Most professions will require you to work at least 30 hours per week, so it’s important to choose a career path that suits your personality.

You really don’t want to spend a big part of your life doing something that just isn’t for you: though some of the career options mentioned here could give you a lot more flexibility than the average nine to five, chances are that even with those you’d have to work a significant amount of time.

Now, it’s important to realize that being an introvert doesn’t automatically rule out some career options.

For instance, even though a sales job usually requires a lot of talking and negotiating (the kind of tasks you’d expect an extrovert to excel at), there’s plenty of introverted salespeople who enjoy their job and earn a high income.

So whatever your personality is, never assume that there’s jobs you cannot do. As we’ll see, as long as you are passionate about a particular career, you can be very successful and enjoy your job.

Today we’re going to have a look at ten great career choices for introverts; but first, let’s have a look at the definition of an “introvert”.

What is introversion?

Most people believe an introvert is someone who is quiet and finds it overwhelming to interact with strangers for a long time.

While often that is the case, a more accurate definition would be that an introverted person is someone who focuses most of their energy toward the inner world (rather than the external world).

So as a result, introverts tend to recharge when they are alone — spending time on their own ideas, interests and projects. While they do increase their energy and happiness when interacting with external objects (this includes people), they tend to do this way less than those who are extroverted.

It’s also important to realize that there aren’t just two types of people. We’re all different, but each of us has a side that’s predominant. So someone who is quiet and reserved most of the time is likely to be predominantly an introvert.

If you believe you belong to this personality type, and you are struggling to choose the right career (or you simply want a different job), here’s ten great options you want to consider.

10 jobs for introverts

1. Anything you enjoy doing

Ultimately, you know what the right job for you is. A job that doesn’t fit your personality type, yet is exciting and rewarding, is probably a great choice.

Think: what is your passion, your talent? What are your interests? If you are able to turn those into a career, I guarantee you’ll be way happier than most people out there, regardless of your character.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

— Confucius

Passion gives you the energy to focus on what you like and deal with what you don’t like. So for example, if you are an introvert, and you are passionate about teaching, then you probably have the skills to become an amazing teacher, and enjoy your job, even if you’ll have to interact with other people most of your time.

Conversely, a job that suits your personality type, but bores you out of your mind, is likely to make you miserable.

Of course, there are other criteria you should consider when choosing a career, such as the salary range, or education requirements. But usually the most important factor is your own interests.

I’ve met a lot of introverts who chose a career path where they had to interact with others all the time (for instance, teachers, or recruitment consultants) and while at first it was uncomfortable, they quickly adapted because they enjoyed the job. They also improved their social skills, which made them really proud.

2. Entrepreneur or freelancer

As an entrepreneur, you get to choose where you work, when you work, and those you work with; as a solopreneur, you basically work alone. The same applies to most freelancers.

This lifestyle isn’t stress free — as a matter of fact, you’ll probably have a lot more responsibilities, and may have to work long hours, at least in the beginning — but it does offer flexibility.

As we’ve seen, most introverts love to spend time on their projects, and that’s basically what entrepreneurs do. As a business owner, every hour you spend on research, every phone call, every strategy you implement goes toward your creation.

Keep in mind, while starting a business does require a lot of time and energy, it doesn’t have to be expensive, or risky. For example, while starting a physical store may cost you $100,000 or more, an online store could be set up with less than $100 (really).

Lastly, being an entrepreneur or freelancer can be a great option for introverts because your ideas can make all the difference. Introverts love to think and use their intuition, and when they own a business they are able to turn those ideas into assets.

3. Web designer or developer

Are you tech-savvy? Do you enjoy designing or creating websites and apps? Are you willing to learn one or more programming languages? This could definitely be the right career for you.

As a web developer, you’ll spend most of your time in front of a computer. While this could be too frustrating for an extrovert, those on the introverted side may find it ideal.

If you love art and graphic design; if you enjoy using colors to create beautiful images and website layouts, then you’d probably prefer being a web designer, as it requires creativity more than logic.

On the other hand, if you love using your brain to solve problems, and you’re not afraid to learn complex languages, you’d be more inclined to be a web developer (particularly a back-end developer: someone who takes care of the structure of an application, rather than its appearance).

Besides being great for introverts, this career path has other advantages: it’s easy to work remotely, or as a freelancer, and you can earn a pretty good salary once you’re experienced.

Moreover, there’s no formal qualifications required to do the job (even though a college degree or a course would certainly help).

4. Accountant

Is accounting the right career choice for an introvert? This very much depends on the type of job that you have.

Typically, someone who is quiet and reserved would prefer working in tax, where you spend a lot of time on your own, researching and analyzing data. Moreover, tax work tends to be predictable.

Conversely, someone who works in audit should have excellent communication skills, as they’ll have to talk to clients on a daily basis (typically, this requires a lot of traveling). The auditor job is more varied, but an introvert may find it overwhelming.

