We live in a complicated, tough economy where everyday, we tend to lose more money than we actually make. Anyone who knows what that feels like knows what true desperation feels like as well. The kind of desperation that a truly down on their luck lad or lass will stoop to strange lows to succeed in the job market. Sometimes, the job market calls for someone to partake in some bizarre occupations and with the economy being as bad as it is now, that person will take that job in a heartbeat. There are more jobs out there which fit that sort of offbeat subscription than you may think.

There are plenty of odd jobs out there. Jobs that would shock you to even imagine people get paid to do. Sometimes, the oddest of odd jobs pay more than regular jobs. Because most people who hold some of the most prestigious job titles (i.e. real estate agents, scientists, firefighters, etc) do not want to do the strange activities that are usually entailed with these bizarre jobs. Those brave enough to commit to doing all of that weird stuff tend to get paid huge amounts of money. The 15 jobs on this list are examples of jobs that are not only surprisingly actual things which people get paid for, but jobs that pay extremely well.

14. Bed Tester

We all hate having to get out of bed (especially on a Monday) for another long, gratuitous day at work. Imagine having a job where you get out of bed everyday just to get back into bed. This is the life that professional bed testers live. A bed tester is usually expected to test out and break in about 25,000 beds a year at 8-10 hours a day for a company. Their job is to take note of how comfortable the sheets are, make sure the springs aren’t too springy, how easily it is to fall asleep on the bed, and other things of that nature. After providing their overall experience and review of the bed to the company, the person is paid handsomely with a $53,000 salary.

13. Gumologist

We all love indulging in a wee bit of gum every now and again. Chewing on a minty flavored wad of confectionery polymer goodness not only can help keep us awake and helps us think clearer whilst keeping our breath fresh, it’s also outright delicious. For anyone who absolutely loves gum, this is the ideal job. In addition to being able to tolerate a sore jaw, a gumologist is expected to spend their entire day chewing gum in order to make sure that certain flavors actually taste like they should (i.e. making sure cherry flavored gum actually tastes like cherry and not strawberry), as well as distinguish between other flavors and gum brands. The job title offers a salary that rests in between $74,000 and $107,000.

12. Dog Food Tester

Any of us who have owned a dog before have most likely taken a nibble out of their pet’s doggie biscuit just to see what it tastes like. We’ve all done it and, naturally, because we’re not dogs, we all end up hating the taste of it. Dog food is not made for human beings to enjoy and it would be a miserable experience for any of us to be forced to eat it on a daily basis. Unless you were being paid a sum of $40,000 a year to muster the horrid taste. Now, to the average ear, the idea of a human being even having to try out dog food is a strange concept to digest. Humans are going to hate the taste anyway. Why not just have dogs taste it? The problem there is that dogs don’t take and can’t give feedback. Humans can at least verbally review how much they hate the taste of dog food and get paid well for it.

11. Line Sitter

Nobody likes waiting in line for anything. Not for movies, not for getting our driver’s or state licenses at the DMV, and not even to get a job. Lines suck, but they don’t suck as bad if you’re getting paid for it. Officially, the job titles may read as a line upper or professional queuer, but at the end of the day, people with these jobs get paid to hold someone else’s spot for them until they come back. Anyone who doesn’t want to wait in line for 9 hours can pay these guys and come back 8 1/2 hours later. Some workers earn $14 an hour. New York’s own Robert Samuel actually made a business out of it called SOLD Inc. (Same Ole Line Dudes).

10. Bed Warmer

Unlike the job of a bed tester, the bed warmer’s job is not to analyze how comfortable the bed is or how springy it is. While the bed testing job is at least a somewhat necessary one to have for a company that sells beds, the job of being a bed warmer is just a rich lazy person’s wet dream when they have too much money on their hands. A bed warmer literally lays in another person’s bed for an extended period of time and warms it up for them. Sitting nice and tight so the person is comfortable when they get in. As strange and rather pointless as a job like this may sound, someone with this profession actually makes in between $69,000 and $120,000 annually.

9. Rent a Boyfriend

Relationships are hard work. Not just hard work, but expensive work. If relationships could be enjoyable without the pressure (or the burnt pockets) that come with having a partner, relationships would not be so stressful. If you too want the perks of having a boyfriend but do not want to deal with their expenses for too long, then you can easily rent a boyfriend! That is if you live in Japan, at least. Granted, you’d most likely be paying even more money just to rent a boyfriend for a short amount of time, but if you’re on the other end of the rental, you are being paid extremely well. Potential boyfriend material guys who work under the “Boyfriend Rental” (レンタル彼氏 or Rentaru Kareshi) banner get paid hundreds of dollars per date just to conduct mundane activities for a lucky girl.

