Is teaching a good career for introverts?
It depends on the role. Of the 6 teaching roles we compared, adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors report the least contact with others and elementary school teachers, except special education the most.
Teaching rates near the top of the data for public speaking, which makes sense: talking to a group is the job. Tutors and preschool teachers rate lowest on it here.
Phone work is where teaching is quieter than many office jobs.
We compared six teaching occupations from preschool to secondary school, plus adult education teachers and tutors. The ratings come from O*NET, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, where workers answer questions about what their job involves.
What the data shows
- Contact with others ranges from 4.3 out of 5 for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors (closest to "contact most of the time") to 4.9 for elementary school teachers, except special education (closest to "constant contact").
- After contact, the biggest difference is in public speaking: 2.3 out of 5 for tutors, against 4.6 for elementary school teachers, except special education.
- The next biggest is distracting or uncomfortable noise: 2.2 out of 5 for adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors, against 4.3 for elementary school teachers, except special education.
- 5 of the 6 occupations with their own pay data involve more contact with others than the typical US occupation.
- 65% of adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors say they have face-to-face discussions every day, compared with 89% of elementary school teachers, except special education.
- 4 of the 6 rate working in a team as very important or more.
- Among occupations with their own pay data, the lowest-contact one is adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors, at a median $61,540 a year. The best paid is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, at $72,040.
Social demands, side by side
Each figure is an O*NET average on a 1 to 5 scale. Lower means less of it. Hover a heading for the exact question.
| Role | Contact | Face-to-face | Phone | Speaking | Customers | Teamwork | Conflict | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 4.8 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 4.9 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 4.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 4.8 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Tutors | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
Pay, entry and outlook
| Role | Median pay | Typical entry education | Typical training | Growth 2025-35 | Projected openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | $38,140 | Associate's degree | None | +4.5% | 66,700 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,970 | Bachelor's degree | None | -0.4% | 87,500 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,370 | Bachelor's degree | None | -0.4% | 38,800 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $72,040 | Bachelor's degree | None | -0.2% | 63,500 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | $61,540 | Bachelor's degree | None | -13.9% | 3,800 |
| Tutors | $43,350 | Some college, no degree | None | -0.2% | 34,200 |
Each role in detail
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Contact with others: 4.8 out of 5, closest to "constant contact", more than 85% of ranked occupations. Face-to-face discussions every day for 72% of workers. Phone calls: closest to "once a month or more" (25% say never). Public speaking: closest to "once a month or more". Teamwork rated "very important"; dealing with customers or the public "important". Distracting noise: closest to "once a month or more".
Median pay $38,140 a year. Typical entry education: associate's degree. About 66,700 projected openings a year.
Core tasks, as listed by O*NET:
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
- Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Contact with others: 4.9 out of 5, closest to "constant contact", more than 92% of ranked occupations. Face-to-face discussions every day for 89% of workers. Phone calls: closest to "once a week or more". Public speaking: closest to "every day". Teamwork rated "extremely important"; dealing with customers or the public "extremely important". Distracting noise: closest to "once a week or more".
Median pay $63,970 a year. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree. About 87,500 projected openings a year.
Core tasks, as listed by O*NET:
- Instruct students individually and in groups, using teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among the students.
- Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems or with special academic interests.
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Contact with others: 4.8 out of 5, closest to "constant contact", more than 83% of ranked occupations. Face-to-face discussions every day for 80% of workers. Phone calls: closest to "once a month or more". Public speaking: closest to "once a week or more". Teamwork rated "extremely important"; dealing with customers or the public "important". Distracting noise: closest to "once a month or more".
Median pay $64,370 a year. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree. About 38,800 projected openings a year.
Core tasks, as listed by O*NET:
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Contact with others: 4.8 out of 5, closest to "constant contact", more than 84% of ranked occupations. Face-to-face discussions every day for 78% of workers. Phone calls: closest to "once a week or more" (11% say never). Public speaking: closest to "every day". Teamwork rated "very important"; dealing with customers or the public "important". Distracting noise: closest to "once a week or more".
Median pay $72,040 a year. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree. About 63,500 projected openings a year.
Core tasks, as listed by O*NET:
- Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Contact with others: 4.3 out of 5, closest to "contact most of the time", more than 40% of ranked occupations. Face-to-face discussions every day for 65% of workers. Phone calls: closest to "once a month or more". Public speaking: closest to "once a week or more". Teamwork rated "very important"; dealing with customers or the public "important". Distracting noise: closest to "once a year or more".
Median pay $61,540 a year. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree. About 3,800 projected openings a year.
Core tasks, as listed by O*NET:
- Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
- Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to students.
Tutors
Contact with others: 4.6 out of 5, closest to "constant contact", more than 67% of ranked occupations. Face-to-face discussions every day for 81% of workers. Phone calls: closest to "once a month or more". Public speaking: closest to "once a year or more". Teamwork rated "very important"; dealing with customers or the public "very important". Distracting noise: closest to "once a year or more".
Median pay $43,350 a year. Typical entry education: some college, no degree. About 34,200 projected openings a year.
Core tasks, as listed by O*NET:
- Provide feedback to students, using positive reinforcement techniques to encourage, motivate, or build confidence in students.
- Review class material with students by discussing text, working solutions to problems, or reviewing worksheets or other assignments.
- Assess students' progress throughout tutoring sessions.
What the numbers can't tell you
- O*NET ratings are averages of worker answers on a 1 to 5 scale. Some questions ask how much (contact), some how often (face-to-face, phone, public speaking, conflict, noise) and some how important (teamwork, customers). They are shown on their own scales.
- The ratings describe the job, averaged across workers and workplaces. A particular employer, team or shift can be very different.
- They don't measure personality, and they are not career, medical or psychological advice.
- Pay and openings are national figures from the BLS. Local pay varies.
Common questions
Which teaching job involves the least contact with others?
Of the 6 roles compared here, adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors report the least, at 4.3 out of 5 on O*NET's contact rating, closest to "contact most of the time".
Do these teaching jobs need a degree?
All 6 occupations with BLS education data typically need more than a high school diploma to start.
Do these ratings measure personality?
No. They are averages of what workers say their job asks of them. They describe the work, not the people doing it, and they are not career, medical or psychological advice.