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Many of us have that one family member or friend that we find ourselves regularly appalled and mystified over trying to figure out just how they ended up making the money that they do, doing who really knows what? Hopefully, they possess the self-awareness and sense of humor to share in appreciating the mystery. 

This AskReddit thread pays homage to various jobs that people view as being very overvalued and very overpaid. You be the judge on whether or not any of these are actually accurate though. 

(Alternatively, there are also plenty of undervalued and underpaid jobs.)

To Be Fair, The Onion Has Churned Out Brilliance Time And Time Again.

Reddit screenshot of someone talking about how Gillette engineers are overpaid.
Reddit

Must’ve been a fun series of very lively brainstorming sessions. 

Automation Is Something Else.

Reddit screenshot of someone talking about how their IT director is overpaid.
Reddit

Some people are just born with an uncanny knack for crafting their own real life cheat codes. Sounds like this dude had it figured out on one level or another. 

Related:This Is Why Many Gen Zers Refuse to Apply for a Job

The “Michael Scott Theorem” Does Have A Nice Ring To It.

Reddit screenshot of someone talking about how VP roles can be overpaid.
Reddit

There’s obviously an implied spectrum with this. 

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Ah, Yes, The Old Rinse And Repeat.

Reddit screenshot about how US government contractor positions are overpaid
Reddit

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

That’s A Sizable Chunk Of Folks.

Reddit screenshot about how upper level admins are overpaid
Reddit

Honestly, pretty wild to stew over this one. 

Related: The Richest Person in Every State

Not A Bad Gig At All.

Reddit screenshot about how big firm consultants are apparently overpaid.
Reddit

The thing about big firms in the first place is that they probably have the resources set aside to at least see what kind of new business can be drummed up. 

A Clever Way To Make Money, For Sure.

Reddit screenshot about how brokers and/or title companies are overpaid.
Reddit

Yes, a clever way to generate that cash flow, but also, maybe just a tad bit shady at the same time. 

Might Get Boring, But At Least The Money Isn’t.

Reddit

While it could sound like fun to be able to sit around all day making money, while exerting minimal amounts of effort, at a certain point, life would seem inevitably vulnerable toward losing its color and mystery and overriding excitement. 

Related: 7 Easy Jobs For Workers Who Are ‘Burnt Out’

Now, That Just Seems Messed Up.

Reddit screenshot about how pharmaceutical sales jobs are overpaid
Reddit

The fact that they’re not usually even medically qualified in the first place adds a distinct flavor of absurdity to this debacle. 

Yeah, But They’ve Really Got To Lay It On Thick With The Charisma Sometimes.

Reddit screenshot about how realtor jobs can be overpaid.
Reddit

We’re not saying it could be easy to be a realtor, at all. You’ve probably got to practice that meticulously polished artificial smile enough times until it looks close enough to the real thing, and actually convince someone to invest in a new living space

Meet the Writer

Matt has spent the last 8 or so odd years as both a writer and editor in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally rabid, pigeons. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a book and/or some friends, or just easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.