Examples of "niche" jobs

[Poptart4]

Everyone on MN seems to work in a very niche job that very few people could actually do. Earning lots of money of course. But they can never say what this job is as that would be very outing

So out of curiosity, can someone please list a few of these niche jobs?

I once met a lady whose job was to sit in a giant human-size cocktail glass in a nightclub and strike dancer/gymnastics poses. Pretty niche.

Dh has a fairly niche job though I’m not really sure what he does. It’s to do with nuclear power stations and if there’s a problem he gets a phone call. He gets sent all over the world so I’m assuming not many people can do what he does. He’s been all over the Middle East, Japan, Malaysia, USA, Canada, all over Europe. Often fairly last minute....so he gets a phone call and leaves and might not be back for weeks.

I also work for a university teaching on a course which I think only about 30 universities provide. Some have bigger courses than others but I’d say there’s less than 300 people who teach what I teach, maybe nearer 200. I’m sure more people than that could actually teach it if given the opportunity (and with the correct degree and experience) but numbers are limited due to lack of opportunity.

M&S employ human testers for their dog food range.. I'd say that is niche.

My friend is a dog hydrotherapist and physiotherapist, she earns a fortune and I have never met anyone else with her role.

I was in aerospace. There’s some roles (generally involving agreeing specific things can fly or not fly) that are pretty niche. (I’m not cool enough to have had one of those roles).

@Oblomov21

We have discussed this. At a dinner party a long time ago. No one I know, nor Dh, nor anyone I know, knows anyone, anyone at ALL with a niche job. So say between me and my closest friends. Anyone they know, at all, and have met, even acquaintances, anyone. 20,000 people. No one knows anyone with a niche job.

So. I call bullshit.

The world doesn’t revolve around you and your friends. It’s more likely that you’re all run of the mill professionals with not especially unique/interesting/adventurous jobs.

I tend to think of science and technology when the term 'niche jobs' comes up.

I call bullshit that a couple and their friends know 20,000 people between them. 200 maybe. Certainly not at a level to know if someone’s job is niche or not. If someone asks dh what he does he says he’s an engineer.....he doesn’t tell them what he actually does and people don’t ask as it sounds dull. They might ask mechanical, civil or electrical but that’s as far as it goes.

My friend's husband has a niche job. It's very high level computer systems thing. Even the people he works with don't exactly know what he does.

I'm not sure if my job would be considered niche or not. I don't want to out myself otherwise I'd let MN decide.

I work in a bog standard job that anyone could do but I did used to know of somebody who worked with stained glass windows. I guess that would be considered niche

Name changed as this is outing.

I'm a lawyer specialising in pharmaceutical logistics. There's probably less than a dozen of us who sit in that exact sweet spot globally.

Started off in a much more standard role in corporate M&A. Went in-house as a commercial contracts lawyer and found this niche. No one knew what the hell it was until COVID vaccines came on the horizon and every man on the street knew all about transporting Pfizer at -70 and AZ at 2-8.

A family member teaches surfing and stand up paddle boarding. I always think that that a niche job.

What I do isn't niche in itself, but if there is only one organisation in the UK that does what my employer does, and my role is one of only four that do what we do, within that organisation, so it would be pretty identifying if I gave away much detail. It is niche if you think of it that way.

But I do know a guy who fixes machines that make a particular snack, and because it is only him and two other guys that do it, and they fly all over the world to do it, then I would describe what he does as truly niche.

Name changed. I’m a barrister. I wouldn’t call it niche as such - but there’s only about 15,000 of us nationwide. So when you add in a few details from my other posts, like my general location, my (boring hobbies), how many kids I i have, the fact my husband is one too, and anyone who knew me would know it was me. That’s probably the case for most people. Just a few other details and you’re outed 🤷🏻‍♀️

I am an epidemiologist, but the organisation I work in is pretty unusual and certainly not typical of where most epidemiologists work (ie pharma, academia, clinical research organisations, govt bodies). So my skillset is not especially niche, but I would say that my job is.

I have a niche job, that I needed 2 degrees just to interview for. I now teach people training for the job. There are 3 other people in the UK that also teach this subject.

I have a family member who taught a course for international doctors on a very specific area of public health. Again, only one or two universities do the course, so a handful of people do their job in the UK.

My grandmother told me she had a friend who was paid handsomely to check the sex of chickens. No idea if it's true but definitely a niche job.

My cousin makes really good money making urban exploration/climbing videos. He is always paying court costs.

@CMOTDibbler there's 10 other people who sell meat pies at such great prices?

As others have said, it's about level of detail - I know a few academics and scientists whose jobs are niche if described. For example, one of them is an expert on a specific method of testing for metals in soil. Many jobs are niche combined with other information too - I know someone who records funerals, someone who grooms horses and a science fiction author. Not the only people who do these jobs, but if they posted them along with their kids' ages, hobbies, family wedding drama and geographical location it would be outing.

Only fans.

I have a niche job that only about four of us have in the UK that keeps the country connected! Can’t say more than that because it’s too outing!!!

I’d call my job fairly niche- I’m the only one in our health board who does it. However, there’s probably up to 20 others in the country who have specialised in the same area, so I’m not exactly irreplaceable,

I'm a radiographer which isn't niche in the slightest.
However, previously to my current role I worked as a forensic radiographer and not for the NHS.
I did CT scans on unexplained deaths, police investigations etc.
I also specialised in cardiac CT on the deceased.

It isn't so unusual anymore however when I did it. ( pre children) I believe there were only 4 of us.

I am an epidemiologist

That’s not niche. Twitter is full of them