13 Of The Best Careers For Introverts

Here's how to combine your two biggest interests: making money and NOT talking to people.

1. Social Media Manager

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Working as a social media manager isn't just getting paid to post on Facebook; it's a demanding full-time job that will allow you to focus most of your energy on the virtual world, which can be a relief for introverts. “While it may seem contradictory, being a social media manager is a good option for introverts that can write," says Rich Milgram, CEO of online career network Beyond.com. "You can interact with thousands – and possibly millions – of people each day without having to see them in person. It’s the best of both worlds.”

2. Animal Care Worker

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If you'd rather spend your time hanging out with cute animals than people, CareerCast.com suggests looking into a career in the animal care and service industry: Think veterinary technician, staffer at an animal rescue organization, or even — OMG — zookeeper.

3. Corporate Accounting

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Being knee-deep in numbers all day might sound like heaven if you'd rather die than spend hours in meetings. "With corporate tax accounting, the position is very cerebral, investigative and research-oriented. It’s an introvert’s paradise," says Frank Green, president of the Atlanta-based staffing firm ExecuSource. "You don’t have to deal with anyone as facts are facts. You can’t argue with tax codes."

4. Software Developer

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Not only can you make megabucks as a programmer — on average about $90,000 a year — but the nature of your job requires hours of solitude that allow you to produce meticulous work. You'll need to have a bachelor's degree in computer science and/or strong programming skills.

5. Court Reporter

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Court reporters actually make decent money (the median annual wage for court reporters as of 2015 is $53,000) and can work relatively autonomously. "Even though court reporters are highly visible, they don’t have to interact with anyone," says Mary Ellen Slayter, a career expert for Monster.com. "Occasionally they are asked to read quotes back to the court, but that doesn’t involve sharing their own thoughts in front of others, which can make introverts nervous."

6. IT Professional

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In information technology, many of your interactions will be either with data and data alone, or with other humans in a virtual capacity. Sure, you'll have to deal with some annoying tickets and "operator errors," but your work will also allow you a plethora of solitary time when you can refuel your introvert gas tank.

7. Clinical Lab Technician

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If you have a high tolerance for blood and bodily fluids, consider working as a lab tech, which you can do at hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and doctors' offices. Most of your duties, which involve testing medical samples for various normalities and abnormalities, can be done privately.

8. Business-to-Business Sales

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Sales probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you consider careers that involve minimal talking, but Kevin Burns, director of the undergraduate business career center at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, suggests that intra-business sales, e.g. those between manufacturer and wholesaler or wholesaler and retailer, is actually a great arena for introverts to thrive.

"Despite common stereotypes, I suggest that business-to-business sales is an excellent career for introverts," he says. "A great deal of time is spent independently, learning about and creating solutions for customers. This allows an introvert the space to regain energy. In addition, introversion does not suggest that these people do not like to be around other people, just not all the time, since it is energy draining. The on-again, off-again interactions of B2B sales help introverts manage both worlds — research and interaction — with great skill and satisfaction.”

9. Librarian

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Because books are better than people anyway, librarianship is the perfect career for someone who'd rather bury their head in a tome than chat with colleagues all day. To be an ~official~ librarian you'll need a master's degree in library science, but even if you don't want to go to grad school, there's a vast range of jobs under the library umbrella, including archivist, cataloger, historian, research librarian, and more.

10. Graphic Designer

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For those gifted with artistic abilities and a love of silence, graphic design might be that rare career that lets you flex your creative muscles and also work uninterrupted for hours. "People who create graphics for publications, websites, packaging and other media occasionally must deal with project managers or clients, but otherwise they spend most of their time working on the product," Slayter says.

11. Electrician

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Electricians are not only constantly in demand, but can do most of their work in relative solitude, especially if they run their own electrical business. They also do decently salary-wise — the median annual wage as of 2015 is about $43,000.

12. Writer

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You will be broke, but also mostly alone!

13. Professional Netflix Binge Watcher

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Dream job alert: Netflix hires full-time "taggers" to watch its streaming content and "desconstruct" it with those sometimes hilarious objective tags. (NB: They're currently hiring a Dutch-language tagger.)