Well paid jobs that require you to be physically active?

There's a guy in the office across from mine who will all of a sudden jump up from his chair and run to one of the labs a few hundred feet down the hall at a fast jogging speed. This happens several times an hour.<p>One day I asked him why he was doing this and he told me he was a kernel programmer working on some piece of gear that needed to live in the lab, sometimes the kernel panics and he has to go bounce the box.<p>I was about to ask him why he doesn't set up some kind of a watchdog to bounce the box for him, but then I realized he was probably the fittest guy in the building.<p>So just become a kernel hacker, and keep your test boxen a few hundred feet away.

Camera operator. The film/video field is rife with opportunities for smart digiterati, the work is challenging, fulfilling, and well paid. Not a photographer? Become a 'dgitial imaging technician' - arrive in middle of nowhere, set up a bulletproof fileserver, push terabytes of video data around on demand while creating secure backups and often working with alpha builds, work 18 hour days.<p>Downsides: you need to be near LA, NY, London or some other international city to get regular work. It's psychologically as well as physically demanding, with many extreme personalities. Upsides: if you have talent or brains you can rise fast; film is an extremely meritocratic results-based environment. Arty types are mostly technophobic and will worship you like a god as long as you don't screw up.

Work as a deckhand on a superyacht. The responsibilities of a deckhand include cleaning, varnishing and painting, polishing, tender operations (small-boat handling skills required) and working the lines/ropes. This is a hard work position with long hours, but can have the added benefit of substantial tips on the larger and busier charter vessels.<p>Typical salary can be found here: <a href="http://www.superyacht-crew-academy.com/salaries_superyacht_crew.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.superyacht-crew-academy.com/salaries_superyacht_c...</a><p>I work on a 78ft yacht in the Med, (<a href="http://www.camperandnicholsons.com/sales/search/-/page/sales-yacht-profile/yid/8012/" rel="nofollow">http://www.camperandnicholsons.com/sales/search/-/page/sales...</a>), PM me if you want more details about this kind of work.

Underwater welding (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbaric_welding" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbaric_welding</a>) and dive engineering are extremely lucrative, physically demanding and exciting jobs. A friend makes 6 figures and gets to travel to exotic places to boot.

I think there's plenty of opportunity. I've run into engineers (some software, some not) who work on wind turbines, technology in developing countries, or oceanography... I'm sure plenty of folks will mention the military, as well. I think there's absolutely opportunities out there, though most of the ones I can think of will involve lots of travel.. hopefully that's not a problem for you.

The more obvious question might be, "What can I do that combines physical activity with what I do now?"<p>I had a professor in college who decided he was going to work construction during the summer. He's obviously in a different situation than you, but I still liked the idea.<p>A few thoughts:<p>1) Read "Shop Class as Soulcraft:" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Soulcraft-Inquiry-Value/dp/1594202230/ref=thstsst-20" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Soulcraft-Inquiry-Value/dp/...</a> . I have no idea if it will help.<p>2) Have you thought about an IT job that requires, say, moving around computers (as colleges must require somewhat regularly), or maintaining systems on ships, or something like that? I have no idea if any of that would work.<p>3) Could you combine two part-time jobs? An IT job that pays bills, perhaps, with a job doing something else?

Peter: This isn't so bad, huh? Makin' bucks, gettin' exercise, workin' outside.<p>Lawrence: Fuckin' A, man!

Field robotics. Technically very challenging (involves computer science, math, physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, control systems engineering, etc.) and very fun. Provides many different areas to specialize in, e.g. perception, planning, learning, control, etc. And you get to spend time physically working with machines just as often (if not more) than sitting at your laptop writing code.<p>For example, my formal background is in computer science and a large part of my job involves applied math, physics, algorithm design, and writing code but I am now also involved in electronics design and mechanical design (picked these things up on the job). Further, I spend many days outside working with vehicles, powered wheelchairs, and other mechatronic devices: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fPgIPgzIfc" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fPgIPgzIfc</a> I happen to work in an industry building assistive devices for people with limited physical abilities but depending on the application area you can be outside doing numerous physical things, for example, look at iRobot's involvement with the gulf oil crisis: <a href="http://www.irobot.com/gi/more_information/gulf_oil_spill_response/" rel="nofollow">http://www.irobot.com/gi/more_information/gulf_oil_spill_res...</a> Heck, the guys at Willow Garage recently went on a dev sprint to have the PR2 (one of their robots) fetch them beers: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Cq0sy4TBs" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Cq0sy4TBs</a><p>There is a somewhat steep learning curve to becoming a "guru" in the field due to how broad the required skill set is yet at the same time, due to the breadth of skills needed to build useful systems, if you have depth in a particular area (e.g. writing code) there is definitely room for you to fit in on a team and you can pick up the stuff you don't know over time as you get more exposure to it.

Generally, physical work is not as rewarded in modern society as intellectual work. Almost anything physically grueling a human can do, a machine can be designed to do it better. If the human in question is expensive, a machine has probably already been designed to do it better.<p>Personally, I just go for walks at random intervals during my workday. It keeps me from being completely deskbound, and also keeps my brain from getting stuck.

firefighter in an urban/suburban area. starting pay in chicagoland area for a firefighter/paramedic is 55K. exorbitant increases as you gain seniority, along with a pension.

