5 unique summer jobs with great pay
What better way to save up for college than by scoring a great-paying summer job?
Yahoo Finance has rounded up a list of some of the best paying — and most unique — summer gigs around.
Check them out:
Theme park ride operator: Do you love the thrill of amusement park rides? Imagine getting paid to work with them all day as a ride operator. Job duties may include controlling equipment that starts and stops the ride, keeping patrons in compliance with safety rules, and ensuring everyone is buckled in safely. Occasionally, you might have to comfort folks who suffer from “coasterphobia." For the sensitive times, it’s probably not a wise idea to share this fun fact: Kingda Ka in Jackson, N.J. is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, clocking in at 456 ft. high and getting up to speeds of 128 mph. The average wage is $9.08 an hour.
Cruise ship photographer: If you’re handy with a camera and don’t get seasick easily, why not get a job as a cruise ship photographer? More than 400 cruise ships set sail each year around the globe, carrying 21.7 million passengers. Over the course of a year, Carnival Cruise photographers snapped more than 1.5 million photos. The average hourly wage for photographers is $13.70, with a monthly salary range of $1,800 to $2,100. Depending on the cruise liner, you may need professional photography experience or an associate’s degree.
Golf caddie: You’d be surprised how much you can get paid to carry around a bunch of golf clubs all day. Golf caddies can get up to $50 to $100 per bag for roughly 4.5 hours of work. Over the course of the month, that can add up to an average monthly wage of $3,436. That’s good money, but it doesn’t compare to the highest paid caddie Steve Williams, who earns $1.27 million. You’ll also be joining the ranks of some pretty famous former caddies, including Bill Clinton and Bill Murray.
Lifeguard: Thanks to shows like Baywatch, lifeguard duty has become synonymous with sex appeal. But there’s a lot more that goes into this job than basking in the sun. U.S. lifeguards rescue more than 100,000 people from drowning annually. Once you complete training, which includes learning CPR, you’ll have a two-year certificate. The average wage is $9.18, and you’ll be joining a list of former famous lifeguards like Clint Eastwood, Jake Gyllenhaal and Vince Vaughn.
Ice cream truck vendor: Americans really do scream for ice cream, which has morphed into a $10 billion industry. Of all U.S. cities, Long Beach, Calif. is the top ice cream–consuming city. Ice cream vendors not only have flexible hours, they make a great wage, averaging $12.18 an hour. You can even pick your own route, but be careful — it can get crowded during busy summer months and you might find yourself with lots of competition.
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