For Jacob Cotter, working at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a family affair. While he works to maintain the safety and soundness of Roar, the towering wooden roller coaster, his wife spends her days as an animal trainer, with two feet planted solidly on the ground. Cotter, 27, is part of a four-man team of carpenters dedicated to maintaining the 13-year-old coaster, which is made up of more than 3,200 feet of track and includes an 85-foot drop. There’s no schooling for wooden coaster repair, so his training came almost entirely on the job. Perks include free park admission and all the rides you can handle (as seen in the October 2012 issue of Comstock’s magazine). — Christine Calvin