12 Best Jobs for Introverts (& People Who Like to Work Alone)

Some introverts may have a hard time adjusting to their work environment. It may be too crowded or even too draining.

So we asked 12 experts “what are the best jobs for introverts?“

Below are their top recommendations.

I’m a freelance writer and I truly believe it is one of the best positions for an introvert

Away from the typical office environment, it provides the freedom to dictate your schedule and choose when to put your ‘extrovert face’ on. It’s not just about the ability to work from home and stick to mainly virtual communication — although that’s pretty nice.

Being a freelance writer (or any other freelance creative for that matter) requires you to own and sell your work/art — something that is challenging for many introverts.

However, when it’s your own craft (and when your rent depends on it!), it’s easier to take risks and put yourself out there than when you’re selling products, services, or ideas for another company.

Working for yourself hones both professional and social skills from a place of comfort and confidence in who you are and what you have to offer.

The passion of owning it fully is powerful enough to push you to put yourself out there in ways you couldn’t imagine, but in a self-assured way that I’ve never been able to achieve while working for someone else.

I’m an introvert and I have been working from home as a blogger for the past 10 years. At first, I was doing a lot of freelance writing for other blogs, but for most of those 10 years, I have been managing my own blogs.

Regardless of whether you work as a freelance writer or run your own blogs, it is a great opportunity for introverts.

Growing your own blog takes a good bit of time and patience, but it’s very possible to start making money as a freelancer right away. Job boards like ProBlogger, Blogging Pro, and Freelance Writers Den are great places to find work. You can also proactively reach out to blogs that have a team of writers to see if they are hiring.

I love working from home and being on my own. I don’t need interaction with co-workers, and I’m able to be more productive without the distractions.

Writer, website developer, author

It took me 25 years to discover that I was an introvert. Until that time, I didn’t understand myself. I didn’t understand why some people absolutely loved parties and business dealings and yes, even making friends, and I just didn’t.

I dreaded those things. Then (and this is not a plug), I remember reading “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain and just thinking, wow. It explained so much.

Read Related Article: Best Books for Introverts

It opened my eyes to the fact that I wasn’t boring or shy or antisocial. I was just introverted. From then on, I stopped blaming myself for not being fun enough, or social enough, or whatever.

I started shifting my life in ways that made sense for an introvert on the very far end of that spectrum, including choosing jobs that allowed me to work alone.

I became a writer for a magazine, then a website developer/SEO, and now, finally, I’m a fantasy author. Each of these jobs is amazing for introverts. They’ve surely been amazing for me.

Like most introverts, my threshold for human interaction is low. I didn’t even make it through last Thanksgiving with the in-laws without hiding upstairs (alone) for a bit.

But solo work on the computer, with the luxury of making my own schedule, affords me the ability to work when I’m “on” and stop when I’m “off,” without the burden of meetings or phone calls. I think that’s something every introvert should aim for.

A job with remote flexibility

I would recommend a remote job, or at least a job with remote flexibility, to anyone who likes to work alone, since this allows you to be out of an office full of people while working.

A remote worker can choose his or her work location each day, whether that is your apartment, a quiet coffee shop, a private room in a coworking space, or anywhere that makes the person feel comfortable.

Working remotely can get lonely, even for introverts and those who enjoy being alone, so often it is also nice to work for a few days in busier coffee shops or a coworking space where you can talk with other remote workers in person.

Remote jobs can be anything that you do primarily on a computer, including coding, marketing, design, and even sales.

I would recommend taking courses on Udemy or locally to learn a remote skill if you do not have one already and wish to become a remote worker.

Introverts make the perfect professional long-haul driver

Chewing through the miles, staring at the black ribbon of road unfolding ahead of you, you’ll be at one with your thoughts. Of course, there’s ample opportunity for you to become very knowledgeable using audiobooks and podcasts, or you can simply listen to music and occasionally chat to other drivers on the CB. The main interaction with other people is when picking up or dropping offloads.

The transport industry is critically short of drivers meaning that it’s relatively easy to find a job.

Long-haul trucking isn’t the only option, though: mining operations in far-flung places like Kalgoorlie in Australia require dump truck drivers for long shifts and the pay can be more than US$150,000 per year. Of course, you’ll have to put up with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees and over 100 species of venomous snakes, but you’ll soon harden up like a true Aussie.

To become a professional driver you need to do driver training and progress from small rigid trucks up to large articulated semi-trailers and B trains. This can take a few years but ultimately you’ll see parts of the country you never thought you would.

As someone who helps people find work in film and television, most of the people I work with are certainly extroverts. But there are some great jobs in entertainment that suit introverts down to the ground.

Production Accountant

Especially on smaller shows, this will job often be done by one person. They usually have an office (with a door) in the production office or the production trailer on the location.

They will be responsible for keeping a very close track of invoices from rental vendors, receipts for day-to-day expendables in many different departments, dispensing and tracking petty cash, ensuring insurance forms are properly handled, and sometimes payroll (although that is usually handled by a specialist firm).

