there's always someone fresh from college who will work for minimum wage. Most zookeepers have roommates or a second job or are married to someone more financially stable. I love it, and the sacrifices are worth it to me, but I also know I'll never own a house or go on fancy vacations, or really even regular vacations."
—Anonymous
4. "Actor here. I’ve been on Broadway and TV shows and toured. If you are watching a national tour of a musical or play, chances are those performers are not making great money. (Ensemble members who aren’t in principal tracks might be making $600–$1,300 a week plus per diem, which sounds pretty good on the higher end, but being on the road for six-plus months and living out of a suitcase/not being able to cook your meals, etc., gets really pricey.) If it is a nonunion tour, they are being paid maybe $300–$400 a week if they aren’t a lead, and they are doing one- to two-night stints, sleeping on the bus, and performing the next night in a new town. Being on a nonunion tour is not a nice gig. Very few union touring shows are out on the top-paying tier, but those that are make a minimum of $1,800–$2,300 a week."
"The thing about being an actor is that Broadway obviously pays great (I think right now the minimum is $2,400 a week), and TV can pay great (you get a day rate that varies based on your credit, and then sometimes you get residuals, but that’s been greatly minimized, hence the strikes in the TV realm), but our jobs and income are wildly inconsistent. I’ve worked nonstop for three years straight in my field before, and I’ve also had massive periods where I am just not getting cast and I have to get a survival job as a waiter or something until the next performing gig comes along. Very, very few actors and performers become wealthy from their craft because of this inconsistency, even those who find a lot of success. Plus, most performers are paying their agents and/or managers a cut of all their income (10% for agents, 5% for managers), so that eats into their income. Most of us live very working-class lives. But when you do land a fierce gig that pays great, it feels amazing." —Anonymous
5. "I’m a hot-air balloon crew member, and the only pay we get is tips, if we get any! Other than that, some pilots I know can make up to $100,000 a year just by flying four days a week, three hours a day! It can be good money once the balloon is paid off!"
"I LOVE this job and hope to be a pilot one day! I have been crewing for three years now and have crewed in New Hampshire and Colorado." —Sydney Walsh
6. "I'm a medical courier for a medical cannabis company, and my base pay is $18, but we get tons of tips. It’s the best job I’ve ever had. Everyone I work with is amazing, and mental health is taken so seriously."
7. "I used to grow medical marijuana in Michigan. My husband and I started when it became legal and continued until early this year. We were caregivers to many sick and disabled patients over the years, and we were really proud to grow clean medicine that helped. Let me tell you in all seriousness: The work is backbreaking. Planting, watering, maintaining, harvesting, trimming, drying, packing, and delivering. The time involved is enormous. In over a decade, we took not one vacation or long weekend away from home. The worries about security are insane. Talk about paranoia!"
"And the cost to actually produce the product is crippling. Never had a monthly electric bill under $1,200, and that’s not even mentioning equipment and nutrients! More recently, recreational marijuana became legal, and that has killed most of the independent smaller grows. Quality has taken a nosedive! The work was rewarding, but when it started costing money to do what we loved, we had to quit." —Anonymous
8. "I operate a drill at a gold mine. I spend 12½ hours a day drilling holes in the ground to get blasted, then mined out. I make $110,000 a year with all the benefits, and they add to my retirement."
—Anonymous
9. "Certified executive chef here. While I certainly don’t regret my choice of profession, it has come with enormous consequences. Work-life balance does not exist for me. People think it is so glamorous and you get to spend all day being creative. This is very far from reality. Most people assume that by the time you reach my level, you are making great money, but my pay is about $95,000, and in a large metropolitan market, that doesn’t go far — and I am the highest-paid chef at my company."
"I also work about 70–80 hours a week. I have friends in the industry who make much less and some who make much more (though that’s rare unless you work with private country clubs), but the thing that is true of all of us is that we work insane hours. Moving up over the years from a line cook to being the one at the very top has not changed that reality. You don’t work less as you move up; if anything, you work more because you don’t make overtime anymore. There are no weekends and holidays for us. I try to discourage friends who have kids and want to get into this line of work from it, because although I love what I do, at least 90% of chefs I’ve worked with over my career burned out and moved into sales positions. It’s a brutal job." —Anonymous
10. "I’m a hairstylist. Generally, I think people view us as pretty cool and trendy, and we love our jobs. Seriously, it’s the greatest job ever. I work on commission, but I’m currently making around $50,000 a year, and that’s working alone. With an assistant, my income will increase and I still have room for promotions. Stylists at my salon make $80,000 to $100,000."
