Top 20 Jobs Where You Work Alone – Introvert-Friendly Job Ideas

Let's face it: sometimes, it's nice to not deal with people on a day-to-day basis.

If you're anything like me, you enjoy your alone time. You also enjoy being in charge, or at the very least, not having a boss breathing down your neck every single second.

I turned to starting a blog and working remotely to escape the strict environment of a 9-5. I consider myself to be pretty lucky, but I also think that the world is full of opportunity thanks to continual improvements in technology.

So, if you're looking for jobs where you work along and don't have to deal with people on a regular basis, this is the perfect article for you.

Time to break down some of the best jobs you work alone and how you can find a career that truly makes you happy as an introvert!

The Best Jobs Where You Work Alone

Obviously, you could head off to a log cabin in the woods, become a crazed taxidermist, and all your social anxieties would be solved.

However, that's not the point of this post. The idea here is out outline realistic jobs for introverts that pay well and are sustainable.

So, let's get to it!

1. Freelance Writing

It's been nearly 3 months since I've gone into freelance writing full-time, and let me tell you, this is an incredible introvert career option if you're a semi-decent writer.

I started freelance writing over a period of about a year and a half, which mostly involved laid-back blogging and some ghost writing. To take things full-time, I pushed pretty hard for 6 months to acquire clients while still working a 9-5 job.

However, here is what my average day in the life looks like as a freelance writer:

• I wake up and check emails to see if any of my clients/editors have left comments on submitted pieces.
• I research and write articles.
• I pitch new article ideas to editors.
• I work on WebMonkey and invoice clients.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I had a phone call with anyone, and I haven't met face-to-face with any of my clients.

Everything is done through email or Slack, and there isn't any red-tape or agonizing meeting requirements to get through in order to get work done. I just write and get paid.

• Freelance Writing Average Salary – $22.34 per hour according to Indeed.
• Pros – High earning ceiling, some ability to control projects.
• Cons – Volatile pay, slow to find clients for most people.
• Tip – Write on Medium.com or start a blog to pitch clients with. This is way better than using a generic looking portfolio since you can show editors that your content generates traffic.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – Checkout this post from Clint Proctor on how he became a full-time freelance writer. It seriously changed my life and career path.

2. Paid Digital Advertising Specialist

Let me be clear about this introvert friendly job: only a specific type of role in digital marketing is great for introverts.

A lot of digital marketing jobs are, well, still marketing jobs. They involve frequent meetings, performance reviews, and teamwork (ew).

However, if you mostly work on the implementation side of things and not the sales or customer management face of the business, you're golden!

I spent 2 years working as a paid advertising specialist for a company that runs Facebook and Google Ads. I never met clients, and I barely ever had meetings. Plus, I even went for a 3 month remote stint in Florida to get out of the office.

Paid advertising is all data and trends.

Other than dealing with your manager and creative designers (possibly), this line of work is really just a matter of implementation and monitoring. Pretty perfect for introverts.

• Digital Advertising Average Salary – $44,000 to $62,000 per year according to Indeed.
• Pros – Many jobs offer commission, clearly defined roles and goals in the job.
• Cons – Stressful and long hours. You are spending money that belongs to a client, so their word is law.
• Tip – Don't run your own digital ad agency with no experience, work at one instead to learn the ropes.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – Checkout the Facebook Side Hustle course to learn how to run profitable ads for businesses!

3. Programmer/Web Developer

I know that working as a programmer is a great job where you work alone because I've been working remotely and traveling through South America with my friend, who works online as a web developer.

There are plenty of ways to make money programming, and many involve working with a team and being in-office.

In reality, some of the highest paying programming jobs are probably a middle ground between being introvert friendly and requiring more ongoing collaboration.

However, freelancing or building websites for clients is fairly low on the client interaction side. Plus, programming jobs are incredibly remote-friendly, which is a massive plus for introverts.

Obviously, you can't wake up one day and make this career change if you don't know how to code.

However, my friend is self-taught and found this new introverted career path after just 1 year of diligently learning on his own, so it is possible.

• Freelance Web Developer Salary – $70,000 average per year according to ZipRecruiter.
• Pros – High hourly rate, growing demand for programmers.
• Cons – You can get clients from hell who demand countless revisions and don't understand how programming works. Long hours.
• Tip – Don't undersell your services as a beginner. You will encounter road blocks as you learn, and since you can't really over-bill clients, you want to make sure the projects you take on are actually worth it. Also send clients a clear contract that describes 100% of what you provide and how many revisions you offer.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – My friend wrote a guide on how to become a web developer and included every resource he used to teach himself.

4. Blogger/Editor

Starting a blog or working as an editor for another publication is another great job where you work by yourself.

The nature of blogging is very self-centered. You write about things that interest you, and save for the occasional interview, all of your research or experimentation can be done individually.

I recently started working with two awesome writers on WebMonkey, so things have taken on a bit more of an editorial spin as of late.

However, while I love having a monthly call and discussing outlines, running WebMonkey is still very introverted.

Even the editors I work with for my freelance writing seldom call. Everything is run through Slack, email, and Trello these days anyway.

Starting your own blog takes time, and it's hard to get your foot in the door for an editorial position without previous experience running your own website or another decently sized publication. However, if you love content creation and hate dealing with people, this is the perfect job for you.

