15 Early Morning Jobs That Night Owls Should Avoid
Are you one of those people that gets up at the crack of dawn? You’re doing twirls and whistling with the birds outside your window every morning while the rest of the world sleeps away. If so, a conventional 9 to 5 probably isn’t the job you’d choose for yourself. Nine in the morning is far too late to be getting up — you could have gotten so much accomplished while you waited!
There are those people out there. The go-getters. The early birds. The ones that don’t need a cup of coffee in the morning to get up. But it can sometimes be a challenge finding your niche in a world that doesn’t start until — some night owls would say a reasonable hour — but you’d consider far too late unless maybe it was a weekend.
What early morning jobs are out there for the early risers? The jobs for early risers with an 8 p.m. bedtime? The jobs for morning people who race to beat the sun? You’d be surprised how many full-time and part-time jobs are available for the early birds.
If you’re looking for something that can get you up and out the door in the early morning hours, this list of early morning jobs is for you. If you're a night owl, be warned that these might not be for you.
1. Lyft Driver
The best part about working for ride-sharing apps like Lyft is that you get to set your own hours! Of course, you probably need to be in a more urban setting, but Lyft gives you the ability to start your day fresh and early. Jump into that driver seat and get moving. You might even beat the sun! It’s a great gig because people are always looking for rides, and you get to decide when your clock-in time is.
2. Barista
Want to make your coffee and drink it too? Then a job as a barista is perfect for you! Most cafes and coffee shops open early to catch the morning commute, so it’s likely you’ll have to get to work hours before men and women start leaving the house. And everyone will love that you take the morning shifts! It’s a perfect way to spend a morning, with the thick smell of coffee beans hanging in the air and the sun just starting to peak out over the horizon.
3. Mail Carrier
Mail carriers have to get up and at ‘em first thing in the morning. They’ve got to get that mail delivered! This is a great early morning job because, well, there’s always mail that needs delivering! And you’ll get to explore new parts of the city or town you live in like you’ve never gotten the chance to do before.
4. Flight Attendant
Got an 8 a.m. flight? If you want to become a flight attendant, you’ll need to be up hours before that! That makes the job as a flight attendant a perfect choice for people who can’t bear the thought of sleeping in. Morning shifts are vital! Of course, you can’t always control when flights take off and land, but expect to be at the airport early to report for the day's duties regardless of when the plane is set to take off.
5. Baker
Another job that requires a lot of early work is that of a baker. Did you know that many bakers have to be in the bakery at 3 a.m. to prep food and start baking? That’s crazy! But there’s a morning person out there that's jumping for glee at this, and you can’t blame them. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by deliciously warm baked good first thing in the morning?
6. Freelancer
Do you have a special skill that others would love to have? Are you an expert in a specific field? Do you want to set your own hours and work from anywhere? Then a position as a freelancer is perfect for you! Freelancers can set their own hours and work whenever they want. So if you get up early, you can bang out a day’s worth of work before the rest of the world even knows what day it is.
7. Private Military Contractor
"Private military contractors work for companies such as Combat Support Associates, Aegis Defence Services or the former Blackwater Security Company, among others, carrying out some of the same responsibilities as professional soldiers," according to Chron. "Private military contractors are sometimes colloquially referred to as 'mercenaries.'" They usually work early hours, sometimes starting their days at 7 am.
8. Nurse
Nurses usually work shorter weeks but longer days — and they usually work shifts that can lead to poor sleep schedules. A nurse might work a 12-hour shift from 7 am to 7 pm or 3 pm to 3 am. "Nurses working on specialized units such as surgery, dialysis, and intensive care are often required to be available to work extra hours (on call), in addition to working their regularly scheduled shifts," according to Health Affairs. The good news is that nurses usually only work a few days a week and get more time off.
9. Teacher
Of course, teacher's hours depend on the school. But, generally speaking, school starts around 8 am. This means that teachers have to be there before class starts. Many get there extra early to work on lesson plans for the day, and they may have to stay late after school for teacher meetings, parent meetings or school events. The upside is that teachers get the whole summer off unless they work another job or teach summer school.
10. Fitness Coach
As many people have jobs that start early, they may prefer to work out before they have to go to work. A fitness coach training clients will have to have flexible, early-morning hours that can accommodate people with 9-5 jobs or who work other similar hours. This means that a fitness coach may be scheduling training sessions as early as 4 or 5 am for some clients. That said, if you're big into working out, there are tons of fitness jobs for you.
11. News Producer
Morning news producers have to work to break stories before the rest of the world wakes up. This means that they're up before everyone else, producing and publishing news so that, when everyone else gets up, their feeds are freshly updated. If you're an early-morning person, this job would be a natural fit for you.
12. Farmer
Farm workers have to get up early to tend to their cattle and vegetation, especially if they have a lot of land to get working on. Meanwhile, most of the dairy workers that milk two times a day start milking as early as 5 am and do it again 12 hours later. If you're up when the sun comes up, you might as well get outside and get working before the day gets too hot anyway.
13. Truck Driver
Commercial motor vehicle drivers can drive up to 11 cumulative hours driving in a 14-hour time period, following a rest period of no less than 10 consecutive hours. That's a lot of time on the road. Because truck drivers work long hours, it means that they have to get up early to get going. They often tend to drive during the early mornings when traffic isn't so bad.
14. Social Media Manager
Social media jobs usually require employees to work around the clock. While many social media platforms have scheduling options so that anyone managing them can schedule posts in advance, there may be news that breaks overnight or trends that social media managers need to stay on top of. For that reason, many social media managers work around the clock and are up early to get posts live before everyone else. The good news is that a social media management job is fun, and if you're interested in culture, it's a good way of staying abreast of the news.
15. Shop Owner
Any kind of shop owner — whether it's a produce shop or a small retail business — is usually up early to open their doors. If a shop opens at a normal business opening hour like 9 am, the owner (if they're involved) will likely be there even earlier to set up the shop, handle any inventory tasks and finish up any other business-related duties (read: taxes, vendor relations, etc.) before customers start showing up. Of course, if you own your own shop, you can eventually make your own hours and delegate work — plus, you're probably passionate about the business.
These early morning jobs are the stuff of dreams for early birds, and likely the stuff of nightmares for the night owls out there. But if you’re someone who enjoys waking up early and spending the early morning hours being productive, this list can definitely help fill your time. And these gigs aren’t just for people looking for part-time hours. If you want a full-time position, and want to get up early to do it, these can still work for you. Just get that alarm ready!
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