Usually, the accountant gets to sit alone with their beloved spreadsheets, and only deal with people who come for a few minutes and quickly go, who only enter the domain once the expense has been approved by the Line Producer. Don’t try to go in without that signature!

Editors of different kinds

editors tend to spend most of their time in a dark room looking at the screen. Eventually, the director will be sitting beside them for at least part of the time, but most of it will be done alone.

Foley Artist (once called a “Foley Walker”)

These are people who add live sound effects to films including such things as footsteps on different types of surfaces, kissing sounds (yep), environmental sounds like squeaky doors or breaking glass, and any other sound that can be immediately traced to the actions of actors on the screen, including breaking bones and punches in fight scenes.

Foley Artists not only physically make the sounds themselves, but also devise and acquire or manufacture different props with which to make them – like particular shoes or items that make interesting sounds when combined.

Usually, the only person around when a Foley Artist is working a session is the Foley Mixer, a specialist sound mixer who will set up the needed microphones in what is usually a small studio, and then record the sounds from the next room.

Researchers and number crunchers

The folks who look at daily ticket sales, or viewer numbers and prepare projections and financial reports and data trend reports. Sometimes they will be called upon to make a verbal report, but most of the time this is a job that needs solitude and the ability to get lost in all those beautiful numbers.

Graphics work

Designing posters and other marketing collateral can often be a solitary pursuit. But, there will be pitch meetings and group discussions to attend at least part of the time.

The same thing applies to virtually any visual designer in the business, including set designers who create the plans and working drawings for any built pieces, or people designing visual concepts for storyboards, animations or effects.

So a great middle-ground between working completely alone and collaborating on a team.

Introverts, keeping their personality and nature in mind, need to find their calling in jobs which are not dependent on others for the success of their work and require minimal interaction and collaboration with other people.

It doesn’t in the least mean that introverts have to be anti-social and avoid communicating with others, but introverts work best in the kind of jobs which sought individual expertise to a great extent.

One’s own expertise must be sufficient to get a job done and the kind of jobs should be such that they are minimally dependent on others.

The best jobs for introverts are data and analytics, designing, coding developers, software developers, and content writing.

Related: Best Jobs Where You Work Alone

Writers and copyeditors spend a good deal of time working alone, so for those who prefer to work alone, this job is ideal.

In fact, both writers and copyeditors should enjoy working alone—it’s just part of the job. One of the great parts about being a writer or editor is that you can work from just about anywhere, which gives you the freedom to work in a traditional office environment or work remotely.

Keep in mind even writers and editors will still need to have some contact with coworkers. Writers will need to work with an assigning editor and/or a copyeditor and will need to be able to take direction and feedback—sometimes that’s in an email, other times it’s in person or over the phone. You’ll also need to be ready to conduct interviews with sources or subjects, though many can be arranged over email or by phone.

Copyeditors can typically provide edits and feedback via email, so your people contact may be even less. Copyeditors should, however, be ready and willing to discuss changes and give in person or over the phone with writers.

For introverts and loners, there are lots of online business ideas that let you work within your comfort zone—and still kill it financially.

The key is to find a job that fits your personality, skills, and experience while letting you work from home. A few of the top jobs we recommend at MultipleStreams are:

Web designer/coder – There’s a never-ending need for new websites with quality graphic and interface design. If you’re techy, this is the perfect work-from-home opportunity.

Internet researcher – Content writers, copywriters, and speakers need interesting stories, statistics, and details to add interest to their projects. They appreciate having someone help them find those golden nuggets, so they can focus on their big ideas.

Content provider – Every business needs articles, reports, ebooks, and other content to build their business and drives sales. If you can write, this is a smart option for people who want to crawl into their home office/cave and write.

I have worked with 3 extremely talented writers over the past 5 years directly, helping guide them – and being aware of their workload and their personalities pretty intimately.

Certainly – they’ve been some of the most introverted professionals I’ve ever met. The job also lends itself well to that kind of personality, since they mostly need to keep their head down in there work – more than anything.

Particularly as SEO writers, where they have to crank out 3000 words per day, it can get pretty intense – only an introvert could master that kind of work-load, while I personally – could never do it since I’m way too social.

In the past, someone who worked in marketing was supposed to be outgoing: a “people person” who could get out there and network face to face with customers. Now, the exact opposite is true.

Related: The Best Networking Books for Introverts

With digital presence becoming more and more vital for branding and sales growth, marketers are focused on data analysis and content creation. I can go an entire afternoon with my headphones in, buried in keyword research, blog writing, and pulling reports to demonstrate my client’s website performance. And that’s just the way I like it.

Although the freelance world can be tough, it can also be quite rewarding, especially for introverts.

Introverts like to work alone, but more importantly, they like to expand their knowledge and develop their mind and skills.

Freelance writing offers just that as writers are available to contribute to as many publications as possible, without being tied down to anyone in particular.

Similarly, freelancing allows introverts to work on their own schedules to deliver content that is truly their own without the fear of anyone looking over their shoulder constantly. Overall, there are few jobs that enable introverts to thrive quite like freelance writing.