Special Report

Weirdest Job in Every State

YakobchukOlena / iStock

Most people need to work for a living, but that doesn’t mean they have to take conventional jobs.

The United States economy has a highly diverse set of industries and niche interests. And where there are unusual needs, unusual job openings are available requesting specific skills that only a tiny fraction of Americans possess.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed job listing sites, online databases, and occupation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the weirdest job or job opening in every state.

In a few states, the strangest job titles are not surprising, but they are extremely rare and concentrated in the state as a result of the presence of a specific industry. For example, Kentucky has a high demand for mine shuttle car operators thanks to its large coal mining industry. In Nevada, due in large part to the casinos in Las Vegas, gaming service workers are 42 times more common than they are across the United States workforce as a whole.

Click here to see the weirdest job in every state.

Some of the other jobs on this list only have become unusual in recent history. For example, before the age of automation and outsourcing, telephone operators were much more common in the United States; today, they are quite rare, but a relatively high concentration of them exists in a few states.

In most cases, the typical American will likely have never heard of these jobs, and will be shocked that they exist. Titles like duck master, gum buster, and face feeler seem made up, but they are very much real. For those looking to eschew a traditional career, there might be openings for unconventional work in your state right now.

RichLegg / Getty Images

1. Alabama
> Weirdest job: Bounty hunter

[in-text-ad]

kjerulff / Getty Images

2. Alaska
> Weirdest job: Commercial diver

sfe-co2 / iStock

3. Arizona
> Weirdest job: Bingo manager

alexkich / iStock

4. Arkansas
> Weirdest job: Log grader

[in-text-ad-2]

Chuckee / iStock

5. California
> Weirdest job: Dog surfing instructor

Astarot / iStock

6. Colorado
> Weirdest job: ​Hangover helpers party cleaner

[in-text-ad]

Wavebreakmedia / Getty Images

7. Connecticut
> Weirdest job: Telephone operator

shironosov / Getty Images

8. Delaware
> Weirdest job: Materials scientist

JovanaMilanko / iStock

9. Florida
> Weirdest job: Scuba diving pizza delivery man

[in-text-ad-2]

branex / iStock

10. Georgia
> Weirdest job: Chicken sexer

Reetah / iStock

11. Hawaii
> Weirdest job: Golf ball diver

[in-text-ad]

NolanBerg11 / Getty Images

12. Idaho
> Weirdest job: Agricultural engineer

gorodenkoff / iStock

13. Illinois
> Weirdest job: Flavorist

RyanFletcher / iStock

14. Indiana
> Weirdest job: Airplane repo-man

[in-text-ad-2]

LL28 / Getty Images

15. Iowa
> Weirdest job: Wind turbine service technician

chris-mueller / iStock

16. Kansas
> Weirdest job: Dog food taster

[in-text-ad]

chingkai huang / iStock

17. Kentucky
> Weirdest job: Mine shuttle car operator

iStock / SeanPavonePhoto

18. Louisiana
> Weirdest job: Bridge and lock tender

panpote / iStock

19. Maine
> Weirdest job: Shoe machine operator

[in-text-ad-2]

Prathaan / iStock

20. Maryland
> Weirdest job: Crime scene cleaner

KatarzynaBialasiewicz / istock

21. Massachusetts
> Weirdest job: Industrial-organizational psychologist

[in-text-ad]

m-gucci / iStock

22. Michigan
> Weirdest job: Furniture tester

YakobchukOlena / iStock

23. Minnesota
> Weirdest job: Professional sleeper

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

24. Mississippi
> Weirdest job: Forest fire inspector/prevention specialist

[in-text-ad-2]

MonikaBatich / iStock

25. Missouri
> Weirdest job: Dice quality inspector

CUTWORLD / Getty Images

26. Montana
> Weirdest job: Explosives worker

[in-text-ad]

IgorSPb / iStock

27. Nebraska
> Weirdest job: Dredge operator

Erik Snyder / Getty Images

28. Nevada
> Weirdest job: Gaming service worker

Courtesy of Art from Ashes

29. New Hampshire
> Weirdest job: Ash artist

[in-text-ad-2]

suerob / iStock

30. New Jersey
> Weirdest job: Gum buster

ofia Zhuravets / iStock

31. New Mexico
> Weirdest job: Ayurveda healer

[in-text-ad]

Ivan Elizondo / iStock

32. New York
> Weirdest job: Fortune cookie writer

jacoblund / iStock

33. North Carolina
> Weirdest job: Face feeler

curraheeshutter / Getty Images

34. North Dakota
> Weirdest job: Gas compressor operator

[in-text-ad-2]

SIphotography / iStock

35. Ohio
> Weirdest job: Odor judge

Travini / Getty Images

36. Oklahoma
> Weirdest job: Rock splitter

[in-text-ad]

nd3000 / iStock

37. Oregon
> Weirdest job: Professional snuggler

kumeda / iStock

38. Pennsylvania
> Weirdest job: Chocolate taster

AlexKazachok2 / iStock

39. Rhode Island
> Weirdest job: Etchers and engraver

[in-text-ad-2]

rootstocks / Getty Images

40. South Carolina
> Weirdest job: Nuclear power reactor operator

djedzura / Getty Images

41. South Dakota
> Weirdest job: Correspondence clerk

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of The Peabody Memphis

42. Tennessee
> Weirdest job: Duck master

MadKruben / iStock

43. Texas
> Weirdest job: Marketing unicorn

glebchik / Getty Images

44. Utah
> Weirdest job: Historian

[in-text-ad-2]

zstockphotos / Getty Images

45. Vermont
> Weirdest job: Solar photovoltaic installer

jacoblund / iStock

46. Virginia
> Weirdest job: Beer taster

[in-text-ad]

Rawpixel / iStock

47. Washington
> Weirdest job: Horticultural therapist

tenmay / Getty Images

48. West Virginia
> Weirdest job: Mining roof bolter

mactrunk / Getty Images

49. Wisconsin
> Weirdest job: Floor sander

[in-text-ad-2]

nathan4847 / iStock

50. Wyoming
> Weirdest job: Roof-snow clearer

Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)

Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Get started right here.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.