There are jobs that are kind of philosophy related like being a medical ethicist. Or there are some jobs with "ontology" and "semantics" in the title. But it's arguable just how much those sorts of jobs really have to do with philosophy. Most of the "ontology" jobs are really looking for software engineers, for example.

So yeah, pretty much you're stuck with teaching as the only long-term career avenue where you can do philosophy in general--you'll be required to publish at least a bit.

Well, you could always write. It's not usually the most fortuitious career path, but I think that there could be a real demand for more philosopher authors. There's that, or, like, putting out a podcast or something. You kind of have to invent whatever it is that you do that brings in money if you don't want to become a professor.

You can't really make enough money writing philosophy to make it a career. You can make some money with it if you're lucky--Daniel Dennett has made some money from his books for example, but even he wouldn't be able to make much of a career out of writing without teaching, too.

You'll typically make more money writing the less the writing resembles philosophy.

You shouldn't really think much about money. You need money to live, that's arguably correct, but that's not really the goal to be a philosopher. Many, not to say most poets have other jobs. There's a movie from the director Jim Jarmusch called Paterson, about a poet that's a truck driver in the city of Paterson, the city of Williams Carlos Williams, ironically WCW was a doctor, he also made poetry, very successfully. Most NY poets have other jobs, they make poetry in there free time, is something you can conciliate. I don't believe being a philosopher is much different.

Is it possible to earn money (enough to live, not a lots of money) being philosopher? Is teaching in class the only way to make money with Philosophy? — John Pingo

Some thoughts, not really answering your question, but I think they're relevant:

The son of a neighbor, whom I've known for 35 years, got a philosophy degree from a small liberal arts college in New England. Now he's a construction project manager working for a very large construction company. He's responsible for $100 million projects. He says that philosophy taught him how to think. It wasn't the philosophy that got him where he is, he's a dynamic, ambitious man who would have been successful wherever he went.

Then let's take me. I am neither dynamic nor ambitious. I dropped out of school after 3 years and worked at several kinds of jobs - warehouse, cabinetmaker. Finally I went back and got my engineering degree. Now, after 30 years as an engineer I'm mostly retired. I can afford to do that because engineering is well paying. I'm really lucky that I'm good at math and science. I was really meant to be an engineer and engineering is a good career. It doesn't necessarily take a lot of initiative, although I'm not a complete slugabed. There are different engineering career paths for different types of people. I was lucky. If I hadn't become an engineer, I think my life would have been much poorer and less secure.

What's the lesson I take from this? If you are a dynamic or talented person who will find a place for yourself no matter what you do, take whatever you want in college if you decide to go. If not, learn something that will allow you to make a decent living in a business that is reasonably secure. Yeah, I know, easier said than done. As I said, I was lucky.

Is it possible to earn money (enough to live, not a lots of money) being philosopher? Is teaching in class the only way to make money with Philosophy? — John Pingo

Epistemology (/ɪˌpɪstɪˈmɒlədʒi/ (About this soundlisten); from Greek ἐπιστήμη, epistēmē, meaning 'knowledge', and -logy) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge.

Epistemology is how we know. Methodology is the combination of epistemic stance and the methods of investigation.

Best Practices Consulting

To help management define what improvements can be established to effectuate necessary changes to meet best practices, drive innovation, and continually improve processes and performance.

There is a multi-billion market for (methodology) "consulting". At the same time, you cannot do methodology without "epistemic stance", while epistemology, i.e. the theory of knowledge, is simply a subdivision of philosophy. Philosophy is both an upstream as well as a byproduct of gaining experience in any field of endeavour. Best-practices consulting is typically one way of making a living off that type of experience.

I think it's easy to make money with philosophy. You just have to seek out those individuals who are willing to pay money for hearing your philosophizing, either in live speech or in written material.

Of course there are the naysayers, who insist there aren't enough people who would pay for such service, or that people get it free on the Internet, or that I must be an idiot to give this advice. My response to this is that seven billion people on Earth has not hit the minimum headcount that would make my advice work by way of creating a critical mass of willingly paying customers for philosophical insight.

There are other options as well. You could rob a bank and call it philosophy. I am sure if you did, you could write a best seller about the experience, including the seventeen years in penitentiary that would follow.

You could also become a CEO with a vision. Or a basement dweller with a television. The sky is the limit.

My response to this is that seven billion people on Earth has not hit the minimum headcount that would make my advice work by way of creating a critical mass of willingly paying customers for philosophical insight. — god must be atheist

It depends on the insights one has to offer.

Literally painting philosophical issues is an assurance for making good money. Every rich snob wants an intelligent painting to hang around instead of Christ. Philosophers are the most intelligent people on Earth. Or at least they seem. Magritte made superbly intelligent stuff. With a touch of sterility, probably due to his lack of technique. Don't we all love his canons ready to shoot a bullet through the surface of reality? Who can't admire his floating English men or his paintings in paintings? You could copy his mind's eye with lightning instead of blue sky with wooley white clouds. Sell it for 799,95 and give a nice reduction on the second painting.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Philosophy is the ultimate form of self actualization or so I'm told and it sits at the top of the pyramid. In short, to do philosophy, you're supposed to have already made boatloads of money.

You're too hungry to understand. — Some Guy

If you have to ask, I would not recommend it as a main source of income, no.

My response to this is that seven billion people on Earth has not hit the minimum headcount that would make my advice work by way of creating a critical mass of willingly paying customers for philosophical insight. — god must be atheist

I think this is the best contribution to this thread. Thank you, gmba.

Kind of like herd immunity in reverse.

It depends on the insights one has to offer. — Raymond

You're right. Spiritual leaders of even small congregations get some remuneration. But they just regurgitate the Bible or some other sacred text... their insights are restricted to applicability of Bible passages to dilemmas members of, or the entire community, face.

Philosophy professors, ditto.

Some people make money selling books. And they make good money by writing their original ideas in the books. Some examples that come to mind are psychological self-help books, or books of funnies.

I think this is the best contribution to this thread. Thank you, gmba. — jgill

Why, Thank you very much!! It feels like a little warm fuzzy-wuzzy to be complimented like that. Wow.

According to the teacher-pupil duo Socrates & Plato

Philosopher + Pay = Sophist

I hear being considered a sophist is the last thing a philosopher wants, but despite my naïvety, I know for certain everybody has a price above and beyond which they don't give a damn what you call them! :grin:

I hear being considered a sophist is the last thing a philosopher wants — Agent Smith

Philosophers get so pissed when they are called sophists, that they clench a fist.

I think that philosophy is honing one’s awareness, way of thinking and reductionist methodology, which alone is not sufficient for a commercial transaction. It needs to be paired with a practical skill, whether that be writing, teaching, public speaking, painting or even engineering, which demonstrates its value.

I guess what that means is a philosopher doesn’t get money for philosophy, but rather for what their awareness, way of thinking and practical methodology can bring to a profession, to an art form, to a market or to a company.