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Best Careers for Introverts, HSPs, Sensitive People: 70+ Jobs with Less Stress

Best Careers for Introverts, HSPs, Sensitive People: 70+ Jobs with Less Stress

If you’re an introvert, a highly sensitive person (HSP), a highly sensitive introvert (like me), and/or a person with a big heart, you need to be careful about your job environment, and choose a career or self-employment path that fits who you are, instead of forcing yourself to fit in to a bad match. More meaning, less stress!

careers for HSPs and introverts
You CAN find a career that works for you as an introvert and/or as a highly sensitive person (HSP).

As a highly sensitive introvert with a big heart who got so drained by many jobs I tried, I learned the hard way. I’d love to save you some heartache in this post by providing some career guidance, ideas, and reassurance. If you’re searching for introvert jobs or careers for highly sensitive people, you’re in the right place.

In this post:


“Can I really find something that works better for me?”

Introverts and HSPs can wilt in the wrong jobs or work environments.We can really thrive and excel in the right environment, and we can wilt easily in the wrong environment. Choosing well is very important for our well-being and happiness.

If you have a yuck feeling about work, or feel like it’s draining your soul, I bet it is because the work itself or the work culture are a bad match for you. Sometimes both. There are ways to know what to change.

You have so much to offer. Yes, YOU. The world needs your gifts. Sensitive souls are needed. I mean it.

You can find a better fit. Mid-career change can be great and doable. Not overnight, but a better way is possible.

There are lower stress jobs for introverts, HSPs, and other sensitive souls.

No, there are no perfect stress-free professions. But lower stress and not draining your soul is definitely a worthy goal. Yes!

Stress is a natural part of life and we can be even more vulnerable to it as sensitive souls. We can do self-care, but that’s not enough if the situation continues to be draining.

So often people simply put up with far too much of a stressful situation, thinking we are the problem. Let’s rethink this.

My Career Experience as a Highly Sensitive Introvert

Val Nelson - coach for introverts and HSPsI’m a highly sensitive person (HSP) and an introvert, and I have a big heart. That’s 3 forms of sensitivity all in one body. (If you’re a Myers-Briggs Type fan, I’m an INFP which explains a whole range of sensitivity.)

I’ve tried all kinds of work environments from classrooms to cubicles, and many kinds of careers, and there were many rough patches in my work life. Now I have landed happily with being a self-employed career/ business coach (especially for introverts and HSPs).

In those various work experiences, sometimes I felt alive and energized and sometimes completely drained and MISERABLE and burned out. Oh I can feel the bad memories in my body as I write this. I want to reach out to you if you’re feeling that misery and beg you to believe it can be different.

Now I get what works:

I’ve studied what factors work for me and what works for others with a similar temperament. Now I can fairly easily tell you what is important for us in choosing our work environments and career paths. I’ll explain what you need to know.

What Works for Introverts and Sensitive People, and What Doesn’t

Of course everyone is unique in their talents, so this list of factors below is not the whole list you’ll need to find the right fit for you, but it is a good starting place as you create your own work wish list. And yes I will give some career ideas below that.

As you read these workplace qualities, they might seem obvious to you, but you have likely not let yourself want these things. Maybe you think it’s impossible.

Please let yourself want what you want, and to name it, in writing out your own work wish list. Dismiss whatever doesn’t feel true for you. (Writing down what you do want is super helpful for calming the mind and manifesting amazing things.)

👍 Work Environments Where Sensitive Souls Can Thrive:

  1. Freedom to organize our own time.
  2. Time to work alone.
  3. Allows us to think deeply or explore options deeply.
  4. Systems are clear and logical.
  5. Teams with a culture of kindness and respect.
  6. Work in which our sensitivity to others’ needs is valued.
  7. Work that calls on our best talents so we can feel energized in our work.
  8. Work that aligns with our values.
  9. A culture in which authenticity is valued.
  10. Where we can prioritize quality of life over other measures of success.
  11. Where there is enough quiet to think and find calm.
  12. Access to nature or views of outdoors.
  13. Honoring of nature or animals. (We tend to be big fans of nature.)