• Editor Salary – $52,000 average per year according to Glassdoor.
• Pros – One of the most introverted jobs around. Potential to sell your own website or gain ownership in a site you work for.
• Cons – It may take years to establish a profitable blog or to find consistent work as an editor.
• Tip – Don't write about things you aren't an expert in. Things are too competitive these days. Don't focus on chasing money; write the best content that's out there and you can find success.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – Want to start blogging for money? Here's what the data says.

Extra Reading – 45 Blog Niche Ideas to Help Land a Blog Niche.

5. Graphic Designer

It doesn't matter if you work in-office or as a freelancer; graphic design work is inherently introvert-friendly.

After all, with graphic design, you deal with software and visual concepts, and your clients are really just part of the consulting/strategy portion of things.

I have several friends who do graphic design work on a freelance basis, and the involvement of most clients is minimal.

Sure, they do get some clients from hell who insist on taking part in every phase of creative, or ones who ask for endless revisions, but this is less common.

If you have a knack for graphic design, this is probably the perfect introvert job for you.

• Graphic Designer Salary – $45,000 average per year according to PayScale.
• Pros – Easy to find in-house or freelance work depending on what you want (and if you are qualified).
• Cons – It may take a while to build a portfolio to pitch clients. Plus, since design is very subjective, you might end up with some frustrating clients.
• Tip – Don't go to school for this. All the people I know working in graphic design are self-taught, and they are unreal.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – Udemy has tonnes of free or affordable graphic design courses.

6. Virtual Assistant

Now I know what you're probably thinking: “working as a VA isn't a great job where you work alone because you have to call people all day or deal with clients.”

This is definitely true for VA work that requires scheduling, setting up meetings, or conducting follow-up phone calls for clients.

However, the world of VA work is very broad, and a lot of it is perfect for introverted individuals.

Thanks to websites like Upwork, Fiverr, or Fancy Hands, you can find work as a VA in so many industries!

For example, I hire a stellar Pinterest VA on Upwork. We chat via Upwork's chat feature sometimes, but we've never actually spoken or met.

You get the idea. Find your VA niche, hunt down clients, and start growing your VA side hustle!

• Virtual Assistant Pay – $15.68 per hour according to PayScale.
• Pros – Low barrier to entry for some sorts of VA work. Good for part-time side hustlers as well.
• Cons – Very saturated market, and VA services are one of the first things a client will cut when money is tight.
• Tip – VA work can be a race to the bottom in terms of pricing. I recommend trying to land a few, higher paying clients but going above and beyond in terms of service.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – My friend Marc from VitalDollar has an awesome article on how to become a VA.

7. SEO Work

One of my college side hustles was SEO consulting for several local businesses in the GTA.

Let me tell you, SEO is an absolute crap-shoot.

It's very easy to get the basics down, but ultimately, if a company isn't willing to spend money on content, backlinks, and website optimization, you can't get them anywhere.

SEO work turned out to be an alright but somewhat frustrating experience for me. However, if you land clients who actually understand the industry and are willing to invest in their website, you're golden.

SEO projects are long-term, definable, and very introvert friendly.

Yes, there are client meetings and calls to discuss progress, but most business owners will leave the actual process of obtaining backlinks and producing content to you (and your team, possibly).

• SEO Salary – $49,500 per year according to Glassdoor.
• Pros – SEO consulting has some of the stupidest contracts/retainers I've seen in terms of monthly revenue for, honestly, not that much work.
• Cons – A single Google update can destroy your work. Also, the industry has a bit of a bad reputation for being smoke and mirrors, so you need case studies.
• Tip – Build your own blog or work with a legit agency before pitching clients on your ‘SEO package.' Seriously, this industry does not need more fake agencies or SEO gurus.
• Useful Resource/How To Start Learning The Job – The best way to learn is by doing. I'm a strong believer in learning SEO by building your own platform.

The Best Offline Jobs Where You Work By Yourself

Most jobs that involve heavy laptop usage are pretty great for introverts already. Once you factor in the ability to work remotely, it only sweetens the deal.

However, not everyone can or wants to work at a desk all day.

If you want some more solid job ideas where you work alone that don't just involve sitting in a cubicle, here are some other options to consider:

• Landscaping.
• Nighttime security guard.
• Lab researcher.
• Mechanic.
• Plumber.
• Carpenter.
• Pest control worker.
• Truck driver.
• Warehouse work.
• Welder.

Additionally, you can turn to a variety of gig economy apps to find your own work.

Things like walking dogs with Rover or Wag, or working for DoorDash or Postmates are relatively low in terms the need to deal with clients.

Extra Reading – DoorDash Driver Review 2020.

Final Thoughts

There is a world of opportunity out there when it comes to finding a good job as an introvert.

Personally, I'm thankful that technology and work culture is in a place where I can make money from my laptop anywhere I want to in the world. As technology continues to improve, I feel as if remote work will only become more common.

But, at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if you look online or offline to find a introvert career that works.

As long as you play to your strengths and deliver exceptional work for your clients or the company you work for, you're in the clear.

If you're currently stuck in a job you hate and have to deal with people every single day, don't fret!

Start honing your skills on the side, and research new job opportunities that are more up your alley. Before you know it, you'll find a job or company that has a better balance. But, you'll never be satisfied unless you start the search!

I hope this list of the best jobs where you work alone has helped set you off in the right direction! Best of luck in your job search if you are currently looking to make a switch!

Catch you guys in the next one.