Sandy Cheeks is the only main character in SpongeBob SquarePants who comes from the surface, but a big question remains about her: what is her job? Created by Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants made its debut on Nickelodeon in 1999 and has since become one of the longest-running animated sitcoms as well as the most successful Nicktoon to date. The series has become a favorite among kids and adults, and its popularity has allowed it to expand to other media as well.

SpongeBob SquarePants follows the daily adventures of the title character and his closest friends (and a couple of enemies as well, from time to time) in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob is often accompanied by his best friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks, his neighbor and coworker Squidward Tentacles, and his boss Mr. Krabs, with his pet snail Gary also joining the fun sometimes. Although they all have their quirks and unique traits, one character who stands out is Sandy, as she’s the only one who isn’t an underwater creature.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Sandy Cheeks is a squirrel born and raised in Texas who was introduced in the second segment of the very first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. In it, she was found by SpongeBob while fighting a clam, with SpongeBob running to help her but she quickly showed that she wasn’t losing the fight at all. The two quickly became friends and so Sandy has been part of many of SpongeBob’s adventures for over two decades, but there are many inconsistencies and questions about her backstory, how she can survive living at the bottom of the ocean, and what she does for a living, though the show already tried to explain the latter.

From the beginning, it was established that Sandy is all about science, is very curious, and loves to invent all types of things, earning her the title of one of Bikini Bottom’s most intelligent residents. Sandy was initially said to have traveled to the bottom of the ocean with the purpose of studying sea creatures and their lifestyles, but she has also taken a break from time to time to create and build all types of objects, such as rockets to go to space (though that didn’t go as planned). However, what exactly she does for a living, just like SpongeBob works at the Krusty Krab as well as Squidward, is unknown. At one point, the writers of SpongeBob SquarePants attempted to answer this question but only ended up creating more confusion as they once more retconned parts of her life.

In season 4’s episode “Chimps Ahoy”, Sandy’s employers arrive at the Treedome and they are revealed to be three very elegant chimps. Their reason to visit Sandy at the bottom of the ocean was to see the progress she had made with her inventions, but Sandy wasn’t satisfied with everything she had created up to that point – and if Professor Percy, Dr. Marmalade, and Lord Reginald didn’t like them either, she would lose her funding and be forced to leave Bikini Bottom. Sandy, then, doesn’t live off of her studies on sea life, but her job is to come up with groundbreaking inventions (though how exactly living under the sea helps her achieve that is unknown), and Treedome Enterprises pays her to do just that.

This is not the only retcon Sandy Cheeks has gone through in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe nor the only inconsistency related to her, as how she met SpongeBob was changed in the prequel series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, and details like how her suit works and what the Treedome can do keep changing depending on what the story needs. Sandy’s job, then, is that of inventor at Treedome Enterprises, but it wouldn’t be surprising if SpongeBob SquarePants decided to change that at some point.

Molly Shannon Recalls Being Sexually Harassed By Gary Coleman

About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
(3274 Articles Published)

See also  Why Each Alien Movie Looks So Different

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

More From Adrienne Tyler