👎 Elements That Will Drain Our Energy/ What to AVOID:

  1. Loud and highly stimulating environments, like cubicle arrangements or hospital environments.
  2. Non-stop people time.
  3. Where our time is strictly managed.
  4. Work that is not aligned with our values.
  5. Lots of meetings that are not organized well.
  6. Competitive, cut-throat, unkind work cultures.
  7. Poor organization and illogical systems.
  8. A culture in which inauthenticity reigns.
  9. Gossipy and judgmental team cultures.
  10. Intense emotions are flying around, such as frequently angry customers or bosses.
  11. Salesy energy.
  12. Lack of any connection to nature, such as a windowless work area.
  13. Insensitivity to the earth or animals.

By the way, it helps to understand what introversion and high sensitivity actually are.

Is Self-employment a Fit for Us?

As you can see from the above list, being in control of our own work environment and decisions is looking quite good for us. Which makes you wonder about self-employment.

But is self-employment a fit for you in other ways? Some answers and ideas are here:
Self-employment Ideas for Introverts (and much of it applies to HSPs too).

Careers for Introverts and Highly Sensitive People (HSP) – List of Ideas

choosing the right fitIt’s so much about the work environment and team culture plus what makes your heart sing, so it’s really unique to each person, and thus tough to list all the possible jobs and what will work for you specifically.

Nevertheless, I’ll give you some pathway ideas that you might explore and see how your heart responds. I’ve chosen ideas that could make good use of your natural talents of tuning in deeply, and are more likely to provide you quiet time to think.

Here are some popular careers that real-life introverts and highly sensitive people (HSPs) have enjoyed. Not all jobs in this list will work for you because there are many other things that have to fit as well — the team environment, your other strengths, your values, and more.

__________

This is not a list of what will work for you specifically.
It’s a list of ideas to explore and see what fits for you.
__________

These ideas are all real possibilities in the real world market:

Health and Wellness Careers

Many of us have big hearts and we want to bring that value to our work. Careers for highly sensitive people and introverts in the health and wellness fields can be a great choice, but they can also be draining. Consider jobs that focus more on one-on-one interactions. Low stress jobs for introverts and HSPs also include quieter locations and a humane pace of the work.

  1. Health care professional with a focus on one-on-one interactions (occupational therapy, massage therapy, midwife, acupuncturist, alternative healer)
  2. Lab jobs in quiet environments (not the hectic hospital labs)
  3. Human services professionals/counselors focused mostly on one-on-one interactions
  4. Yoga teacher
  5. Wellness coach
  6. Spiritual counselor, interfaith chaplain
  7. Combine two of these, such as yoga teacher and massage therapist.

More ideas for health and wellness jobs for HSPs and introverts: 50+ alternatives to being a therapist

Helping Animals Careers for highly sensitive people

Highly sensitive people often have a deeper connection to animals, which makes animal-related careers a natural fit. Plus animals are good for our mental health and well-being. Some jobs helping animals may have put you in more sad situations (such as animals with injury or illness), so keep that in mind.

  1. Veterinarian or vet assistant
  2. Animal communicator or behaviorist
  3. Dog walker or doggie day care
  4. Pet sitter
  5. Wildlife conservation/ habitat protection
  6. Pet photography

Careers in Helping/ Leading/ Coordinating

There are a lot of career paths that involve helping or educating, leading, and coordinating or managing, so there’s lots to explore here. Even if you’ve been in this general career range, there might be something else within this that you’d like better. It can become more rewarding and easier on you if you’re working for a cause you care about, or at least with people that value authenticity and caring. These ideas could get you started.