You also have to consider where you’ll be working: in a big office, you are expected to interact with strangers all the time, and it’s hard to develop close relationships. But in a smaller office, you interact with less people, and it’s easy to get to know them.

Although some accounting jobs don’t require a degree, it’s definitely a great investment, which will help you advance in your career.

If you are an introvert who likes numbers and has an analytical mind, accounting may be the perfect job for you. The earning potential is high, and while good communication skills are required — just like in any profession — you can find a job where you work on your own most of the time.

5. Scientist

Scientists are curious. As they carry out experiments, they learn and discover new things. Most of their tasks don’t require talking to people, so if you’re an introvert with a bright mind, this could be an excellent career choice.

In order to work as a scientist, you will need to pursue a degree. Typically, a four-year bachelor’s degree will be enough, but depending on the kind of job you are looking for, post-graduate education may be required.

As a scientist, most of your daily tasks could involve:

  • Analyzing data
  • Reading and writing reports
  • Carrying out experiments
  • Learning new things
  • Solving problems and coming up with new ideas
  • Learning from more experienced scientists (in the beginning)
  • Teaching and supervising colleagues (when experienced)

Typically, as a scientist you’ll work in a team, and you’ll need to communicate efficiently, but that’s about it — no selling, or talking non-stop. If you’re an introvert who loves to explore and discover new things, this could be an excellent career for you.

6. Truck or delivery driver

Why is this a good career option for introverts?

Well, most of the time you’ll be on your own, driving and delivering parcels or food. While someone who is very outgoing could find this dull and depressing, for an introvert it could be perfectly fine.

As a truck or delivery driver, you won’t have to work in a team, talk on the phone all the time, sell products, or give presentations. While your performance will be monitored, nobody will ever assess your communication skills or judge your personality.

Depending on the company you work for, and the amount of hours you work in a week, you could also earn good money. Some specialized truck drivers can earn up to $100,000 a year.

7. Translator

Much like programmers, translators typically work on the computer, on their own. That’s why this is another excellent job for introverts, particularly those who would like to work from home (either as freelancers or employees).

While interpreters translate what people say (for instance, during a conference), translators analyze documents and write them in a different language.

Besides translating texts, they may be required to perform proofreading tasks or audio transcriptions. Being able to focus for long periods of time, accuracy, and precision are some of the skills required to become a translator, and if you are an introvert, chances are you already have these skills.

While the average starting salary won’t make you rich, senior translators can earn a high salary, especially if they specialize in technical translation, or if they know rare languages.

For this profession, a college degree isn’t needed — though some employers may require it.

8. Photographer or video editor

This career path requires passion and creativity. Your job will basically consist in using a camera to create beautiful photos or videos of food, houses, hotels, cars, animals, nature, or anything else.

Most photographers are freelancers, and while you will definitely have to interact with your clients, during the actual image/video editing process you will be on your own.

As a professional photographer or video editor you could work for startups, advertising agencies, and privates. No day will ever be the same, and you’ll get the chance to meet interesting people.

You definitely won’t need to get a degree for this job. Some photographers are 100% self-taught, and the same may work for you. Or, you may decide to take a course, so you can learn the right skills faster.

9. Gardener

This career would suit an introvert who enjoys working outdoors with manual skills.

If a desk job isn’t for you, and you love nature, becoming a gardener might be a great option. You will have to be knowledgeable about plants and flowers, as well as many gardening techniques. Your tasks may include:

  • Planting, watering, or fertilizing plants
  • Pruning trees and bushes
  • Digging
  • Transporting material or equipment
  • Operating mowers

Even if you do work in a team, it will be a small one, and it’ll be easy to get to know everyone.

10. Artisan or artist

As I mentioned earlier, an introvert is someone who focuses most of their energy toward their inner world: their ideas, projects, intuitions, and discoveries.

That’s why many introverts love art, and anything that’s creative: it allows them to express their feelings and create beauty without saying a single word — think of paintings, music, or sculpture.

As an artist or artisan, you will either work alone or in a small workshop/studio. You could create anything from jewellery, pottery, furniture, or leather items (and assist more experienced artisans, as you learn their skills).

All the jobs I listed in this article have one thing in common: they require you to work on something, and not necessarily with people. Someone who creates artistic items is the perfect example.

If you choose to become an artist, and sell your own creations (online or offline), then your passion could turn into a fantastic job. This route can be difficult, but it’s definitely not impossible. For example, a lot of people sell their creations on Etsy and are able to earn a six-figure salary.

Final thoughts

Once again, your personality type should never limit your career choices, or opportunities.

When choosing a profession, my advice would be to identify your interests, who you want to be and what you want to do, and only then evaluate whether the job you thought of suits your character.

People skills can be learned, but talent is innate: if you focus on your passion, it will be easier to find a meaningful job.

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