10 Jobs That Only Exist in a Single Country

Subway pushers WalletGroove

There are some very common jobs around the world but there’s also a handful of very unusual ones. There are the jobs you know and the jobs you don’t even know existed. And then there are the jobs that only exist in a single country; these jobs are offered nowhere else in the world and they reflect the unique customs of the countries they’re available in.

See Also: 9 Totally Awesome Jobs to Kill For

1. License Plate Obscurer (Iran)

License plate obscurerGizmodo

In an attempt to control the air pollution in Iran’s capital city, Tehran, cars with odd and even license plate numbers are only allowed to enter the city center on specific days. But that shouldn’t stop you from doing so. In fact, you can hire someone to walk behind your car to block your license plate from traffic cameras’ view and to avoid paying a fine.

2. Dabbawalla (India)

DabbawallaPop-Up City

Dabbawalla, which means “one who carries a box” in Hindu, basically translates to “lunch box delivery man” in English. These guys are responsible for picking up hot packed lunches from workers’ homes and delivering them to their workplaces around noon. They then go back to collect the empty meal boxes and return them to their customers’ homes. How convenient, right? Dabbawallas deliver the packaged meals by balancing them on their heads or on bicycles.

3. Flying Doctor (Australia)

Flying doctorsAustralia Travel Guide

In Australia, where it takes quite a long time for you to get anywhere, it can be a problem for people who live a day’s drive away from hospitals. In order to help out people who live in rural and remote areas, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a 24-hour aeromedical emergency service, is responsible for providing telehealth consultations and patient transfers.

4. Swiss Guard (Vatican City)

Swiss Guard and Pope FrancisThe Guardian

The Swiss Guards are responsible for the safety of the Pope and they’re essentially the security guards of the Apostolic Palace and Vatican City. In order to get this job, guards need to be Catholic, single males, at least 5 feet 9 inches tall, and to have served in the Swiss Military service for two years. These guys are usually located outside the Vatican.

5. Ravenmaster (England)


Ravens are believed to be the protectors of the British Crown and the Tower of London, and have been present at the Tower since the late 1600s and seem to be important to the safety of the realm. The Tower’s only Ravenmaster is responsible for the birds’ welfare and feeds them raw meat which is purchased at the nearby Smithfield Meat Market.

6. Water Seller (Morocco)

Water sellersMOJO

In Morocco, water sellers provide locals and tourists with copper cups of water poured from camel leather bags. They’re usually found at the Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrakesh and other popular tourist areas, and they wear colorful costumes that feature brass and bells.

7. Traffic Zebra (Bolivia)

Traffic zebra

People dress in zebra costumes to help direct traffic and pedestrians cross busy Bolivian roads. Known as traffic zebras, these guys are employed by the government to stand at crosswalks and accompany people from one side of the road to the other. People who take the job are usually at-risk youngsters or former drug addicts.

8. Swan Upper (England)

Swan UppersBBC

It seems that swans are swan uppers’ sacred animal; they census the local swan population along the River Thames during the annual Swan Upping.

9. Bike Dredger (The Netherlands)

Bike dredgersSnacks & Adventure

Amsterdam in the Netherlands is famous for its bicycles and it only makes sense that some of them will end up in the canals. Teens or even drunk tourists take up the hobby of tossing them in the water, and someone needs to take them out. Professional bike dredgers, who use hydraulic claws, come to the rescue, and it’s estimated that they pull around 15,000 rusted bicycles out of the water each year.

10. Subway Pusher (Japan)

Subway pushersWalletGroove

In many areas around Tokyo, oshiya, or subway pushers, are responsible for pushing people onto crowded trains. Even though many people must hate these guys, subway pushers enjoy what they do as they feel it is their duty to protect passengers while making sure everyone gets on the train without getting caught in the doors.

These bizarre jobs do exist and they’re all uniquely awesome. Would you ever apply for any of these positions? Or perhaps you already have and are currently employed as bike dredger in the Netherlands or a Swiss Guard in the Vatican? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!