Are Night Jobs Right for You?

Millions of jobs occur during swing or graveyard shifts. For the folks who wake up at 5pm to be at work by 8pm, the benefits of more flexibility during the day, higher pay, fewer meetings and oversite outweigh family and social constraints. Here is a list of jobs that pay better at night and what the average salaries are (data from Forbes.com):

1. Registered Nurse (RN)

Day Shift: $54,500 annually

Night Shift: $55,700 annually

Working as a night nurse is more lucrative, but as all graveyard shift employees know, you have to stick to a rigid sleep schedule. “I usually sleep six to eight hours during the day,” says John Dunavant, who works overnights as vice president of national hub operations at FedEx in Memphis, Tenn. “The weekends are tougher. When I go home on Friday, I try to sleep a few hours and then go to bed at a regular time. Monday nights are the worst, though, because we’re all trying to get back into the third-shift mode.” Additional nursing jobs that pay better at night include:

2. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Day Shift: $36,300

Night Shift: $38,400

3. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)

Day Shift: $22,200

Night Shift: $22,600

4. Truck Driver

Day Shift: $31,300

Night Shift: $36,000

Aside from sleep deprivation, working at night and sleeping during the day leaves little time for running errands. Says John Dunavant, who works overnights as vice president of national hub operations at FedEx in Memphis, Tenn., “You have to be prepared to not have everything you need. Make sure you get to the bank and stop at the cleaners. You have to force yourself to get up early.”

5. Bartender

Day Shift: $24,600

Night Shift: $31,200

The good news here is that you have plenty of company to keep things exciting. When was the last time you saw someone fast asleep at a bar? Plus, employees don’t usually work the entire evening. Depending on what city they work in, bartenders leave when their establishment closes.

6. Waiter/Waitress

Day Shift: $16,500

Night Shift: $22,500

A dinner waiter or waitress has the advantage of larger dinner checks, more involved dining and the option of working late into the evening for late night eaters. 24 hour diners and eating establishments are a must to server the entire night time work force.

7. Verizon telephone operator

Day shift: $890 weekly

Night shift: $979 weekly

Aside from additional pay, employees who work at night get experience they wouldn’t have during the day because of all the competition. “Employees who work at night generally have the opportunity to move up faster and to learn more on the job,” says Rand Wilson, spokesman for Communications Workers of America. “Also, it’s more objective-oriented than process-oriented.”

8. Television writer/ news writer

Writers on the night shift get a 15% differential hourly rate. But the hours considered the night shift vary from network to network. At ABC the night differential is from midnight to 6 a.m. It covers employees at the national and local level at both television and radio stations. Positions covered include news writers, editors, desk associates, production assistants, graphic artists, promotion writers and researchers. At CBS, night differential is paid from midnight to 7 a.m. and includes the same positions.

9. Nanny

Night nannies generally start their shift at 2 p.m. and work until 10 p.m. They receive about 20% more than daytime nannies, according to Cliff Greenhouse, co-president of the Pavillion Agency in Manhattan. While a daytime nanny makes between $50,000 and $70,000 annually (in the metro New York City area), an evening nanny makes between $60,000 and $80,000. He attributes the pay increase to the added responsibilities at night such as bedtime, dinner, baths and picking the kids up from school. Many night nannies are also for families with a disabled child who needs extra personal care.