With Halloween just around the corner, Ambitions Personnel looked to discover the most well-paid scariest jobs. When thinking about the scariest jobs, many people may jump straight to a grave digger, taxidermist or crime scene cleaner, to name a few, but do they score in terms of salary? Here are the rankings…
10. CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR
Crime scene investigators find and record evidence from crime scenes.
Day-to-day duties: attending a variety of crime and incident scenes, preserving and protecting crime scenes, gathering fingerprints and evidence, taking photos, keeping records of the scenes and giving evidence in court.
Starting salary: £16k
Experienced salary: £37k
9. ROUSTABOUTS
Roustabouts primarily work on oil and gas rigs, looking after equipment, unloading supplies and helping the drilling team with tasks.
Day-to-day duties: cleaning and looking after the drilling deck and equipment, checking pipes for leaks, helping technicians repair pumps and drills and operating lifting gear.
Starting salary: £19k
Experienced salary: £35k
8. EMBALMER
Embalmers are responsible for preserving and preparing bodies for burial or cremation.
Day-to-day duties: washing and disinfecting bodies and restoring the appearance of bodies after injury, removing fluids and gases from the body and replacing them with preservatives, washing and styling hair, applying makeup, working with funeral directors to make sure the family’s wishes are met and keeping the mortuary clean.
Starting salary: £21k
Experienced salary: £35k
7. FORENSIC SCIENTIST
Forensic scientists provide and prepare scientific evidence for use in courts.
Day-to-day duties: performing DNA profiling, analysing fluid and tissue samples, examining splash patterns and handwriting and recovering data from computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment.
Starting salary: £18k
Experienced salary: £45k
6. PRISON OFFICER
Prison officers supervise prisoners or people in remand centres and young offenders’ institutions.
Day-to-day duties: keeping prisoners secure, supporting vulnerable prisoners, carrying out security checks and searches, preparing prisoners for release through rehabilitation and writing reports.
Starting salary: £30,702k
Experienced salary: £38k
5. FISHING VESSEL SKIPPER
Fishing vessel skippers oversee the crews on board sea-going fishing boats, such as inshore, limited-area, and unlimited-area vessels.
Day-to-day duties: planning fishing voyages, operating and maintaining equipment and navigating the vessel.
Starting salary: £20k
Experienced salary: £60k
4. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST
Forensic psychologists study criminal behaviour and help those who have committed a crime.
Day-to-day duties: helping police identify possible suspects, providing psychological therapy to help people overcome their problems, carrying out research, preparing risk assessments and offering advice to parole boards, mental health tribunals and courts.
Starting salary: £27k
Experienced salary: £54k
3. NUCLEAR ENGINEER
Nuclear engineers are responsible for designing, building or running nuclear power stations safely.
Day-to-day duties: designing and building new plants and equipment, monitoring and measuring radiance levels, making sure the plant structure reaches legal requirements, being responsible for security and safety, and planning safe methods of nuclear waste disposal.
Starting salary: £25k
Experienced salary: 58k
2. TAROT READER
Tarot readers use tarot cards to purportedly gain insight into the past, present or future.
Day-to-day duties: prepping and cleaning the area/room in which the readings are carried out, helping to answer the questions of clients and empowering them, sometimes dealing with heavy emotions and sensitive topics.
Starting salary: £25k
Experienced salary: £63k
1. ASTRONAUT
Astronauts fly spacecraft and carry out experiments in space.
Day-to-day duties: cleaning and testing air quality; repairing, maintaining and testing oxygen production systems; safely packaging and disposing of waste; replacing worn or broken parts of the spacecraft; installing or repairing scientific instruments and equipment; taking samples, like blood, from astronauts to assess their health, communicating with Earth by satellite to transfer data and send reports.
Starting salary: £40k
Experienced salary: £86k
Mandy Watson, Director at Ambitions Personnel, said: “Scary or dangerous jobs aren’t for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure, but remember that it’s not just about the paycheck. While the highest-paying spooky careers may be alluring, it’s essential to consider a holistic approach to your career choices. Besides the salary, factors like work benefits and progression opportunities play a significant role in your long-term satisfaction. So, as you venture into the realms of these spine-tingling professions, don’t forget to look beyond the earnings and explore the broader spectrum of what each role has to offer.”