  1. Training people about something you care about.
  2. Accounting, bookkeeping, or tax prep
  3. Executive coach/ leadership coach
  4. Life coach/ career coach
  5. Project coordinator/ project manager in a field you care about
  6. Professional organizer or productivity consultant (for personal or business purposes)
  7. Leadership roles in healthy organizations where authenticity, caring, and depth are valued
  8. Archivist or librarian (Beware that some library roles are now quite public oriented, like running a community center, but there are a variety of roles, some more quiet than others.)
  9. Park ranger/ nature guide/ nature center coordinator
  10. Training, supervising, and mentoring in a field you know well.
  11. Postal service jobs (lots of behind-the-scenes jobs using organizational skills)
  12. Virtual assistant or online business manager
  13. Accessibility specialist such as at a college
  14. Behind-the-scenes no-nonsense get-it-done person at a great organization (Not a real title but it might get you thinking of good ideas. Sometimes it’s best to start with the cause or organization you care about and then see what sounds good to you among their staff positions.)

Writing Jobs

Yes you can get paid to write. These are some popular and decent paying writing jobs for creative introverts and HSPs. As with the previous list, you may find more satisfaction working with an organization or cause you are drawn to.

  1. Grant writing
  2. Résumé writing
  3. Non-profit communications (such as fundraising appeals)
  4. Social media/ online content manager/ digital marketing (There’s a big demand here. Free course here can help you learn and gain credentials.)
  5. Copywriting/ online content creator (for topics you care about)
  6. Technical writer (such as technical guides)
  7. Speech writer
  8. Paralegal

More ideas: Career Ideas for Writers/ People Who Love to Write or Edit

Design-oriented Careers

Introverts and HSPs are sometimes drawn to visual art or design related careers. The creative economy is thriving.

As with any careers for introverts or HSPs, the specifics matter. For example, videography or photography could be family photos (or pets if you want to weave in your love of animals), weddings, headshots, or campus scenes for college magazines. There’s a lot of variation of type and environment that you can discover as you explore up close.

Beware that many design jobs can be fast-paced environments but if your talents are well-aligned with idea generation and rendering, it could still be worth some exploring.

  1. Graphic design
  2. Illustration
  3. Web design
  4. Landscape design
  5. Videography or photography

Technical jobs

Bonus: remote potential, higher pay, huge demand, and often w/ low-cost training

If you are naturally drawn to tech, this is a great start. If, on the other hand, it doesn’t check all the boxes for you, consider whether tech work for a cause you believe in would make it a better fit. It’s also worth looking into whether tech jobs would fit most of your needs and provide an option for a more introvert/HSP-friendly work space or a schedule that works for you.

  1. Database administrator
  2. Data analyst for a good cause (low-cost training for data analytics)
  3. IT support (sample low-cost training for IT)
  4. Project management (low-cost training for project management)
  5. Web developer
  6. Software developer
  7. Freelance coding
  8. Assistive technologist

Physical jobs

Some introverts and HSPs enjoy more physical jobs versus being at a desk. Here are some viable ideas you might check out if you’re physically able to do the work.

  1. Landscaping/ gardening
  2. Park maintenance/ grounds keeper
  3. Airline ramp agent/ baggage handler (while wearing ear protection)
  4. Carpentry/ handyperson
  5. Solar installer
  6. Personal trainer/ fitness instructor
  7. Postal worker/ delivery service
  8. Tasker (such as through Taskrabbit or freelancing)

Research and deep thinking

Introverts and HSPs often excel at deep and analytical thinking and are highly attentive to detail. Research is often done alone and deep thinking takes quiet and time. These skills can be applied in many satisfying careers, such as:

  1. Psychological sciences researcher/ educator (psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics)
  2. STEM professions (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
  3. GIS professions (geographic information systems – for mapping data to solve problems)
  4. Academic research assistant
  5. Paralegal or legal research
  6. Alumni or donor relations  (While there is people time too, there’s a lot of research involved and some team members focus on different parts.)
  7. Data analytics for a good cause (low-cost training for data analytics)

Strategic thinking jobs

HSPs are often deep thinkers, processing deep sensory input and intuition. Introverts also tend to be deep thinkers, which makes strategic thinking jobs among the best careers for introverts and HSPs. Jobs that use strategic thinking skills are found in many industries, which means you can combine strategic thinking and other skills with a field you have experience in or a cause that lights you up.

