The 20 Best Jobs for Introverts (2023)

Nov 27, 2020 | Careers

Being an introvert doesn’t always mean that people with those personalities are anti-social or shy. They are just quite picky at which conversation they should invest their energy and focus.

On one hand – you can be a complete introvert, where you distance yourself from other individuals and find peace and comfort in loneliness. On the other hand, you can be an extrovert, where you recharge by being socially active and be professionally successful.

However, there are careers for introverts, where they will thrive from a professional point of view. In this article, we will take a look at the best jobs for introverts, with all their pros, cons, salaries, etc. Some require a bachelor’s degree, some don’t.

What is an Introvert? (Quick definition)

Introverts, as we stated above, are people who don’t like to engage in every single social interaction. They like to choose with whom and how much to engage socially. Drawing special attention and being in the centre of the events, will usually leave the introverts feeling uncomfortable and exhausted.

The first person who described the two personalities is the psychologist Carl Jung. In the 1960s, he wrote that:

“introverts and extroverts could be separated based on how they regain energy. Introverts prefer minimally stimulating environments, and they need time alone to recharge. Extroverts regain energy by being with others.”

Note, if you’re willing to do remote work (work from home), your job choices open up quite a bit more than the list below.

However, if you’re forced to go into the office, let’s take a look at the jobs that are for introverts.

The 20 Best Jobs for Introverts

When we talk about doing a job, both introverts and extroverts can succeed at them, if they are skilled for their post.

However, there are certain types of professions an introvert will be more drawn towards.

Some of those careers for introverts are the following:

Copywriter

Copywriting is creating a compelling copy, which aims to sell products or engage and educate consumers. They write for the web, billboards, radio, television, etc.
Most writers work alone to produce copy, even when they’re part of a creative team. If you have good writing and storytelling skills – this is one of the perfect jobs for loners!

Copywriting has nothing to do with copyright law!

Salary

An intermediate-advanced copywriter can earn anywhere between 10 cents to $1 per word, therefore a 1,000-word piece of content could be from $100 to $1,000. The average annual salary of a copywriter is $59,000.

Pros:

Can work from home;
Most of the time working alone;
Variety of work.

Cons:

Creative limitations from your boss or client;
Might involve working with departments (marketing, sales, etc.) if you work in a big company.

Air traffic controller

Air traffic controllers are responsible for aircraft safety by monitoring and coordinating their movements while making certain they stay far apart from one another during their course of travel.

There is literally no time for chatting with co-workers, because of the focus, required for their work.

Salary

The average annual salary of an air traffic controller is $80,000

Pros:

Very good salary;
Early retirement (50-56).

Cons:

Requires laser focus for a long period of hours;
Very stressful;
You can make no mistakes.

Actuary

The actuary analyzes the risk for insurance agencies and other financial institutions. Their job is to determine the likelihood of various outcomes for potential clients and investments. The thing, that makes this a good job for introverts, is that unless you are in consulting, you won’t deal with clients.

Salary:

Experienced actuaries can earn from $150,000 to $250,000 annually, and many actuaries earn more than that.

Pros:

Great starting salaries;
One of the top jobs in the USA;
They enjoy certainty in uncertain times.

Cons:

Long working hours;
Long time in front of the computer.

Astronomer

This is the perfect job for antisocial personalities! What’s better than spending all day in your quiet office or laboratory, staring at the stars?

The astronomer focuses mainly on the study of space (e.g. the stars, the planets, and the galaxies, etc.).

Salary:

Experienced astronomers can earn more than $100,000 a year.

Pros:

Quiet workplace;
Working on interesting projects daily;
Freedom to pursue whatever research you want.

Cons:

Long working hours;
You may not discover something new;
Not a lot of positions in the market.

Artist

Yes, it is possible for an introvert to become a successful artist! All you need is creative thinking and love to express your feelings through art. The best thing is – you would rarely have to leave your studio. Buyers come, choose a painting and leave. Having exhibitions is not necessary.

Salary: Average artists can earn from $50,000 to $150,000 annually. The more famous you are, the more you will earn.