—Anonymous
11. "I’m a bartender at a local bar in a working-class town. I make between $80,000 and $85,000 a year. I loved it when I was younger, but now, after having a family, I’m desperately trying to find something making the same money where I don’t have to work nights. It’s impossible. Companies WILL NOT hire me because of my past work experience and having the 'bartender' status on my résumé. People think my job is 'so cool,' but in reality I’m basically your sober 'friend' who has to deal with annoying drunks six days a week."
"I still like my job because of the money, but I hate my hours. I’m currently saving every dollar I can to open my own business because after years and years of trying to get hired elsewhere, I’ve given up and decided to try to work for myself. I’ve gotten as far as buying a franchise and am currently in the middle of our construction phase. I’m just holding my breath that my loan amount will be enough to get me through the start-up/opening phase. It’s extremely scary, but I have to do something or I’ll be stuck working nights forever." —Anonymous
12. "I work as an admin for an indie comic publisher and make $16 an hour. Cool job. Less cool pay."
13. "I drove a bookmobile for 17 years. We mainly served schools. It was a lot of fun because the kids were always excited to visit. After doing it for quite a few years, I sometimes ran into teens and young adults around town who recognized me and had fond memories of the bookmobile. In my new job in a completely different city about 30 miles away, I've even encountered two people who remembered me from those days."
—Anonymous
14. "Paint-and-sip artist/instructor. It was a fun job doing what I love! I literally got paid to finger-paint and could drink on the job! The hourly pay is $25 for teaching a two- or three-hour class. However, all positions are part time. The pay is $12 an hour for prep and cleanup time, which is limited to one hour before and after class. Washing paintbrushes and cleaning up after people can be very time-consuming and hard to do in the one hour you are paid for. I had to break up a fight once, and a number of times I had to tell parents we were not babysitters when they tried to leave their children at the kids classes unattended. Most of the time, it's hosting parties and everyone's having a good time. It's worth it for a side job or temporary gig."
—Anonymous
15. "TV producer (for a local news station). Your hours are terrible (I worked overnights) and your pay is terrible (barely above minimum wage; the standard 'raise' was less than 1% each year, and we never, EVER got more — also no extra pay for working overnight). AND you have no control over what happens on 'your' show. You're the producer, but there are three layers of bosses above you who actually control what ends up on air. Oh, and the management treats you like expendable garbage. Worst four years of my working life. But everyone thought I was 'lucky' to have such a 'cool' job."
16. "Some people consider it cool, but my husband is a pilot, and no, they’re not as rich as everyone perceives. We have good friends who are flight attendants, and most say it’s definitely worth it and they love it. But it’s also extremely challenging to maintain a family life if you have partners or children, etc."
17. "Flight attendant here. You can make a livable wage, depending on who you work for and how much a month you work. It is not a job for everyone, though. I personally love it; it is what I was searching my whole life for. That being said, it’s tiring and unpredictable, and dealing with the general public can be draining. On the flip side, I get to see and do a lot of things that would be inaccessible to me if I had a regular 9-to-5 job."
—Anonymous
18. "Flight attendant, not worth it! Prepandemic, yes. Now, no. We’re not paid for the most stressful parts of our day, and then we also have the unnecessary drama that comes with those parts of the day. Flight delays, boarding, deplaning, just getting to and from the airport. It takes a toll on your mental and physical health. I’ve been here 10 years, and never thought I’d become the person who actually doesn’t like a 'cool' job."
—Anonymous
19. "Apprentice lighthouse keeper — it’s a really fun labor of love, but it’s only part time and the pay is nonexistent, so I have to have a boring full-time office job too. Biggest drawback is when older women start filming you during lighthouse tours without asking for your consent and demanding that you look at the camera. :|"
Do you have a "cool" job? If so, let us know in the comments what it pays and if it's as cool as people think.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.