The 15 Best Jobs For People Who Like To Work Alone

Have you ever wished you could just ditch the teamwork and operate solo? For highly independent and self-sufficient workers, working alone seems like it would be more much efficient.

The only problem is, having a gaggle of co-workers seems to be a staple of many modern jobs. It can seem more or less impossible to get through an interview without the word “teamwork” coming up.

Fortunately, despite this, there are still plenty of careers that provide more independence. These jobs also offer benefits, high salaries, and other great perks, from vital transportation jobs to artistic and creative roles.

So, let’s dive in and discover the top 15 best jobs for people who like to work alone.

Detailed List of the Top 15 Best Jobs for People Who Like to Work Alone

Actuary

Average Salary: $84,751 per year
Jobs Available: 14,034
Job Growth Rate: 20%

If you like working with mathematics and large numbers, especially in the context of a paycheck, this job might just be a perfect fit for you. Actuaries are natural problem solvers, as they spend their days analyzing commercial costs and using that to assess risk.

Luckily, using your mental fortitude to research financial activities is a task well suited to working alone. When provided with access to all necessary documents, you’ll be able to work independently and even remotely.

Of course, earning an average of $40.75 per hour comes with costs. Most actuaries need at least a four-year degree to start working, with a whopping 83.1% of those currently working in the field entering with a bachelor’s degree.

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Research Scientist

Average Salary: $80,226 per year
Jobs Available: 103,802
Job Growth Rate: 8%

Have you ever wondered who’s responsible for putting out the IPCC climate report and other vital scientific documents? Well, as a research scientist, you’d be responsible for creating hypotheses, collecting data, interpreting results data and generating reports.

This role can also be specialized in many ways, as there are research scientists in natural, medical, computer, environmental, and social science.

Generally speaking, this work will allow you to spend long hours alone with your thoughts and ideas. If you’re passionate about your work, it can be easy to lose track of time while working independently in a lab.

Plus, you’ll earn an average of $38.57, making discoveries and ushering in progress. The only catch is that you’ll need to dedicate quite a bit of time to the particular field you want to go into. Overall, 51.7% of research scientists have bachelor’s degrees, 25.3% have doctorate degrees, and 19.7% have master’s degrees.

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Zoologist

Average Salary: $67,697 per year
Jobs Available: 1,709
Job Growth Rate: 5%

Why work with other people when you can work with one or more of the many animal species on earth? As a zoologist, you’ll be able to study wildlife and how different species interact with their ecosystems. This field can often relate to environmental studies and conservation work as well.

Seeing as you’ll spend most of your time immersed in nature or other more literary forms of research, you’ll have the opportunity to work alone often. At least your furry or scaly companions will make sure you’re never truly alone!

Overall, the average zoologist makes around $29 per hour. Bachelor’s degrees are also the most common degree needed to start working, with 64.3% of those in the field having one as their highest level of education. That said, master’s degrees are also common, with 28.6% having one.

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Network Administrator

Average Salary: $66,701 per year
Jobs Available: 119,896
Job Growth Rate: 5%

Technology, and more specifically networks, are a vital part of any modern industry. Of course, network administrators are tasked with being those computer experts who manage troubleshooting procedures.

While reviving a downed system can be challenging, it can also be rewarding. That’s partly because network administrators can often work remotely and problem-solve independently.

The average employee in this field makes a respectable $32.07 per hour, and that salary comes with the added benefit that nearly 30% of those currently working in the field only needed an associate’s degree to start their career. Remember that 55.1% of network administrators have a bachelor’s degree.

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Commercial Truck Driver

Average Salary: $62,520 per year
Jobs Available: 288,962
Job Growth Rate: 5%

If you’re looking for a practical and high-paying line of work, look no further. Commercial truck drivers make an average of $30.06 per hour simply shipping cargo from point A to B.

That means a lot of time on the road, instead of being stuck in an office chatting with co-workers. Once you start working, you’ll find you can complete nearly all of your work independently.

The lack of formal education requirements is also a huge plus for this field, as 35.3% of employees only needed a high school diploma to start working. However, remember that you’ll likely need a CDL, a truck driving license issued after testing.

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Plumber

Average Salary: $56,696 per year
Jobs Available: 9,055
Job Growth Rate: 14%

There’s nothing wrong with an “old school” career, especially if it pays well. Plumbers are responsible for installing and repairing vital pipes in residential or commercial properties. If that sounds important, that’s because it is.

