Absolutely. I am well compensated and get to work in a variety locations around the world.
And they let me browse the SDMB at work. 
Mad jelly! Let me guess - travel writer for magazine?
Nope. I work in the oil business.
Always have I guess. Back in my youth I fixed motorcycles and raced; loved it. Taught school for a few years and loved that. Built a custom firearms and tackle business and had a great time. Now I work for someone else as a professional numismatist and giggle my way to work most days. When any one of them stopped being fun, I jumped ship and moved on.
But be warned - any job becomes a job on some level. And jobs most people think of as “hobbies” can be hard to explain. As a flyfisherman and flintlock shooter I made close to 6 figures when 6 figures meant something - guiding, tournaments, doing demos, repping products. But no-one I knew ever saw it as a real job; not even me on some level. So I started manufacturing, built a “big small company” -------- and made damn near the same money and had constant headaches and sleepless nights. Sold out and moved on.
…but do they let you play with explosives 
I’m making money doing what I love to do. Currently I’m making $7.25 an hour.
Unfortunately, those are well below the surface. That is unless you are working for BP.:eek:
I love doing what I do for my source of income, and look forward to doing it. It honestly surprises me that most people probably dislike or hate what they do for work. Why, people?
I don’t hate my job, but it’s nowhere near what I would ever do as a hobby.
However, I’m pretty good at detailing cars and I can get a few hundred dollars per vehicle when someone asks me to do theirs. I do enjoy that.
Sorta, I love computers and I work on them (programming, web design, hardware), but I’d rather be playing games or working on some sort of interesting programming project. Unfortunately most of my work projects aren’t too interesting. It’s a little like wanting to be a race car driver but instead working as a taxi driver. Same sort of equipment, different application.
Because I’m pigeon-holed with regards to work history and subject matter.
And because I used 3 years of my life after 30 to finish a degree that, while I was moderately interested in learning about, I’m not really interested in putting into practice as a career.
Actually had a plan where once the ex-wifes job took off (which it has, she IS doing something she loves and making a ton of money) I would do what I could to make a career-field jump. Then she left and fucked that plan all up, so it’ll be a bit (a lot) harder to do that.
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I wish I could get some MMORPG time in. However, one of our issues is a really bad network setup that isn’t gonna change in the near future, combined with a reasonably tight blacklist that I can’t change. So, I ain’t leveling my shaman up to 90 in World of Warcraft here at work.
Fortunately, they haven’t blacklisted the Dope. Yet.
No, I don’t love what I do. I thought I wouldn’t mind when I started my job but I HAVE STARTED TO MIND.
my culinary degree cost almost $40,000. i got pell grants for about $11,000, the rest is student loans.
I currently make $10/hr. I like what I do (most of the time), but I’m seriously considering going back to school for a “9-5 rat running office job.”
you know, so I can pay off my student loans for the culinary degree.
Are you happy though? I guess that’s the crux of the issue. Do what you love usually doesn’t get paid much at least in the beginning vs. doing something hate but get paid good money to live the good life.
Sometimes I wish I was born in an earlier time where there were fewer options and you just did what your father did. Much simpler times.
I was a geek when I was young (in the 1970s), and was fascinated by all things electrical/electronic. I worked at a TV repair shop when I was 10, and took a night class on basic electrical theory when I was 14. I subscribed to magazines such as Popular Electronics when I was a preteen, and I still have those issues. I collect old books on electrical theory, and am working to build a small shop at home for building electronic gizmos.
Not surprisingly, I’m an EE. I love what I do.
Yes, I know this is a zombie thread, but I’ll add to it.
I do make some money selling my music compositions and arrangements online, which is something that I enjoy doing. However, it’s not really my “day job” and main source of income.