Jobs for introverts without a degree

These are occupations where the BLS says the typical entry route needs no more than a high school diploma, and where O*NET's social ratings put the job in the quietest 40% of the 743 we ranked. We sorted them by median pay.

No degree does not mean no training. The BLS also lists the on-the-job training and prior experience each job usually needs, and we show both, because that is often the real barrier.

What the data shows

The best-paid job here is Power Plant Operators at $102,040 a year.
16 of the 40 usually need long-term on-the-job training or an apprenticeship.
Every one of the 40 usually needs some on-the-job training, and 3 of the 40 usually expect prior work experience in a related job.
The quietest by social index is model makers, metal and plastic, at 38 out of 100.
All 40 pay more than the US median wage of $50,980.
19 of the 40 are projected to shrink between 2025 and 2035.

The ranking

Click a column heading to sort. Ratings are O*NET averages on a 1 to 5 scale; hover a heading for what it measures. Pay is the national median annual wage. Growth is the projected change in employment from 2025 to 2035.

#	Occupation	Social index	Contact	Median pay	Typical entry education	Typical training	Growth 2025-35	Projected openings a year
1	Power Plant Operators	64	4.4	$102,040	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	-5.1%	2,300
2	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	61	4.3	$96,710	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-1.9%	2,700
3	Signal and Track Switch Repairers	63	4.0	$92,460	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+1.8%	800
4	Subway and Streetcar Operators	63	4.4	$86,380	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+3.7%	900
5	Locomotive Engineers	61	4.2	$81,410	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+0.5%	2,000
6	Roof Bolters, Mining	55	4.5	$78,540	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-18.9%	100
7	Terrazzo Workers and Finishers	52	3.5	$76,170	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	-13.0%	100
8	Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining	50	3.7	$74,500	No formal educational credential	Short-term on-the-job training	-15.8%	400
9	Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators	64	4.4	$70,070	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+1.5%	1,200
10	Wellhead Pumpers	64	4.1	$69,960	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-2.0%	1,700
11	Tapers	50	3.7	$68,270	No formal educational credential	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-1.6%	900
12	Rail Car Repairers	55	4.0	$67,530	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	+2.6%	1,600
13	Watch and Clock Repairers	52	3.7	$67,230	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	-0.3%	100
14	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	65	4.3	$65,510	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	+6.7%	15,000
15	Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers	53	4.0	$65,380	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-5.6%	3,100
16	Industrial Machinery Mechanics	53	4.2	$64,520	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	+17.8%	44,400
17	Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic	49	3.8	$63,870	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-3.4%	500
18	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	63	4.1	$63,800	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	+6.8%	42,000
19	Model Makers, Metal and Plastic	38	3.3	$63,340	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-17.3%	200
20	Structural Iron and Steel Workers	52	4.0	$62,780	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	+3.1%	5,900
21	Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers	64	4.5	$62,750	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-15.0%	200
22	Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters	49	4.2	$62,620	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-6.1%	0
23	Plant and System Operators, All Other	65	4.7	$62,470	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+2.3%	1,200
24	Brickmasons and Blockmasons	62	3.9	$62,120	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	+1.1%	4,100
25	Continuous Mining Machine Operators	53	4.4	$61,810	No formal educational credential	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+3.2%	1,400
26	Sheet Metal Workers	49	3.7	$61,800	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	+2.5%	9,800
27	Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers	59	4.3	$61,770	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+4.3%	1,000
28	Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	60	4.3	$61,770	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	+3.6%	24,400
29	Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons	48	4.2	$61,290	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-13.7%	100
30	Maintenance Workers, Machinery	58	4.3	$60,850	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	-1.9%	4,400
31	Postal Service Mail Carriers	53	3.8	$60,550	No formal educational credential	Short-term on-the-job training	-0.3%	19,600
32	Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas	52	4.0	$60,190	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	+3.6%	1,400
33	Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity	60	4.5	$59,050	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+4.1%	21,100
34	Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers	62	4.4	$58,970	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	-5.3%	1,000
35	Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	61	4.8	$58,930	No formal educational credential	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+2.5%	6,600
36	Machinists	49	3.8	$58,750	High school diploma or equivalent	Long-term on-the-job training	+1.0%	26,100
37	Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers	64	4.2	$58,650	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	+2.1%	5,300
38	Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators	45	3.8	$58,470	No formal educational credential	Short-term on-the-job training	-5.3%	7,300
39	Insulation Workers, Mechanical	61	3.9	$58,340	High school diploma or equivalent	Apprenticeship	+5.1%	1,800
40	Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	62	3.8	$58,260	High school diploma or equivalent	Moderate-term on-the-job training	-15.9%	11,400

What to keep in mind

The social index averages seven O*NET ratings that use different scales (amount, frequency and importance). Treat it as a rough summary and check the separate ratings on our other lists.
Entry education is what the BLS considers typical. Some employers ask for more.
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 what the job asks of workers. They do not measure personality, and they are not medical or psychological advice.
Pay and growth are national figures. Local pay varies. We ranked 743 of the 760 occupations in the data. The other 17 are left out: 13 because O*NET flags their ratings as unreliable or publishes no respondent count, and 4 because the BLS publishes no annual median wage for them.

See every occupation in the full introvert jobs table.

Common questions

Do these jobs need any qualifications?

Often, yes, just not a degree. 16 of the 40 usually need long-term training or an apprenticeship, and 3 usually expect related work experience.

What counts as no degree here?

The BLS lists the typical entry education as a high school diploma or equivalent, or no formal credential.

Are these jobs only for introverts?

No. The ratings describe what the work asks of the people doing it, not anyone's personality. Introverts and extroverts can do any job on the list.

Where does the data come from?

Work ratings come from the O*NET 31.0 Database, where workers in each occupation answer questions about their job. Pay is the national median annual wage from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Growth, projected openings, entry education and training come from BLS Employment Projections 2025-35.