These wacky jobs may not be for everyone, but someone's got to do them!

Distasteful, nauseating, pungent, dangerous, and deadly are only a few of the adjectives used to describe these five strangest jobs. These positions represent some of the wackiest careers on the market, and you probably didn't even know they existed. So next time the cheap coffee in the break room gets you down, remember these five jobs and think “Hey, it could definitely be worse.”

Pet Food Taster

While it's true that dogs may eat anything, it's important that they get food that is both delicious and nutritious. After all, even pets have refined taste buds. That's where pet food tasters come into play. Tasters come up with ideas for the smell, feel, consistency, ingredients, nutrients, and all the other elements that go into making a pet food product fit for a king. There's one catch, though. Naturally no pet lover will trust their four-legged friend's stomach to theoretical recipes. Tasters must, well obviously, taste the food.

Job Stats:

  • Income: $34,000 - $117,000

  • Education: Bachelor to Doctorate

  • Job Notes: Pet food tasters must be able to think outside the box to take pets' taste buds into consideration.

Maggot Farmer

As disgusting as it may sound, maggot farming is a lucrative career and the competition is fierce. Businesses catering to fly-fishermen and greenhouse workers pay big bucks for those little critters, and maggot farmers are all too happy to play nursemaid for a few hours each day. Farmers harvest the tiny larvae from fly eggs. It's really not as dirty as you would think, though. Those “farms” are actually multimillion dollar laboratories with incubation rooms and special ventilation systems to keep workers from breathing dangerous chemicals and byproducts.

Job Stats:

  • Income: $35,000+

  • Education: None

  • Job Notes: Maggot farmers work in high-tech laboratories, harvesting larvae from fly eggs.

Snake Milker

This career gives new meaning to “Got milk?” Snake milking is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and for good reason. Milkers don't gather actual milk from these slithering animals; they extract deadly venom from the mouths of some of the most poisonous snakes in the world. No, these professionals aren't just daredevils looking for adventure. Snake venom is a crucial ingredient for its counterpart, antivenom, which doctors use as a kind of antidote to rescue the lives of snakebite victims. Patients would die without the help of snake milkers. Using tools and techniques not too pleasant for the snake in question, they hold the snake's mouth open, shock it with electrodes, retract the fangs, and place vials to collect the venom.

Job Stats:

  • Income: $40,000+

  • Education: None to Doctorate

  • Job Notes: Most snake milkers are zoologists who work for national zoos and animal conservation agencies.

Related: What to Do When Your New Job Isn't Your Dream Job

Chicken Sexer

Some may wonder if this profession is fact or fiction. Surprise, chicken sexers do exist. However, the job isn't as simple as lifting a chicken's leg and declaring “It's a boy!” A chicken's sex is rather mysterious at first — there are no external glands or identifiers to mark and chicks, of course, are too young to lay eggs. To solve this problem, farmers hire trained experts to determine whether chickens are female or male. Those experts have two simple methods to make their decision, but those techniques come with a price. One requires plucking feathers to determine gender, an unpleasant ordeal for the chick. The other, less preferable method requires the chicken sexer to check the bird's feces for identifiers. Pet food tasting is starting to sound a lot better, right?

Job Stats:

  • Income: $20,000+

  • Education: None to Certification Class

  • Job Notes: Chicken sexers look at feathers and poop to determine the chick's gender.

Armpit Sniffer

Another “I can't believe that's a real job!” profession is the infamous armpit sniffer. Though, if you really think about it, the thought of this one is pretty logical — deodorant companies must determine if their products work. After all, if Degree claims its famous stick lasts all day, they must be able to back it up. We declare this one of the strangest jobs because armpit sniffers are required to stick their noses in other people's business. Those who shun computers and think technology is taking away “real people” jobs will rest easier because no computer will ever outperform a human in this job.

Job Stats:

  • Income: $35,000+

  • Education: Chemistry Degree

  • Job Notes: Armpit sniffers use science and a nosey sense of tools to determine the effectiveness of deodorant and other cosmetic products.

If any of these unconventional professions pique your interest, it's best to prepare for your career by researching the industry. Start by visiting the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics website. Information about stress level, dangers, and other factors that may have you running the other way are included with the list of benefits. Librarians and career centers also have specialized resources designed to help you train for your new career.

Applying for a strange job? Make sure your resume is up to par with a free resume critique.

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