advertisement
You might think rolling out of bed at 5 p.m. to go to work -- when most people are heading home for the night -- is as desirable as walking on hot coals.
But before you shoot down the idea, consider the perks -- namely money. Most industries offer a financial premium for employees who work into the wee hours of the morning. Pharmacists, police officers and Postal Service mail sorters make up to 10% more overnight, according to Payscale.com. Some TV and radio news writers earn 15% more, and nannies can earn a 20% premium.
| Jobs that pay more at night | |
|---|---|
Money isn't the only benefit. There are other intangibles, such as greater autonomy, fewer meetings (all the higher-ups are sleeping) and the likelihood of getting promoted sooner, because there are fewer people to compete against.
Gamble leads to big break
Take David Muir. He attributes his current job as a co-anchor of ABC newsmagazine "Primetime" and the anchor of "World News Saturday" directly to the eight months he spent anchoring "World News Now," which is broadcast from 2 to 7 a.m.Leaving his plum job as the evening anchor of a Boston news station to work overnight at the network wasn't an easy choice. "I rolled the dice," Muir says.
More from MSN Money and Forbes.com
The gamble paid off. At the end of his first week, the Northeast had a massive blackout, and Muir found himself anchoring the entire night without a teleprompter, script or much light in the studio. When he signed off at 7 a.m., tossing the reins to Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson of "Good Morning America," the staff gave him a standing ovation.
- The full list: Jobs with better pay at night
"This is why you roll the dice and do overnights," he says. "It gives you an incredible opportunity."
Of course, not every night shift worker has a major blackout to contend with. But there are opportunities to shine that don't exist for daytime employees. At FedEx, a major part of operations takes place between 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. Night staffers unload, sort and reload the 1.3 million packages that come in on airplanes at the company's hub in Memphis, Tenn. One of the most important positions is the person who oversees those operations.
More from MSN Careers
High profile -- and less traffic
John Dunavant started in his job, vice president of national hub operations in Memphis, last year. In a sense, he says, it was like coming home, because he started his career overnights there, moving up the career ladder over 17 years.It's a massive operation with virtually unequaled responsibility. The first plane arrives about 10:30 p.m.; the last leaves about 2:10 a.m. The night staff consists of about 8,000 employees -- 12,000 if you count the air crew. Ultimately, they all report to Dunavant.
Video on MSN Money
'Male' economy on the wanePeter Coy of BusinessWeek explains why the downturn has been tough on men in the job market and why things aren't a whole lot better for women.
"It's a great job professionally because it's running our highest-profile operation," says Dunavant, who maintains a strict six-to-eight-hour sleep regimen during the day. "From an officer standpoint, it's a job you can have an immediate impact on. If you do it well, there's an opportunity to get noticed."
Dunavant stresses the other benefits, too. There aren't hours of meetings at night, and when there is one it's very focused, because it's not over a two-hour lunch. Also, when Dunavant worked during the day it took him an hour to get to work, fighting traffic the whole way. At night, it's a swift 30-minute drive.
Continued: Benefits at work and home
Rate this Article
High