Pros:

Expressing who you are through your art;
Experimenting as much as you like with art;
Complete creative freedom.

Cons:

Feeling misunderstood & different;
The artist mindset will be in conflict with your business mindset.

Software developer

Software development is always chosen as one of the jobs for loners. It is preferred by introverts because you can work from home and work mostly alone. Software developers build software, by writing code, which runs across various types of devices.

For example desktop apps (e.g. Google Chrome), mobile apps (Instagram), or web apps like Twitter.

Salary:

Software developers can earn around $100,000 annually.

Pros:

Great starting salaries;
High market demand;
Freedom to decide to work with a team or individually.

Cons:

Competition for jobs;
Long time in front of the computer;
The hours can be long.

Web developer

Web developers design and create websites. This includes – how the site looks, the performance of the website, site speed, how much traffic can the site handle, capacity, etc. Similar to the software developer, web developers can work from home and individually, in most cases.

Salary:

Experienced actuaries can earn from $65,000 to $100,000 annually, and many web developers earn more than that.

Pros:

Great starting salaries;
Endless opportunities to be creative;
Dealing with clients, who don’t know how a website is created.

Cons:

Need to stay updated with the latest trends;
Long time in front of the computer;
Lots of sitting.

Geoscientist

Geoscientists study the aspects of the Earth – structure, form, shape, and processes. They also study the natural resources we use. In short – a study of Earth. It is an excellent fit for introverts, who are in love with nature.

Salary:

Geoscientists can earn from $70,000 to $150,000 annually.

Pros:

Good starting salaries;
Multiple specialization areas.

Cons:

Fieldwork in extreme weather conditions;
Unconventional hours and overtime may be necessary.

Fashion designer

They design clothing, shoes, and accessories for individual clients, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions. For this job you definitely need to have a sense of style, creativity, and artistic abilities (being able to sketch their ideas). Knowledge of current fashion trends is a must.

Salary:

Good fashion designers can earn from $65,000 to $103,000 annually, and many designers earn more than that.

Pros:

Fun and creative;
Flexibility in where and how you’d like to work.

Cons:

Finding a job in such a competitive field can be brutal;
You aren’t guaranteed to rocket to the top of the industry.

Blogger

Have a topic you are passionate about? Start a blog! Write articles and make content about things you love. You can work alone and most importantly – you can work from wherever you like. Isn’t that a dream introvert job?

Salary:

Bloggers can earn from $24,000 to $200,000 annually, and famous bloggers earn more than that.

Pros:

Freedom;
Low-cost investment;
You can make money in a lot of different ways.

Cons:

It consumes a lot of time;
It takes time to make money.

Social Media Manager

This job is comparatively new. Social media managers represent a company online and are responsible for maintaining their online presence and reputation. This includes content creation, answering comments & reviews, etc.

Most of the time they communicate with their clients with text messages or emails. Occasionally there are in-person meetings.

Salary:

Social media managers can earn from $50,000 to $80,000 annually.

Pros:

Work can have a positive impact;
You can be very creative;
Fast interaction.

Cons:

You need to evolve to keep up the good work;
Consumes a lot of time;
Dealing with complaints is part of the job too.

Political scientist

Political scientists are responsible for researching and analyzing government policies and trends in politics. Usually, their work is made to help to make important decisions by politicians. This career is perfect for introverts who love to work indoors and independently.

Salary:

Political scientists can earn around $105,000 annually.

Pros:

One of the highest-paid careers in the world;
Good fit for people who values achievements;
For people who like to solve problems.

Cons:

Hard to land a job like this;
Long working hours.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor, who developed oneself into mental health and specialized in its treatment. They diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders. Most of the time they listen and analyze their patient. Moreover, they are usually paid from $80,00 to $120,00 per hour.

Salary:

Psychiatrists can earn from $103,000 to $290,000 annually.

Pros:

Great salaries;
Self-employment options;

Cons:

Long & costly education;
Long & irregular working hours. Overtime too.

Data scientist

Since data analysis requires lots of patience and the ability to work alone – this is a good introvert job.