8. Paper Towel Sniffer

When you are not wiping away a stain or blowing your nose into it, do you take the time to sniff the paper towel? No? Well, now may be a good time to start because there is actually a job for that. Of course, a keen sense of smell is more than necessary for the job. People in this unique job field need to make sure that the paper towels that are being planned to be sold do not omit any poor odors. Because, of course, stinky paper towels normally do not sell well on the market. This may sound like a mundane or boring job to have, but one thing that is not boring is the pay rate: $1,000 a week. Paper towels may not smell great, but money sure does.

7. Potato Chip Inspector

When we start talking about potato chip inspectors, we are not talking about potato chip testers. That is a completely different job altogether, and one that probably makes a lot more sense from an earshot perspective. After all, somebody has to taste the chips to make sure that the chips taste good. A chip inspector, on the other hand, literally inspects the chips they are given. They examine the rigidness of the chip, the texture of the chip, how it looks, how it feels, makes sure the chip is of pitch perfect size and shape, etc. We know, it all sounds rather mundane and a little pointless. However, potato chip inspectors would beg to differ, as all of these aspects of their job help them earn $12 an hour and $20,000-$56,000 annually.

6. Living Mannequin

Remember earlier when we mentioned just how tough and out of whack today’s economy is? Well, apparently, it looks like today’s economy is so rough that shopping malls have started using real people to market their clothes instead of buying and using actual mannequins. People who take up this job are expected to stand on a table perfectly still for several hours just like an actual mannequin. The job is just as demanding as one would expect it to be, if not more, and with that in mind, real living mannequins are paid lavishly for their hard work and dedication. Just for being a human statue, living mannequins are paid $100 an hour. This is one of those rare jobs where sitting (or standing) around doing nothing can actually pay off in life.

5. Be a Bridesmaid

Remember that movie called The Wedding Ringer, where Josh Gad did not have any friends, and so he hired Kevin Hart to be the best man for his wedding from a company that hires groomsmen in need of a best man? That is basically (well, exactly) what Bridesmaids for Hire is about. Except, you know, for bridesmaids. Bridesmaids for Hire is a United Kingdom based company which provides wives who find themselves a little short on girl power at their wedding with bridesmaids willing to do any possible services that come with being a bridesmaids/gal pal for a day. The business was founded in 2014 and has been going strong ever since. Potential bridesmaids can earn up to $2,000 a day for their services.

4. Wedding Guest

Just like how there is money to be made from being a bridesmaid at a wedding, there is money to be made from being a guest at a wedding. Presentation is always important at a wedding. Every bride and groom wants their ceremony to be showered by dozens and dozens of their loved ones surrounding them. If the bride and groom only have a dozen friends and family to combine together, the wedding is going to look a little dull. To avoid looking like two lame losers with no friends and estranged family members, a bride and groom living in Japan can rent some guests for the day to make their ceremony look as packed as possible. The Tokyo based company is called Office Agents and the pay is $20,000 yen.

3. Professional Mourning

The only thing worst than virtually no one showing up to your wedding is having no one show up to your funeral. Even in the afterlife, that has to be embarrassing for a lifetime’s worth of living to attribute to a small handful of guests willing to see you at your final resting place. If a family of the befallen…let’s say uncle…realize that Uncle Paps is significantly lacking in the friend department and do not want the presentation of the funeral to look any sadder than it already is, then the family can opt to buy a few guests to fill up those empty seats. The job title is officially dubbed as a professional mourner and there’s even an official company that specializes in such dealings called Rent a Mourner.

2. Cuddling

Everybody could use a good cuddle buddy. Whether such a buddy comes in the form of a lover, a best friend, a stuffed animal, or just a soft and cuddly human being willing to grip you tight, cuddling is actually greatly therapeutic for the mind, believe it or not. So therapeutic that there is an entire profession for it. As one professional New York City cuddler, Kan Seidel (who prefers the phrase “alternative touch” to describe his profession) explains, he indulges in at least one cuddle a week through cuddlist.com and he charges about $80 per hour for each session. With him and his client surrounded by plants and an air purifier, him and his client may hug, spoon, and rub against each other for a number of hours to ease their mind.

1. Dry Humping

This is Niko and he gets paid to dry hump on people. Officially, this man’s job title is that of an “Alternative Love Therapist,” but looking at his credentials and exactly what his job calls for him to do, he is just a bonafide dry humper. Niko deals with clients who may be lonely or hoping to recapture a time in their lives when sex was not as mandatory. Taking part in the act of sexual stimulation without any actual penetration actually improves one’s mental state by decreasing stress levels, increasing serotonin, decreasing cancer rates, and providing a generally healthy lifestyle. The man never mentioned how much money he gets paid, but he seems generally concerned that what he does is helping the mental health of the clients who he encounters daily.

Sources: huffingtonpost.com, kotaku.com, telegraph.co.uk