Best jobs for introverts
Of 911 occupations compared, jobs such as Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters; Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners; Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders have the least contact with other people and the public, based on O*NET work-context data. Typical pay ranges from $34,810 to $172,250 a year.
Top 25 by typical work conditions
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical entry education | Contact with others | Dealing with the public | Teamwork | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | $46,680 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 92% of occupations compared |
| 2 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,840 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
| 3 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,540 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 95% of occupations compared |
| 4 | Agricultural Equipment Operators | $41,730 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared |
| 5 | Search Marketing Strategists | $78,760* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared |
| 6 | Tapers | $68,270 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 90% of occupations compared |
| 7 | Model Makers, Wood | $56,550 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 86% of occupations compared |
| 8 | Molecular and Cellular Biologists | $98,920* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared |
| 9 | Fallers | $52,100 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
| 10 | Writers and Authors | $76,910 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 94% of occupations compared |
| 11 | Dishwashers | $34,810 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 83% of occupations compared |
| 12 | Mechanical Drafters | $71,550 | Associate's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 85% of occupations compared |
| 13 | Geneticists | $98,920* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared |
| 14 | Financial Quantitative Analysts | $81,100* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 91% of occupations compared |
| 15 | Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 90% of occupations compared |
| 16 | Physicists | $172,250 | Doctoral or professional degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared |
| 17 | Credit Analysts | $83,510 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
| 18 | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,660 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 95% of occupations compared |
| 19 | Mathematicians | $126,710 | Master's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 97% of occupations compared |
| 20 | Cytotechnologists | $62,930* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 97% of occupations compared |
| 21 | Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | $48,220 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 91% of occupations compared |
| 22 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $39,530 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 87% of occupations compared |
| 23 | Astronomers | $128,820 | Doctoral or professional degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared |
| 24 | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | $35,730 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared |
| 25 | Data Scientists | $120,230 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 99% of occupations compared |
* pay of the broader BLS occupation group. Levels compare each job with all 911 occupations: very low = the lowest fifth.
Higher-paying picks: national median pay of $75,000 or more
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical entry education | Contact with others | Dealing with the public | Teamwork | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Search Marketing Strategists | $78,760* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared |
| 2 | Molecular and Cellular Biologists | $98,920* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared |
| 3 | Writers and Authors | $76,910 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 94% of occupations compared |
| 4 | Geneticists | $98,920* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared |
| 5 | Financial Quantitative Analysts | $81,100* | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 91% of occupations compared |
| 6 | Physicists | $172,250 | Doctoral or professional degree | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared |
| 7 | Credit Analysts | $83,510 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
| 8 | Mathematicians | $126,710 | Master's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 97% of occupations compared |
| 9 | Data Scientists | $120,230 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 99% of occupations compared |
| 10 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | Bachelor's degree | Very low | Very low | Moderate | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
No college degree typically needed to start
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical entry education | Contact with others | Dealing with the public | Teamwork | Why it is listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | $46,680 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 92% of occupations compared |
| 2 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,840 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
| 3 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,540 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 95% of occupations compared |
| 4 | Agricultural Equipment Operators | $41,730 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 89% of occupations compared |
| 5 | Tapers | $68,270 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 90% of occupations compared |
| 6 | Model Makers, Wood | $56,550 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 86% of occupations compared |
| 7 | Fallers | $52,100 | High school diploma or equivalent | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared |
| 8 | Dishwashers | $34,810 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 83% of occupations compared |
| 9 | Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Low | Lower on contact with others than 90% of occupations compared |
| 10 | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,660 | No formal educational credential | Very low | Very low | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 95% of occupations compared |
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Being an introvert is not a job requirement, and many introverts do well in people-facing work. This list starts from what many people mean by the search: fewer interruptions, less dealing with the public and more independent work. Change any of it below.
Example preferences many people mean by "jobs for introverts". Change them to match how you like to work.
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How these jobs were picked
- Each occupation's typical work conditions come from O*NET 31.0 Work Context ratings by workers and occupational experts.
- Every condition is compared only with the same condition in other occupations, split into fifths (very low to very high). Missing or suppressed data is never counted as zero.
- Pay is the BLS national median for May 2025; education is the BLS typical education needed for entry.
- The order is a comparison, not a guarantee that a job will suit you. Read the methodology.
Dataset 2026.10.8 · wf-rank-1.1.0 · preset introvert 1.0