My father loves working on elevators. It's a very active job, but it requires lots of troubleshooting and innovation. You have to be able to troubleshoot OLD relay based switching equipment, tape reader programmed controllers from the 80's and fancy new digital controllers.<p>He has to be able to engineer support and rigging systems to move old/new equipment out of tight spaces, knocking out walls, contracting out metal workers to add in support beams (elevator generators and motors are very heavy and big). I got him setup with autocad to draft some counter weight plates he had cut via a fire cutter (laser cutter but with cutting torch).<p>Lots of fun projects, lots of problems, lots of solutions. It pays $55 an hour i think, top scale, and you get something like $15 an hour in benefits. It takes around a year to get called off the bench (it's a union job, but not a shitty union like teamsters. People can and will get fired for not doing their jobs).<p>Finally, for the workaholic, overtime is always available and it's double time. $110 an hour an extra 2 hours a week can really add up.<p>Basically, if I wasn't programming I'd be making elevators go up and down.<p>Another option I have considered is an arborist. Kinda funny, but I love rock climbing, and being an arborist is basically "the same thing", in that you get to harness up, jug up some fixed lines, rig up lowers (can't always drop branches), etc. Looks like alot of fun at least for a while!

Cabinetry: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinetry" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinetry</a><p>It doesn't have to be overly taxing physical work (requiring a lot of strength), but it is usually a very active physical work (requiring constant movement).<p>Getting well paid while doing it might be tough. It is not a well paid job by default. However, with some imagination you might be able to use your scientific/math/engineering background to make products that have decent margin.

Oilfield roughneck. Work the rigs for a few years, then go back home and write software for the oil &#38; gas industry.

You could become a gigolo who fixes ladies' computers.

How about cutting your job down to part time and doing active things the rest of the time?<p>How about going on a long walk every lunch break and maybe a short walk in the afternoon too?

Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A&#38;P)? Working on airplanes involes light to heavy physical activity and regular use of engineering problem solving. It's an indoor and outdoor activity depending on the situation. It is FAA regulated so earning their certification is a must.

Well, I used to be a field geologist, and while there was a lot of active in-the-field work, there was also a whole lot of sitting behind the computer writing reports and lots and lots of meetings.<p>I'll suggest an alternative that doesn't require you throwing away your 10-years of experience: you just need to find the right place to work.<p>I'm an engineer for a company located in a fantastic location with lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation of all kinds. We really do support a better life/work balance than any startup I've worked for.<p>And we do interesting work with modern tools and methods (Rails, agile, etc.) And we're growing and hiring.<p>I'm not gonna spam this post with a job posting. But if you're interested it's not too hard to figure out how to contact me or find out who I work for.

Field researcher in oceanography, zoology, biology, archaeology, geology, or similar field.

Professional sports player. ;-)

Surveyor.<p>Licensed surveyors make good money, particularly if they run their own small firm. This is due to the difficulty in getting licensed (education + exams + apprenticeship) and importance of the data they gather (property surveys become legally binding documents and site surveys provide essential information to civil engineers). And with GPS, etc, there's plenty of technology involved.

I've had the same sort of thoughts, but I've been sitting at a desk for almost 20 years.<p>I've often considered landscaping / lawnmowing, especially when my landscaper took off for a two-week vacation to Europe that I can't afford. A few of my firefighter friends have landscaping businesses on the side.<p>My father-in-law works in environmental permitting. He spends about 4 days a week in the office (home or corporate) and about 1 day a week out in the field, surveying plant and animal life. It's not the most physically demanding work, but it is outside.<p>I had a friend in the Army Reserve that spent a year in Afghanistan, doing IT work for the Army. Sucked, but he was very close to going right back as a civilian contractor and making 5x as much doing a similar job. Afghanistan probably isn't the best place to go, but with bases all over the world, there are probably some more desirable locations.<p>You could get involved with FEMA or even someone like the Red Cross. I wouldn't call it high-paying, but they employ IT guys in disaster areas.

Could try an extended leave of absence to do a short-term, physically intensive project (like habitat for humanity or some type of volunteer/relief effort) -- that way you see if you actually like it. It's possible that semi-regular breaks are rejuvenating to the point that you don't need to embark on an entirely different career.<p>That or UFC.

I'm in a similar situation. Although not as athletic, I would love to have a more physically demanding job.<p>Somewhat wishing I had made a more vocational career choice such as plumber or electrician. I have an interest in both and have done a significant amount on my own, but they both require training and apprenticeship to be officially certified in my state.<p>Unfortunately it's a little late in life to make a career change like that work economically, so I'm thinking about getting a Treadmill desk and requesting more time working from home.<p>Has anyone tried a treadmill desk? Something like the TrekDesk: <a href="http://www.trekdesk.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.trekdesk.com/</a> How did it work? Was it awkward or difficult to do actual work?