  1. Digital marketing specialist
  2. Digital content strategist
  3. Campaign strategist for social justice or climate causes
  4. Career or business coach
  5. Visual storytelling (combine your creative skills and strategic thinking)
  6. Strategic planning consultant
  7. Emerging technology business roles (e.g., research or project manager)
  8. Emergency prep specialist

Combine left-brained and right-brained talents together

Mixing your analytical and logical side with your creative and intuitive side can be deeply satisfying. Actually almost all the jobs in the above lists could fit in this category.

Here are a few other good jobs for introverts and HSPs that especially bring together left-brained and right-brained talents:

  1. Data visualization
  2. User experience (UX) design/ customer experience research (low-cost training for UX)
  3. Cyber security analyst
  4. Marketing strategy
  5. Leadership coach
  6. Business management consultant/trainer
  7. Accessibility specialist

How to Choose Your Best Career Path

Perhaps you now have a few ideas that intrigue you, and a bit of a sense of what might fit for your introvert/HSP needs.
But how do you choose well before going too far down one path?

I explain a bit in this video:

With a little help, and some simple steps to walk through together, the picture can come into focus. What a relief.

Taking the time to look closely before choosing is an investment that saves you so much heartache and expense down the wrong road.

I’ve created an online course to help walk you through the steps (with solidarity pricing down to $0):
Check out my “Career Clarity Course: Simple Steps to Uncover the Best Use of You Now”.

For a free taste first, check out: Roadmap to Your Career Sweet Spot.

Don’t Dismiss Your “Wild” Ideas Too Quickly

Maybe you think you don’t have good ideas because you think your secret dreams are too unrealistic. It might be more possible than you think.

I’m not about following any wild idea without exploration first. I’m both optimistic and practical.

There are ways to explore ideas before investing down a path. I explain the exploration method in my Career Clarity Course.

In the meantime, I welcome your comments and questions below.

Picture of Val Nelson

Val Nelson

I’ve been a self-employed career/business/purpose coach since 2009. I help introverts and HSPs (like me) who want to make a difference — in a way that fits our energy and our practical needs too. ~ Val Nelson
Coaching | SOULpreneurs Circle | Courses | Newsletter | LinkedIn

I appreciate feedback, good and bad. You can comment below or email.

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15 thoughts on “Best Careers for Introverts, HSPs, Sensitive People: 70+ Jobs with Less Stress”

  1. Hello.
    My name is Adri I have 29 years old. I live in England but originally I’m from Poland.
    I moved to England about 4 years ago. I work in Tesco on night shift. I was happy with my job but after this 4 years I’m very drained and I wanted to follow my dreams. I would like to change something. I finished Biology in Poland but because of language barrier I couldn’t go any further than my actual job. I found my soulmate in England. He’s English so my language skills improved a bit ( I’m not very fluent but I can communicate ). Two weeks ago I had my breakdown at work. It’s a hard, physical job. I don’t mind working physical because I always liked physical jobs. Unfortunately atmosphere at work become quite toxic for me and I’m very tired and drained.
    I love embroidery, I even started a course 2 years ago, but because of my work place, almost everyday when I back home I’m absolutely shattered. My hands hurts and I’m unable to embroider.
    My dream was to learn and combine two skills : embroidery and sawing. I would love to make fantasy ( or medieval, Japanese, boho) themed clothes, bags, home decorations. I love everything that is related to crafting. My second dream job would be a furniture renovations.
    I was thinking quite intensively in the last two weeks what to do about my life..
    I don’t want to work in Tesco on night to the rest of my life. I was even thinking to go to University on Pharmacology ( if I would follow money… that would be a good choice but unfortunately is against my views.. I’m not a big fun of Big Farma. I much more prefer alternative medicine ( I even started Herbology ( Phytotherapy ) course 3 years ago and I haven’t finished 🙁 ) )
    I’m really scared, to change a job. To do something. To do a driving test as well… I’m petrified but I also know that without a change… I will stuck.

    I found your website and I’m slowly analysing everything. What should I do. Thank you for creating such a beautiful and comforting place.

    I’m sorry for such a chaotic comment..

