People Who Make Over $10k A Month Explain What They Do For A Living

There are so many ways to make money.

But so many of us can't figure out the best options.

Too many jobs that bring in the big bucks are dangerous.

And most are unfulfilling.

However, a lot of people have found the way.

Redditor voxishortie wanted to hear about we can all make the big bucks, so they asked:

"For those earning over $10K per month, what do you do for a living to achieve that income?"

In the Oil

"Crane operator in the oilfield. Work 13 hours a day for 20 days then I’m off 10. I’ve gotten in the crane 2 times so far in the last 10 hours."

- Ancient_Amount3239

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Progress...

"I manage developers and engineers to make meetings where we talk about the same thing and don’t make any progress for years at a time."

- averym88

"People have no idea how much of IT is like this. I’m a sysadmin who often gets pulled into those sorts of meetings, and I can tell you from experience that design-by-committee, decision paralysis, and inertia have kept SO many projects in the meeting phase for months if not years."

"I’m also well over the $10k/mo mark. And a very tiny portion of that is paying me to actually do things. Most of it is paying me to know how to do things, and to know how to talk about doing things."

- progenyofeniac

The Climb

"Arborist. I earn a (pretty good) living using stihl chainsaws."

- Sea-Investigator-650

"The going rate for good contract climbers in my area (Sydney, Australia, a bit more technical than most tree work in the US) works out to about $122k USD per year if you are only taking two weeks off for holidays. Being an employee usually pays less, but you aren't chasing work."

- ChadMinshew

"I did 4 years of Aggie college when I was younger and have been working in the industry 16 years now. Certified that whole time. It’s really hard work but it’s very rewarding. We climb everything."

- Sea-Investigator-650

In the Sky

"Air traffic controller."

- h20house

"Learning to do the job is the hardest part. Once you’ve got it figured out it’s generally some variation of the same handful of patterns over and over, even though no two days are quite alike. Most days are pretty routine, weather days are where you truly earn your money. The schedule is the other kicker, it’s a 24/7/365 operation. I’ve worked every weekend since 2016 (unless I used vacation time). In 2023 we just told my kids it was Christmas on the 24th."

- Doctor-Melfi

Seize the Power

"I'm an operator at a nuclear power plant."

- HairHatsSuck

"Having been in the nuclear navy is a common way to become an operator in the nuclear power industry. I was not in the Navy. Having a degree with the correct amount of credits in math and science is another way in. After applying there are also a couple of tests that you need to pass. They seem to have a fairly low pass rate. It is a great career though if you can land the job."

- HairHatsSuck

Scrub Hard

"I make over 10K a month for 9 months out of the year. My wife and I own an exterior cleaning company. We do window cleaning, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing. In November we make over 20K."

- Alternative-Data9703

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Good Night

"Put people to sleep for surgery."

- Apollo2068

"This is what I'm looking to do. I'm a paramedic now, and the pay is hot garbage and the constant disrespect and mistreatment from admin has gotten old, so I'm in nursing school now."

"The problem is that I don't really want to be a nurse, so I'm hoping if I keep my grades up I can eventually get scholarships to help me take a shot at CRNA school in the future."

- Officer_Hotpants

"Hey, man thank you for doing a really crucial and interesting job. I just had my first major surgery this year and the biggest thing I worried about was anesthesia being right. Of course, it turned out fine and I was just being a worry wart. Y'all are incredible!"

- Loud_lady2

Pulling it Out

"Emergency medicine PA. I do a lot of suturing and pull a lot of things out of people's butts because everyone slipped while naked getting out of the shower."

- golemsheppard2

"My old roommate actually slipped in the bathroom and got something stuck in his butt. His butt cheek specifically."

"I heard a bang and a scream and a lot of yelling. I run to the door to check on him. He tells me he needs help. He comes out with a towel covering his junk and his electric toothbrush sticking out of his a** cheek."

