# Jobs: Most Money, Least Effort? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392 "2023-04-30T23:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/1 "2023-04-30T23:23:14Z")
Inspired by this Guardian article, what job would **you** say offers the highest money to effort ratio? > **[Readers reply: which professions offer the best pay for the least amount of...](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/30/readers-reply-which-professions-offer-the-best-pay-for-the-least-amount-of-effort)** > > The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/2 "2023-04-30T23:25:13Z")
(tl/dr) Sample answers: King. NFL kicker. Cat. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/3 "2023-04-30T23:30:22Z")
Vanna White has the best job in the world. She pretends to touch a panel that reveals a letter of the alphabet. She smiles. She claps with the audience. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/4 "2023-04-30T23:34:34Z")
I have witnessed lots of people who make six figures but do nothing of value. 100% of their time is spent going to meetings (where they don’t do anything), reading/answering emails, traveling to conferences, and traveling to training seminars. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/5 "2023-04-30T23:47:58Z")
Yep, @Crafter_Man, I’ve seen it in business though not so frequently as I used to. I’ve also seen several people who are actually living off family money who run tiny businesses so they can write off expenses. That’s not at all uncommon in the world of racing. One got disgusted when his business was discovered to be selling something useful and he had to actually work hard until competitors started selling the same product. The ones I admire are those who truly love what they do for a living, so much so that to them, it’s not hard work. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/6 "2023-05-01T00:25:34Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Vanna White has the best job in the world. She pretends to touch a panel that reveals a letter of the alphabet. She smiles. She claps with the audience. I’ve been on to her racket for years. She used to have to turn the letters; now, not even that. Does she even know the answers to the puzzles? They have to light up the frickin’ letters so she knows what to touch. Pisses me off. It really is hard to beat Vanna, but since the OP threw out a sports job I’m gonna say the NFL “get back” coach. > **[The Rams aren't the only NFL team with a 'get-back' coach](https://www.boston.com/sports/nfl/2019/02/01/rams-get-back-coach/?amp=1)** > > Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay walks on the sideline during a game in October. The team "get-back" coach Ted Rath can be seen in the background (left). Tony \[…\] > **[Every organization needs a "get-back coach"](https://qz.com/work/1541924/super-bowl-2019-rams-coach-sean-mcvay-didnt-have-his-get-back-coach)** > > The person who quietly nudges colleagues away from disaster and back in line. > **[Sean McVay's 'get-back coach' Ted Rath leaving Rams to join Eagles](https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/07/nfl-rams-ted-rath-get-back-coach-sean-mcvay/)** > > Sean McVay will need a new get-back coach in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/7 "2023-05-01T01:37:39Z")
I gotta say, the stupidest answer in the Guardian article, unless it’s a joke, is this one: > Astronomer, no question. According to the national careers service, [an average salary of up to £60,000](https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/astronomer), depending on experience; so the more time you’ve spent staring into space, the more you earn. Does this person really believe that the job of an astronomer is to “stare into space”? And “up to £60,000” is hardly a huge salary. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/8 "2023-05-01T09:01:03Z")
I guess that most well-paid/low-effort jobs require a lot of previous investment of time and money for gaining qualifications. I’m thinking pilots for example - they spend most of their working day chatting while the computer does all the work. Landlord seems to me to be a qualifier, although I am not sure it is a “job”. How about “pensioner”? I can choose to do very little if I want, as my pensions and investments provide sufficient income with no effort at all. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/9 "2023-05-01T09:26:58Z")
It’s definitely a joke ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/10 "2023-05-01T09:28:53Z")
Pilot is definitely one of those jobs where the service recipient is very glad when the service provider has to do as little as possible! ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/11 "2023-05-01T12:10:07Z")
So is this one: > An NFL kicker (just for field goals) in the worst NFL team ie one that is so bad it doesn’t score any touchdowns. The minimum NFL salary is $750,000; if your team doesn’t score any touchdowns, you never have to kick. …unless the writer genuinely doesn’t understand the difference between a field goal and a extra point. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/12 "2023-05-01T12:13:02Z")
Elon Musk has made it clear CEO is the winner. He’s “running” multiple companies and spends 4 hours a day tweeting. In my personal experience, “regional supervisor” where the gig is that you go from site to site to check in on things with the site manager. Par for the course is a quick round-robin of a few sites at the start of the day, and they fade into the shadows to do who knows what? It’s a catch-22 for a lot of site managers: they hate that these guys are getting paid to do nothing, but them doing “something” means they’re always underfoot at your site. It’s a classic role for the boss’s girlfriend, son-in-law, that nephew that flunked out of college, or that kid you just want out of the house. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/13 "2023-05-01T12:42:30Z")
Vice-President of the United States. You get a nice paycheck and great benefits, but what do you actually have to do? You apparently can make the job your own as you like, which sounds great. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/14 "2023-05-01T12:45:53Z")
Distinct possibility if, as I, they are British! That’s not to say there aren’t big fans of the sport in the UK of course. I assume the rugby equivalent would be a penalty vs a conversion. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/15 "2023-05-01T12:53:27Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > NFL kicker. It may be a low effort job, but the kicker is unappreciated at the best of times, and when a crucial FG or PAT is missed in a big game, they’re in for a world of grief… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uhvLjE8ZWl8/hqdefault.jpg "Adam Sandler - The Lonesome Kicker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhvLjE8ZWl8) ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/16 "2023-05-01T13:14:18Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > It really is hard to beat Vanna, but since the OP threw out a sports job I’m gonna say the NFL “get back” coach. Just to be a pendant, the “Get-back coach” usually has some other position that isn’t active on game day. He was the Rams strength and conditioning coach (basically in charge of workouts). Obviously there’s no one lifting weights on the sidelines so he handles the get back duties. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/17 "2023-05-01T13:15:13Z")
I once read of a guy whose job involved ‘testing’ new mattress designs. At least part of the job involved sleeping on them, which is pretty low effort. Dunno how much it pays, though. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/18 "2023-05-01T14:45:06Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Pilot is definitely one of those jobs where the service recipient is very glad when the service provider has to do as little as possible! Similar to how the job of anesthesiologist is often described, only slightly tongue in cheek: hours of boredom punctuated by moments of panic. For both the best are bored the most. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/19 "2023-05-01T15:01:23Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I have witnessed lots of people who make six figures but do nothing of value. 100% of their time is spent going to meetings (where they don’t do anything), reading/answering emails, traveling to conferences, and traveling to training seminars. Well I didn’t become a “management consultant” to “do” a bunch of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392/20 "2023-05-01T15:16:51Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Similar to how the job of anesthesiologist is often described, only slightly tongue in cheek: hours of boredom punctuated by moments of panic. Likewise the job of orchestral percussionist. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-most-money-least-effort/983392.md?page=2)