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

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2. Alaska
> Weirdest job: Commercial diver

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3. Arizona
> Weirdest job: Bingo manager

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4. Arkansas
> Weirdest job: Log grader

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5. California
> Weirdest job: Dog surfing instructor

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

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7. Connecticut
> Weirdest job: Telephone operator

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8. Delaware
> Weirdest job: Materials scientist

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

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10. Georgia
> Weirdest job: Chicken sexer

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11. Hawaii
> Weirdest job: Golf ball diver

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12. Idaho
> Weirdest job: Agricultural engineer

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13. Illinois
> Weirdest job: Flavorist

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14. Indiana
> Weirdest job: Airplane repo-man

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15. Iowa
> Weirdest job: Wind turbine service technician

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16. Kansas
> Weirdest job: Dog food taster

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17. Kentucky
> Weirdest job: Mine shuttle car operator

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18. Louisiana
> Weirdest job: Bridge and lock tender

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19. Maine
> Weirdest job: Shoe machine operator

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20. Maryland
> Weirdest job: Crime scene cleaner

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21. Massachusetts
> Weirdest job: Industrial-organizational psychologist

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22. Michigan
> Weirdest job: Furniture tester

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23. Minnesota
> Weirdest job: Professional sleeper

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

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25. Missouri
> Weirdest job: Dice quality inspector

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26. Montana
> Weirdest job: Explosives worker

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27. Nebraska
> Weirdest job: Dredge operator

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28. Nevada
> Weirdest job: Gaming service worker

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29. New Hampshire
> Weirdest job: Ash artist

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30. New Jersey
> Weirdest job: Gum buster

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31. New Mexico
> Weirdest job: Ayurveda healer

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32. New York
> Weirdest job: Fortune cookie writer

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33. North Carolina
> Weirdest job: Face feeler

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34. North Dakota
> Weirdest job: Gas compressor operator

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35. Ohio
> Weirdest job: Odor judge

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36. Oklahoma
> Weirdest job: Rock splitter

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37. Oregon
> Weirdest job: Professional snuggler

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38. Pennsylvania
> Weirdest job: Chocolate taster

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39. Rhode Island
> Weirdest job: Etchers and engraver

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

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41. South Dakota
> Weirdest job: Correspondence clerk

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42. Tennessee
> Weirdest job: Duck master

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43. Texas
> Weirdest job: Marketing unicorn

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44. Utah
> Weirdest job: Historian

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45. Vermont
> Weirdest job: Solar photovoltaic installer

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46. Virginia
> Weirdest job: Beer taster

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47. Washington
> Weirdest job: Horticultural therapist

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48. West Virginia
> Weirdest job: Mining roof bolter

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49. Wisconsin
> Weirdest job: Floor sander

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50. Wyoming
> Weirdest job: Roof-snow clearer

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