"He said he was naked and about to brush his teeth after the shower and the floor was wet and he slipped and in the motion to try and catch himself his toothbrush ended up under him still in his hand and he landed on it."

"The ER doctor who saw him said it was the first time he believed anyone who said they slipped and fell on something."

- iamacannibal

Follow the $$

"I write automated models to catch money laundering for large banks."

- thechangboy

"Yes and no, we generate millions of alerts each month, most of them are deemed false by machine learning models and a few thousand then go to human investigators. Beyond that, I don't have visibility. But if the human investigators find something they would freeze the accounts and contact the regulators and file STRs depending on the jurisdiction of the activities."

- thechangboy

On Call

"Private chef. Lots of pto. 12 hour days aren't abnormal. Neither are 3-day work weeks. I'm around when they're in town. When they travel, my services aren't necessarily required. There's a healthy balance in that regard."

"It is not emotionally rewarding for me. I now serve the 1%. I wanted to serve the masses and not a master. The paycheck is good, and I am treated well. Private chef work is a COVID lockdown derivative for me. Restaurant cheffing was my passion. But this is steady and feeds my kids."

"This is the second principal I have worked for. He has never once asked what is for dinner or contributed to a menu. In that respect, things are great. I'm able to cook what strikes my fancy as long as it is under the auspices of what he enjoys. The previous family I worked for micromanaged my day and had annoying dietary issues. That experience left me professionally unfulfilled and spiritually kinda down."

"The most difficult aspect of my job is tempering my own ambitions while working for and serving very successful people. Like, these people have achieved enormous success, and I'm just serving them a meal. This can feel defeating."

- theOffsOn

3 out of 10

"Film industry. (Camera Department)."

"No life while working, then hustling to get the next job between gigs."

"You have no clue when the next gig will come so you have to budget like you might not work again in a year."

"3/10 don't recommend."

- Galaxyhiker42

camera GIF by The NGBGiphy

It's all Business

"Contrary to what YouTube tells you... sometimes you take a large pay cut when you start your own business. I was earning well over $10k a month at my corporate job before quitting to start a business. Took several years to get back there and beyond."

"Just a suggestion, but YouTube (and TikTok) is not a great source for entrepreneurial thought."

- velcookie

"For me when I quit full-time work to freelance, my first year I was working much less but earned almost exactly the same annual rate. The second year I doubled it. Two years later it got to triple. Then I burnt out. :)"

- ptolani

Off Weekends

"Massage Therapist. 250.00 per client. 3 every Monday-Friday. Off weekends. Not including tips btw. Learn how to market yourself well and it flows smoothly. Love it so much. Only work for 3 hours and I'm done for the day :). You HAVE to have charisma and a decent well look btw."

"Ex-nurse here- - really wish I would have gone the route for LMT sooner, never looked back at nursing since then. The best part is the connections you make. Your clients will consist of possible doctors, lawyers, PR agents, etc. Good word goes around for you and you made it. Yes, your hands will be tired, but it’s worth it."

That’s probably the major Con. At least for me. Go where the money is. I live 10 minutes away from Woodlands Texas where the clients pay the big bucks. They won't bat an eye and hand it like pocket change."

- HeyRalphy

20 Years

"Worked in the same place for 20 years, starting at age 20 and slowly climbing my way from the guy emptying the trucks (shipping dept) to senior leadership. I got two degrees along the way but honestly, sticking with the job for a long while, treating people with honesty and respect, building relationships, and just generally never being an a-hole to anyone did more for my career than my 2 degrees."

- orcvader

The End

"Financial adviser specializing in retirement planning - has its ups and downs but a lot of my job is helping people realize their dream retirements so it’s very rewarding

- big-bluehouse

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I don't feel like I've discovered the answer for me.

But if anyone else has, more power to you.

I've thought about massage therapy, but only as a client.

I can't touch random strangers for a living.

I wish I could private chef, but I burn water.

And don't get me started on the film industry.

I guess it's back to the drawing board.