  2. Am hsp, male, creative, musician, artistic, tradesman, contractor, outdoor athlete, skier, climber mountain and nature lover, sailor, little league baseball coach and all. Wondering why you didn’t mention any creative, artistic or musical activities that us hsp do as well? You know how great of positive stimulation these can be as well. Also having this awareness of such being an hsp is truly a gift as well.
    Gratitude is a huge positive stimulation as well. Gratitude2d is the power of being grateful and the power of such squares itself having this gift of awarenes. Thank you fir this great site and all the wonderful inspiration and knowledge you share. Amazing this life we have even w all the nonsensical things online, negative news and other people not having awareness, positivity and those suffering with emotional issues and lack of abundance. Wish better for all. Thank you thank you.

    1. Thanks for your comment and that’s a great question. On my long list of posts I want to write is a whole post about creative careers for introverts and HSPs, and nature lover careers for us too. But I’m not sure when I’ll have time. These take time to research and tune in.
      There are a few of those creative and nature oriented ideas in the mix above but there are so many possibilities.
      I do have more ideas like the ones you said in a follow-up post about job trends: https://valnelson.com/introvert-power/career-ideas-for-introverts-and-hsps-the-2020-update-for-meaningful-and-viable-work/
      Yes, yay for gratitude!! And I’m so glad you’re seeing the gifts of being sensitive. I have a new post out about HSP strengths for self-employment careers, in case that direction interests you: https://valnelson.com/self-employment/hsp-superpowers-for-business-and-marketing/

      Thanks for commenting.

  3. Hello! I’m also an HSI and do bookkeeping from my home office. Happy to report it is the perfect job for me as I love details and organizational things/structure. Plus the environment is quiet, I have large windows overlooking a forest, and there aren’t even ringing phones to have to answer. Just me and my computer. So I would definitely keep bookkeeping on the list:)

  4. Do you have first hand experience with the professions listed? Some seem like they would not be a good fit if you’re HSP, if you don’t like attention to detail type work (and many HSPs don’t) Accounting and Cyber security type work can really drain you.

    1. Hi Mark. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. You are asking good questions. To answer your concerns: I have experience in many work environments and exposure to many different fields, but I have not experienced all the ones in the list. I have gathered the list with the help of other introverts and HSPs and based on what I know of our traits and those fields.

      As far as attention to detail, that is something that for many HSPs is a strength, but every person is unique. If you don’t like attention to detail, I recommend avoiding those kinds of jobs. There’s no one-size-fits-all for HSPs, introverts, or anyone. I have known introverts and HSPs who really enjoy accounting and cybersecurity. I myself enjoy attention to detail but might not like a job in accounting. There are so many factors to consider.

      I made a slight update to the article since receiving your comment, to make it more clear how the list works. Thank you again for commenting so it can hopefully help make the article more clear for everyone.

  5. Hi! I really enjoyed this article (fellow HSP and INFP here!). I have some not so conventional ideas about work I’d like to do, and this makes me feel better about wanting to pursue those instead of what my education was intended for.

    I would consider making one small change, though. I would argue that a lab technician job is NOT ideal for a sensitive person. Working as a lab technician is actually what led me to discover I was an HSP. It requires a lot of attention to detail with fairly short amounts of time to do it. And there’s so much noise due to the instruments, fridges, timers, etc. We also have to deal with angry/impatient docs, nurses, and sometimes managers. My coworkers in particular are very gossip-y. It’s… draining, to put it lightly.
    This could be different at smaller outpatient sites, but I’m not sure. Maybe you could footnote it suggesting to avoid midsize-to-large hospitals?

    1. I’m pretty sure I am in the beginning years of retirement from traditional work. Working for others for 30 years in a variety of areas…from sales, to banking, to personal care provider, to baking….and not knowing I was HSP and Introvert until I was 50, has me right exhausted. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and haven’t worked in 2 years. I love being in nature. I enjoy sewing using Thrifted material that can be repurposed into something new.
      Have you written anything about using creative skills to earn money in retirement years?

  6. I want to start workind. As an sensitive person i don’t like selling, call targets any pressure or data Job. Can you please show me the way to go

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