Data scientists help companies by solving vexing problems. Utilizing computer science, modeling, statistics, analytics, and math skills, data scientists uncover the answers to questions that help companies to make better decisions.

Salary:

Data scientists can earn from $83,000 to $154,000 annually.

Pros:

In demand;
Well paid career;
Highly prestigious job.

Cons:

Privacy issues;
Fast-changing field.

Architect

The work of the architect requires to be self-directed and self-motivated. That’s why this is one of the preferred jobs for loners. There are meetings with clients, but most of their time is mainly focused on their work.

Salary:

Architects can earn from $50,000 to $115,000 annually.

Pros:

In demand;
Variety of tasks;
Math is not so involved, as we assume.

Cons:

Long & costly education;
Low starting salaries.

Editor

An editor is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and quality of a company’s written materials. Their job is to polish and refine a story or an article. They work mainly on their own. Because of the text analysis for errors and grammar, having an eye for details is a must.

Salary:

Experienced editors can earn from $35,000 to $90,000 annually, and many actuaries earn more than that.

Pros:

Work anywhere and anytime;
Plenty of areas for specialization.

Cons:

Difficult to find clients;
Unpredictable income.

Paralegal

Paralegals are the attorney’s right hand. They conduct researches, help with case files, and prepare and proofread legal documents. This is considered an introvert job because most of the time paralegals work alone and most of the time they are in the archive, organizing the cases. Moreover, you will work with attorneys, very rarely with clients.

Salary:

Paralegals can earn from $46,000 to $105,000 annually.

Pros:

Good working hours;
Challenging and exciting tasks;
Being able to help others.

Cons:

Not good starting salary;
Stress;
Lack of respect & acknowledgment.

Commercial pilot

Commercial pilots fly aircraft for charter flights, rescue operations, firefighting, aerial photography, and crop dusting. There is minimum communication. They communicate with the ground crew and dispatcher. Or if they are flying for a passenger airline, they communicate with the flight crew and passengers.

Salary: Commercial pilots can earn around $175,000 annually, and many pilots earn more than that.

Pros:

Very good salaries;
Travelling the world;
Every day at work is an adventure.

Cons:

Lot of exams and licenses to get;
Working on holidays;

Photographer

Photographers take photographs for pleasure and to record an event, emotion, place, or person. There are a lot of photography genres, that are less social, such as nature photography. Pet photography becomes more popular too.

Salary:

Photographers can earn from $52,000 to $75,000 annually.

Pros:

Freedom and flexibility;
Unending things to photoshoot.

Cons:

Camera and equipment are not cheap;
No guaranteed income;
You have to do everything on your own – finances, taxes, sales, etc.

Physicist

The physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.

This is a job for anti-social people, since most of the time, the physicist is conducting researches all alone. Very rarely working in groups. Best for thinkers and builders personalities.

Salary:

An experienced physicist can earn from $51,000 to $148,000 annually

Pros:

Great starting salaries;
One of the highest paid jobs;
Perfect job for people who love to work indoors.

Cons:

Hard to get into this career;
Long working hours;
Few will understand your work.

Medical coder

The medical coder does not collaborate with patients, however, the medical coder gets patient’s information from doctors concerning their visit. The medical coder gives certain codes to the services provided to the patient. These codes are essential for insurance companies. This job doesn’t require great social skills, but it requires good organizational skills and an eye for detail.

Salary:

The medical coder’s salary is from $39,000 to $100,000 annually. The more specialized the coder is – the more he will earn.

Pros:

Job training can be completed for 1-2 years;
Good and predictable working hours;
Skills are useful everywhere.

Cons:

Accuracy is extremely important;
Long time in front of the computer.

Conclusion

For the introverted, it’s important that they find a career that plays to their strengths while giving them daily opportunities to replenish their energy reserves.

Yet, you don’t need to be extroverted to be successful. Yes, it may help with networking and presentations, but if you’re smart and can get your point across when you need to then you’ll be fine.

Most importantly, there is no need for personality change or altering. No matter what, your personality is a remarkable part of who you are.