While some of us are piling student loans on top of each other, there are job opportunities out there that pay a handsome salary, with little or no educational requirements. These jobs may not sound glamorous at first, but gives a paycheck that is more than what an average educated person earns. Sound too good to be true? Well, here are few such unexpectedly well-paid jobs from around the world.

1 Full-time stagehands, the people responsible for moving and setting up equipment, at Carnegie Hall earn over $400,000 a year.

In 2013, an opening-night gala at Carnegie Hall had to be canceled as the stagehands were on strike. The stagehands are one of the most valuable and highly paid employees in Carnegie Hall. Their average salary is more than $400,000, which is actually more than what the top executives earn! This might sound unreal, but the tax filings by Carnegie Hall verify this.

Carnegie Hall employs five stagehands. Their job involves moving music equipment from outside the building to inside, arranging the stage for performances, and managing audio-visual equipment. They have to work long hours, sometimes 60 hours a week and even during the weekends in case of performances. The lead stagehand, Dennis O’Connell, drew a salary of $464,632 in 2011. The lowest salary for a stagehand was $280,961 which is also higher when compared to other, similar professions. (source)

2 A butler, trained at one of the specialized butlering schools, can expect to earn a starting salary of $50,000-60,000 per year upon graduation.

A butler is a domestic employee who works in a large estate or household. In large houses, the butler is in charge of the dining area, along with the pantry and the wine cellar. Some manage entire floors and also manage housekeepers who manages the appearance of the estate. In recent times, movies and TV shows have popularized the concept of butlering. Although we mostly associated butlers with the British and the royal families, it was actually the French who invented the concept and the Americans who invented the modern butler. Rich families, who possess large estates, have butlers who manage their entire household. Some butlers earn as much as $120,000 in such households along with benefits such as free room and board, a car, a phone, and even paid vacation time.

Butlers who have graduated from professional butler schools start their career at about $50,000 a year. This pay rises with experience, with some experienced butlers earning as high as $150,000, plus benefits. As of June 2019, the average pay for a butler in the United States is $68,652 per year, with 75% of them earning $83,000 on an average. (1, 2)

3 Some waterboys in the NFL make $53,000 in salary. In comparison, NBA pays its waterboys $50 to $100 dollars per game.

A job as a waterboy is easy to get as it does not require any specific degree. But having a high school education or a previous athletic exposure is a good-to-have quality. Although the NFL never releases the salary information of its waterboys, it is known that they make around $53,000 per year. Plus, they always get benefits as they are considered a part of the team. NBA waterboys, on the other hand, earn between $50 and $100 per game.

This job might seem glamorous as it lets you be close to star players and watch the game from the front seats, but most waterboys are either hired interns or work for free. (source)

4 Professional cuddlers are people who cuddle other people and get paid around $80 per hour. Sessions sometimes last for more than three hours, which amounts to more than $200 per sitting.

This is a hard-to-believe career, but surprisingly, it exists. Samantha Hess, founder of Cuddle Up to Me, started her cuddle business to change the world, one hug at a time. At first, even she was not sure if people would be able to grasp the concept. But once a local newspaper did a story on her company, she received more than 10,000 emails and was booked for the next two months – just within seven days.

Cuddle Me Up offers around 70 different cuddling positions with humorous names such as Gummy Worm or Mama Bear. Sessions start at $80 per hour and sometimes continue for 90 minutes to three hours.

Although this job has many disadvantages as many people try to take advantage in a negative way, it still is a good pay that only requires a heart that wants to give back to the community and make people feel good. This is because the majority of the clients are people who are lonely, have suffered emotional distress, and just need a hug. (1, 2)

5 Mascots for major league sports teams earn an annual salary, with experienced NBA mascots earning more than $100,000 a year, plus benefits.

Although a proper degree is not required to be a mascot, some amount of training in cheerleading and mascot schools proves beneficial. Mascots are the symbols of a team. Part-time mascots who are part of minor league teams earn between $25 and $100 per game. On the other hand, full-time mascots earn between $22,000 and $65,000 a year, depending on whether they are part of minor or major leagues.

Dave Raymond, who for 16 years was Phillie Phanatic, the mascot for Philadelphia Phillies, says that experienced NBA mascots have been known to make more than $100,000 per year. Plus, they are considered part of the crew and team which means they get amazing benefits such as season tickets, merchandise, etc.

The Denver Nuggets’ mascot earns $625,000 per year, making him the highest-paid mascot in the business. Of course, to reach such a level, the mascot needs to work hard and develop his skillsets. They would have to improve techniques and gather new skills at every opportunity. (1, 2)