8 Jobs in Singapore that pay more than yours

Yes, these are all high paying jobs in Singapore. Before you tender your resignation, keep in mind that most of them are one-day-only jobs

It was a usual dinner with my friends when the tiresome topic of occupations came up. Instead of divulging salaries and complaining about bosses, I was surprised to find the conversation centralized around the weirdest job positions they ever held. Get ready to go, “huh?”

How legit is this? The user was suspended sbsequently by the admin of SGClub — How legit is this? The user was subsequently suspended by the admin of SGClubForums

1. Information Retriever: $10^ per information

This is a sticky occupation. While I found information and rates of the other professions in this post easily, this one was much harder to source. Further reading into this thread led me to discover the potential pool of customers he had as most users inquired about his services quickly. Some expressed their doubts but the majority seemed to have someone in mind they wanted more information on. Due to his account suspension, no further information could be derived.

Imagine paying a $10 minimum for each detail. A name could be $10, an address could be $50 and a work location could easily be $50.

A trend that swept onto our shores, rent-a-crowd is getting increasingly popular

2. Crowd Populators: $12^ per hour

This is growing in popularity for food establishments looking to launch their opening day with a bang. Now take a minute to recall the last time you saw a bakery open. Did you remember seeing a surge of crowd despite mentally dismissing the bakery as “yet another one” along a shop-house? Now think harder, who clapped the loudest and started the queue? There you go.

shutterstock_200202167 — You would be doing the job of a camera, except that you would be on the ground counting the specific cars that drive by

3. Traffic Watcher: $15^ per hour

Clocking in as much as $12-$15 per hour, this job is pretty much self-explanatory. Traffic watchers can grab a chair and sit near a traffic light while they record the cars that go by. Usually, the stints are in periods of two hours at two different points of the day.

If you ever see someone sitting by the pavement looking at your chair, don’t worry about his/ her sanity, worry that you are getting paid less than him/ her!

Half of these queuers are paid to stay in line and wait through whatever may come for the iPhone 6 sets

4. Queuer: $18^ per hour

I wish I was kidding. There exists people out there who are getting paid to queue. In fact, the market rate for them is no laughing matter too. When the iPhone 6 was slated to be released, my friend got a message asking if he’s willing to queue for eight hours at Bishan’s NuBox for $150. He even lamented that $150 was a rip-off and that some luckier queuers got offered $200.

shutterstock_193696634 — Paid to shop! Mystery shopping sounds like the ideal job, doesn’t it?

5. Mystery Shopper: $25^ per store

Did you know mystery shoppers can get paid up to $25 for reviewing a store? Mega brands will offer you better rates for a more comprehensive review. What does it mean to review a retail store? Well, you would have to pretend to be a regular customer except that you have to take note of every single detail from item arrangement to staff service.

At the end of the day, you are required to purchase a product (on the company’s tab) and compile a report on your experience.

shutterstock_178869764 — Is it worth it to risk permanent skin damage for $150?

6. Product Tester: $30^ per hour

Pharmaceutical companies will offer each candidate a lump sum between $120 – $150 for a three hour session where you will be required to test their newest products on your face/ hands. There is a stringent hiring policy as most of these pharmaceuticals are giants in the market and each candidate has to sign a confidentiality contract prior to every session.

No remuneration will be provided if the products damage your skin.

BKL's Light Studios in Malaysia runs a brisk business with no lack of models — BKL’s Light Studios in Malaysia runs a brisk business with no lack of models

7. Nude Photography: $150^ per session

This applies to nude photography for both art and commercial purposes. While we are certain that the rates for nude art photography is between the range of $150 – $170 after cross-references, our resources failed us reasonably for the nude commercial photography section. It remains a fact that the industry is growing, with BKL Light Studios at the helm of the trend.

Most of the models on their website are local Singaporeans, with a handful of Malaysians.

Are you willing to play pretend for a day? If you are up for it, the game is yours

8. Hire-A-Boyfriend: $600^ per hour

A fairly stable market, this profession brings in the most, clocking in at an impressive $600 – $700 per hour. These men are hired mostly to convince worried parents that they are indeed the hirer’s significant other. Some men may even be paid higher, depending on their qualifications. If the men are to the women’s liking, they would be open to discuss price packages.

Imagine that.

* Average salary of $2.4k derived from a 2013 publication from singstat.gov.sg

By Nicole Lee