Physical Therapist!<p>"Physical therapists practice in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and private offices that have specially equipped facilities. These jobs can be physically demanding, because therapists may have to stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and stand for long periods. In addition, physical therapists move heavy equipment and lift patients or help them turn, stand, or walk." And: "Median annual wages of physical therapists were $72,790 in May 2008." (From <a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm</a> )<p>Plus, you get to help people recover from ailments and improve their daily physical experience.

You can make decent money as both golf and tennis pros. I'm not sure how easy it would be to become either if you're not already pretty skilled though. I'm certain it could be done, and the younger you are the easier, but it would be some work if you don't have much skill at either.<p>You could also get a teaching certificate and become a coach. This may be a lot of work as well depending on your state, education, etc.<p>You can become a personal trainer with not too much effort if you're like spending time in gyms. It'll take awhile to build up and maintain clientele, but it's not a bad way to go.

a related book, the story of Patagonia and Black Diamond: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman/dp/1594200726" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessm...</a><p>My experience: I tried to start my company in the sports field, but I failed. At that time I was surfing 2h/day and running a bit. Now I'm employed, I gained 10kg, and I'm not really motivated and looking for a better way of living.

My cousin is an intensive care doctor and he is on his feet all day long running from one place to another, but I guess it will take a long time to become one...

Maybe you need a vacation. You mention that you do 12 hours of sports every week, that is already quite high.<p>Perhaps you could also reduce the number of hours you work everyday.

I'm waiting for someone to come up with a wii type remote controller-based operating system<p>- jump for 'list files', punch for 'double click', punch in different places for different letters ... you get the idea<p>then you just have to force yourself to use this one hour a day ...<p>imagine if you could map tai-chi movements to your keyboard.. you could learn tai-chi while filling in those tps reports !!<p>anyone think this is a good startup idea ?

this falls under the work-to-live/live-to-work question. i've found in my adopted city that 90% of the people here live to work, which (i think) is pretty typical in western (american) culture. career == life-fulfillment/self actualization. there is nothing wrong with what you're going through, you are just redefining yourself.<p>take dermidgen's advice and get a hobby. take up something that you can invest yourself in outside of computing. if that's coding something not work related, great. if that's finding a more physically challenging hobby, go for it.<p>personally, i took up triathlon about a year ago and it completely changed my life. 3 sports each with it's own challenges. it's a bit pricey to get into but, it's time-consuming and there are an incredible number of attractive women that participate in the world of multi-sport (ie: triathlon clubs).<p>i also do an outside project with a friend which keeps me learning new things. Last idea, Take a foreign language class.

Landscape architect / gardener...

I am not sure about the US, but in australia if you work as a labourer ie (builder, painter, electrician, etc) your salary is on average equal to or above (six figures) office jobs. It is just due to the current labour shortage.

Whenever I get this thought I always tell myself wait ten years and we will probably have some kind of virtual reality interface to computers where we could at least walk around a lot.<p>I've always been way too optimistic with technology :-(

Organic farmer. Done right, if you have the skill, it can make enough money to live comfortably on; takes you closer to nature than you'll ever otherwise be; and in general makes for a Very Happy Athletic Job.

I stepped down to working 80% weeks, not because I hate my IT job, but because I love having 3 day weekends that I can spend on myself. The pay is still good enough for me to live on.

I am surprised no one brought up astronaut.

acting? modelling? a serious (for once) personal trainer?

surgeon. military.

consulting, where you travel a lot and do a lot of presentations

consulting, where you travel a lot a do a lot of presentations

Politics?

Wow, this question could have been written by me.<p>Here's what I've found. Starting on a new career path is a crappy proposition. Most of the trades that have been suggested do either require extensive training and preparation, or some degree of paying your dues (as with any industry). However, what really killed it for me is that basically I would be doing contract work (we all know how that goes - ebbs and flows) for about 150% less than I do now.<p>Here's my current solution to this issue. Change of working environment and the addition of a second job. Boy am I busy NOW!<p>To change environments I decided to go solo contractor, get my 3g tethering setup on my iphone, get my laptop, and now I go as far out into the wilderness as possible while still getting 3g signal, and I work from the shade of a tree in nature. I try to do that for at least 50%-60% of my work. It has helped tremendously!<p>I've also spent a great deal of my extra sports time brushing up on skills that I had thought would never be an actual part of my life - shooting. This is something that doesn't require formalized instruction or training - although there is plenty of that available. The additional benefit is that I can now instruct others how to properly, safely, and boldly handle a firearm - and to use it effectively. This not only solidifies the knowledge I already have (teaching others is by FAR the best way to get something deeeeply rooted into you), but gives me an opportunity to be outside doing something physical, make money, and give back in an area where there is a DESPERATE need for quality instruction without ego (there is sooooo much ego in the shooting work it's sickening).<p>This particular path has actually relieved a tremendous amount of stress in my life and opened up opportunities and connections with people and communities that I never expected. It's quickly becoming a secondary career path. My new mission is to find a way to bring both worlds together - find a need in the market that fits a shooting developer ;) and fill it.<p>I'm currently a certified instructor of the C.A.R. System by SabreTactical <a href="http://www.sabretactical.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.sabretactical.com</a> and the civilian variant IPD Systems.<p>PM me - you're in my head. lol get outta my head get outta my head!!!