Four million-dollar businesses that are not for everyone

At some point in our lives, most of us have encountered a job so revolting that we’ve thought, “You can’t pay me enough to do that.” But what if the job has the potential to pay six or seven figures annually? Would you reconsider?

Whether the job entails taking care of the dead, or cleaning up blood and human excrement, many people are willing to pay top dollar not to do it.

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Most of us would rather live in blissful ignorance and pay someone else to do the job. But taking another peek at those paychecks might have us considering a career change.

In many cases, some of these jobs that pay so well don't even require a college degree. You need only to have a strong stomach and be willing to get your hands "dirty".

Here's a look at four businesses most people wouldn't ordinarily go into but which can make you millions of dollars if you do.

1. Crime scene cleanup

You have probably seen dozens of movies and TV shows like NCIS and CSI.They feature crime scenes where detectives and forensic experts come in, analyze the crime scene and rush off to catch the bad guys.

In real life, though, once the officials leave, the mess left behind doesn’t go away by itself. It has to be dealt with. And suicides and murders can be bloody. That’s where the need for a professional crime scene cleanup company comes in.

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This business is heavily regulated by multiple organizations such as the EPA, the DEC and OSHA. There are also strict regulations that outline how crime scene materials are removed, cleaned and disposed.

"Training is exhausting due to the fact we must be aware of all of our surroundings when walking into as many homes as we do,"CrimeSceneCleanup.com president James Michel wrote. “Since we transport bio-hazardous materials, special licenses, insurance and bonding is required to the DOT's standards," he added.

Yes, it could be tasking, but it is definitely very rewarding.

2. Embalming

Disinfecting corpses, draining blood vessels via the jugular, draining body cavities and injecting chemicals to disguise visible bruises seems weird, creepy and depressing.

However, preserving dead bodies for a living is actually “one of the most rewarding jobs in the world," John "Jack" Mitchell IV, a sixth-generation funeral director and embalmer, told Business Insider. Regarding the demand for embalming services, Mitchell said: "There is a good demand for good help in our profession right now.”

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With the number of cremations in the United States doubling from 24.8 percent to 46.7 percent in the short space of 15 years (1999-2014), this trend hasn’t just had an impact on the embalming business, but it has made the latter highly profitable. By 2018, the U.S. cremation rate above is expected to climb above 50 percent.

3. The pawn business

The pawn business has had a rich history in the United States. Many people have gotten cash-strapped at some point in the past, and the only thing that could save them was pawning off an heirloom or two.

According to Emmet Murphy, a spokesperson for the National Pawnbrokers Association, “There are 44 million unbanked Americans in the United States - and [they] have a poor or non-existent credit history. They use pawnbrokers as a way to borrow what they need."

Also read: Pawnstores thrive even as economy improves

Some of these pawn shops charge as much as 17 percent interest on their loans every month. And, says Murphy, there are now more than 30 million pawnshop customers per year.

The pawn business may not seem seem as "dirty" as the rest. But from the figures above, this is obviously one industry that most people don’t know rakes in millions of dollars yearly as profit from interest alone.

Apart from that, there is also good money to be made from the buying and selling of precious metals, clothing and entertainment devices.

4. Skull cleaning

At first glance, you might think, “Why would anyone want a skull, no matter how clean it is?" But medical and veterinary schools and museums can’t do without them.

Jay Villemarette owns a company that cleans, sells, and stores both human and animal skulls. In an interview with Reuters, he said his staffers are so busy they can hardly keep up with the demand.

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"We get deliveries from UPS and FedEx everyday that consist of anything from bears to deer to cougars to buffalo to dogs and cats," Villemarette said. "You name it, it comes in.”

All those orders bring in millions of dollars in revenue, the entrepreneur added.

In conclusion, most of these jobs may look gross, but they pay well. So, steel yourself: If you are willing to do any of them, then you just might cross the seven-figure mark too.