As a plumber, not only will you have a high demand for your services, but you’ll also have the luxury of relying on your expertise to work. When it’s time to work, it’ll likely just be you and the pipes, making this a great job for introverts.

What’s more, the average hourly rate of $27.26 can be achieved with little to no traditional schooling, as 53.1% only needed a high school diploma to get started. Instead, you’ll want to get experience at a Technical school, which can usually be completed in well under two years.

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Postal Carrier

Average Salary: $53,129 per year
Jobs Available: 1,101
Job Growth Rate: -21%

Making an impressive $25.54 an hour on average, becoming a postal carrier is a great option for anyone who wants to maintain their wallet and avoid the crowds. For the most part, this career involves sorting and delivering mail.

Luckily, such work allows you to have plenty of alone time, as you can do all of your sorting and driving on your own. In this line of work, you’ll be able to avoid large crowds and meetings all day, every day.

And the best part? This respectable salary can be achieved without heavy education requirements. Postal carrier education levels are split up, with 33.4% having bachelor’s degrees, 25.5% having associate’s degrees, and 26.2% having high school diplomas.

Of course, the biggest downside to this line of work is the current lack of opportunity. This line of work has a current growth rate of -21%, but hopefully, this will change in the future.

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Copywriter

Average Salary: $50,804 per year
Current Jobs Available: 28,203
Job Growth Rate: 7%

Copywriters are versatile workers whose writing can encompass various topics and formats. Typically they produce clear text for advertising channels (e.g., catalogs, websites, etc.) by researching keywords and proofreading.

Whether you’re freelancing or working full-time, you’ll have ample opportunity to work alone as a copywriter. In fact, since the start of 2020, most have worked remotely. That means the only social interaction you’ll have is sending emails with your editor and the occasional video call.

Overall, copywriters make a respectable average of $24.43 per hour, but education is a worthwhile factor for this position. 79.5% of those currently working have a bachelor’s degree, meaning that it’s vital to attend college for at least 3-4 years before you can land a job.

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Electrician

Average Salary: $49,755 per year
Current Jobs Available: 9,368
Job Growth Rate: 10%

Another classic “old school” job, electricians work with electrical power, communications, light, and control systems. While this job can be a tad hazardous, it does pay well.

Plus, you’ll be able to work alone on every shift, using your expertise to wire residential and commercial properties. You’re the professional, so the odds are that the property owners won’t be bothering you while you work.

Overall, electricians earn an average of $23.92 per hour, and the job has minimal formal education requirements. A considerable 32.2% of those in the field only needed a high school diploma to start their career.

Instead of attending a traditional college, you’ll want to get experience at a technical school, which can usually be completed in well under two years.

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Photographer

Average Salary: $49,482 per year
Jobs Available: 8,300
Job Growth Rate: -6%

Photographers specialize in creating images for anything from advertisements to Instagram pages. Like any artistic job, there are many different ways you can become a successful photographer. You can have your own business, take commercial photography, take wedding photography, or fill any number of other niches.

This freedom and travel opportunity make photography a wonderful line of work for anyone who wants to work alone. As a photographer, you can expect to experience beautiful places, people, and animals while relying on your expertise to do your work.

You also might be surprised to know that the average photographer makes over $23 per hour, which is far from the “starving artist” cliche you might imagine.

And, you don’t even necessarily need to have anything more than a high school diploma to become successful. A whopping 39% of photographers are successful with only a high school degree and some college.

The only major downside to pursuing photography is the learning curve, as you’ll need to study techniques before you become a professional. This, combined with slow job growth, can make it difficult to compete with other photographers.

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Gardener

Average Salary: $47,657 per year
Jobs Available: 1,302
Job Growth Rate: 9%

There’s nothing more therapeutic than working with plants when they’re not dying on you every few weeks. However, if you have a green thumb, you might want to consider a job as a gardener. As the name would suggest, these plant experts keep outdoor spaces beautiful and, most importantly, healthy.

Working as a gardener will allow you to spend your hours in quiet spaces surrounded by plants (and no humans). That’s why this job is perfect for anyone who likes working alone.

