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11 Odd Jobs with High Salaries

These Under-the-Radar Jobs Have Surprising Salaries

10. Sommelier

SOMMELIER
Annual median salary: $50,868

Lots of people whine about their jobs, but only a select few make their careers all about wine.

A sommelier, or wine steward, usually works at an upscale restaurant and is in charge of everything related to the business’ wine collection. Customers who have questions or need recommendations ask the sommelier, and he/she picks out precisely the right wine pairing to go with their meal. But in addition to the public-facing part of a sommelier’s job, he/she may also travel to vineyards to identify wine, buy wine from distributors, monitor the condition of the wine cellar, and work with restaurant chefs to prepare appetizing food and drink pairings.

Although a college degree is not always a prerequisite, most sommeliers have many years of experience and some will complete training and certification programs. Either way, there’s a lot more to becoming a successful sommelier than watching Sideways over and over again.

We know wine isn't for everyone, so get a taste of these related food industry jobs.

 

  • Aaron Gouveia

    Aaron Gouveia has worked as the Content Manager of Salary.com since 2011. Prior to that, he was an award-winning journalist at several prominent New England newspapers. Read more...