Plus, you’ll make an average of $22.91 per hour doing so. You also may not be required to have a formal college education, as 27.2% of those currently working in the field only needed a high school diploma to start their career. Of course, a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in plant science will make it easier to land a job.

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Video Editor

Average Salary: $46,954 per year
Jobs Available: 11,796
Job Growth Rate: 11%

From editing Hollywood productions to assisting YouTubers, video editors spend their time manipulating and enhancing raw video footage to create a final product. Commonly, they’re responsible for blending special effects with this footage post-production.

This job is great for anyone who wants to work alone because you get to take all of the components of a project which others have already completed and edit them together on your own. This means you can finalize your work without needing to reach out or keep tabs on team members.

Overall, the average video editor earns $22.57 per hour. However, this job does require at least some level of formal college education. The vast majority (73.3%) of those currently working in the field needed a bachelor’s degree to start their career, while 14.6% needed an associate’s degree.

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Graphic Designer

Average Salary: $45,772 per year
Jobs Available: 43,709
Job Growth Rate: 3%

Whether by hand or through computer software, graphic designers create art to inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. You might be surprised how useful graphic designers are for companies, as many rely on them to design good advertisements and logos.

Luckily, once given all the information they need to get started, these artists have the luxury of working alone. Your work will consist of stewing in your creativity while testing your designs.

And for their efforts, graphic designers earn an average of $22 per hour. The only downside is that you’ll need a solid education to start working as one. 68.2% of employees in this field have a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.

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Blogger

Average Salary: $41,048 per year
Jobs Available: 205
Job Growth Rate: 3%

Like becoming an author, bloggers are online writers who can make a decent amount of money freelancing or creating their own website. What’s more, is that you can theoretically write about anything you want, as long as you have a solid audience.

Plus, you’ll be able to work alone whenever and wherever you want. Bloggers are often able to travel on the regular, due to the remote nature of their work. That means you can have plenty of fun while maintaining your productive independence.

Overall, freelance bloggers earn a respectable average of $20 per hour, with a 3-4 year degree being the most common needed to start working. 77.9% of those currently working in the field got in with a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of education.

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Auto Mechanic

Average Salary: $36,234 per year
Jobs Available: 65,854
Job Growth Rate: -1%

If you’d put cars over college any day, you might just want to think about becoming an auto mechanic. These vehicle professionals maintain, diagnose, and repair many residential and commercial vehicles. That can cover anything from replacing fluids and lubricating parts to re-wiring mechanical and electrical components.

Luckily, you’ll spend most of your work hours wedged under or inside of a car, which will leave you far removed from banter with co-workers. Essentially, all auto mechanic work can be done alone with the right tools.

Overall, employees in this role earn an average of $17.42 per hour, which is well above the minimum wage in most states. Plus, you won’t have to spend your money on a lengthy education, as 46.7% of auto mechanics started working with only a high school diploma.

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Benefits of Working Alone

Before we get into our top 15 list, you might be curious to know why working alone is so beneficial, especially for introverts. Well, some important factors include:

Productivity boost. Teams can be great when they function, but introverts might find that they’re far more productive when working alone. After all, there’s a reason 86% of employees agree that working alone increases their productivity.
Fewer distractions. A large part of your productivity comes from how focused you can be in the workplace. Luckily, working alone allows you to cut out those pesky and distracting office conversations.
Flexibility. When you don’t have to accommodate the schedules of others, you might find that your schedule is far less hectic. You can work where you want when you want.
Credit. Increased independence gives you full control over your creative and innovative decisions. While this can come with the stress of responsibility, it also comes with the perk of receiving full credit for all of your work.
Comfort. Working alone often opens the door to work-from-home opportunities and other ways where you can personalize your workspace. That means it’s easier to get comfy while you work.

Remember that not every job will provide all of these benefits, but we focused mainly on jobs that fit one or more of these criteria for this list. That way, you’ll have several different options across a wide range of industries/fields.

The Bottom Line

There’s nothing wrong with working alone, especially if it improves your focus and productivity. Luckily, our list shows many fields and industries where working alone is an option. You might not even need more than a high school diploma to get started.

Of course, while our top 15 focus on some of the best salaries you can earn while working alone, there are also hundreds of other independent and remote-work opportunities out there. All that’s left is for you to get out there and explore the job market!

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Jack Flynn

Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.

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