Best Career Paths For INFJ Personality Types

Deciding on a career path requires a lot of research and introspection, and it may even take some trial and error.

While most people can succeed in almost any career with some solid work ethic and the proper training or education, different personalities naturally jive better with different careers.

While much of this comes from intuition, taking some personality tests and researching which careers your personality type best matches with can help you know what to look for in an occupation.

While these personality tests and types can’t tell you everything about yourself and shouldn’t limit your career choices, they can be good tools to help you identify what unique gifts you bring to the table, what energizes you, and what drains you.

One of the most popular personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, assigning one of 16 different personality types to its test-takers. One of these personality types is the INFJ, nicknamed the Advocate.

In this article, you’ll learn more about this type and what types of careers many INFJs thrive in.

Top Careers for INFJ Personality Types

While INFJs can succeed in any field they want to pursue, some fields are typically more rewarding than others for this personality type. If you identify as an INFJ, don’t feel limited by this list, but use it to gain further insight into yourself and to get ideas about what you might enjoy doing for a living.

Physical Therapist

Average Yearly Salary: $69,000

By helping patients recover from surgeries and injuries and regain the quality of life they had previously, physical therapists make a direct, positive impact on many lives.

In this role, you get to be around and connect with people in one-on-one settings that don’t take too much out of your introverted self. You and other INFJ physical therapists will also enjoy using your technical knowledge and intellect to solve problems and come up with solutions.

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Occupational Therapist

Average Yearly Salary: $72,000

Similar to physical therapists, occupational therapists can change lives in tangible ways.

Whether they are helping patients regain their basic motor skills after an illness, surgery, or traumatic brain injury or helping people with special needs improve their quality of life and gain more independence, this is an occupation that makes an obvious impact on people’s lives.

Many INFJs love this kind of rewarding career, and, as you would in roles as physical therapists, you’ll love getting to connect with individuals or small groups of people as you work with them to find ways to better their lives.

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Doctor

Average Yearly Salary: $180,000

Professions in the medical field are popular with many INFJs since they are deeply rewarding and allow you to be somewhat autonomous. INFJs in this field also generally like connecting with patients and using their technical knowledge and creativity to solve their ailments.

There are many different types of doctors as well, which means you can narrow down your career path further to fit your personality and passions.

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Social Worker

Average Yearly Salary: $51,000

Social workers improve and sometimes literally save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in their communities. Because it’s so rewarding, INFJs often thrive in this role.

This career also allows INFJs to utilize their creativity and insight to develop plans and solutions for their clients. Even though it’s hard, sometimes draining work, many INFJs in this field are content knowing that they’re making a positive impact on people’s lives.

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Counselor

Average Yearly Salary: $37,000

INFJs often put their intuitiveness, intelligence, passion, and desire to help others to use by becoming counselors or therapists. Typically, a job in this field involves talking through mental and emotional disorders and distress with clients in private or group practice.

However, counselors can also work at group and intensive therapy organizations, funeral homes, hospitals, community resource centers, schools, and universities. Starting a career as a counselor opens up a wide variety of opportunities, allowing you to choose the position that matches your personality and needs best.

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Environmental Scientist

Average Yearly Salary: $58,000

While INFJs have what it takes to be successful scientists, the money and status often aren’t enough to entice them to an intense career like this. Since many INFJs are most fulfilled when they can work toward something they believe in, a career making the world a better place as an environmental scientist is often attractive to INFJs.

While scientists of all disciplines are working to improve life for earth’s inhabitants, having tangible evidence of this in the work that environmental scientists do can be especially attractive to INFJs.

Environmental scientists perform tests and experiments, but they also work to fix the problems they discover in the environment. This seemingly more hands-on application of science is often more fulfilling for INFJs than the more lab-based sciences.

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Human Resources Manager

Average Yearly Salary: $80,000

Nearly every company needs someone handling the human resources department. INFJs often find these jobs rewarding and enjoyable because they get to work with people and help improve their lives and the company.

In addition, INFJs can work behind the scenes in this role, which also tends to be their cup of tea. If you decide to pursue this career path, you’re likely going to have to pay your dues in low-level positions just as everyone else does, but you can work your way up to management and the autonomy you also may aspire to.

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School Counselor

Average Yearly Salary: $47,000

INFJs make excellent teachers, but since they’re introverted, which means they need time alone to recharge, many who identify as this personality type are drained by having to be “on” and in front of kids all day.

If this is the case for you, a role as a school counselor could be a good choice for you. This way, you still get to work with kids but can do so one on one. While some school counselors are licensed therapists, many states allow or require school counselors to have education in school counseling specifically.

This is because you do various tasks in this role, including helping students handle and respond to emotional and mental difficulties, planning and pursuing their goals before and after graduation, and connecting them with any resources they may need.

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Translator

Average Yearly Salary: $42,000

If you’re bilingual, a career as a translator may be a great option for you. As an INFJ, this job likely hits several selling points for you: It helps others, allows you to work with small groups of people, and challenges you mentally and creatively.

As a translator, you could work for publishing companies, schools, medical facilities, universities, marketing agencies, law firms, government agencies, TV networks, news outlets, and more. This means that you can pick a job you’re most passionate about, making your career even more fulfilling.

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Writer

Average Yearly Salary: $57,000

INFJs often have excellent communication skills and are very creative, drawing a lot of people of this personality type to careers focused on words. If you want to become a writer, the options within this field are almost endless.

You can write content for websites, marketing materials, books, news and magazine articles, screenplays, poems, technical documents, school curricula, and a plethora of other publications. These jobs also typically come with a sense of purpose as well, making them even more attractive to INFJs.

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Graphic Designer

Average Yearly Salary: $45,000

Design of all kinds often draws in creative INFJs. It’s often the perfect combination of intellect, principles, and creativity, and it allows INFJs to work behind the scenes while still providing at least some human interaction.

Graphic designers have to work with their clients, whether that’s their employer or a freelance customer, to figure out what they’re looking for in a design. INFJs can use their intuition to figure this out and their ability to connect with people, making many of them very good at this craft.

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Animator

Average Yearly Salary: $65,000

Working as an animator is another career path that lets you make a living off your creative outlet. It allows you to put your name on a product that will bring joy, knowledge, or a new perspective to countless people.

Whether you work for a movie studio or for a company that needs some animated educational videos, this career path is popular with many INFJs, since it uses so many of their talents and allows them to fulfill their desire to make something beautiful and purposeful.

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What Does INFJ Mean?

The letters in the INFJ personality type, nicknamed the Advocate, stand for:

Introverted
Intuitive
Feeling
Judging

People of this personality type are known for being kind and compassionate while having strong principles and ideals. Other adjectives used to describe them include:

Creative
Insightful
Principled
Passionate
Altruistic
Perfectionistic

INJFs care deeply, have big dreams, and will do what they can to make the world a better place. They’re often reserved and private around others, though, and they need time alone to rest and recharge to avoid burning out by caring for others. They’re deep thinkers and enjoy using their intellect to make these dreams and goals a reality.

These characteristics come out in their professional lives in that INFJs typically aren’t motivated by status or money. Instead, they’re motivated by doing work that aligns with their values and makes a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

It can often be difficult for INFJs to decide on a career path because they can use their creativity and insightfulness to think through a dozen different options for their occupation of choice and see the pros of each one.

In addition to strong principles and deep care for others, INFJs typically have strong communication skills and desire the autonomy to do what they believe is right. Therefore, careers that allow them to exercise both of these aspects of their personalities are often the best choice for them.

They can succeed in a wide variety of fields, though, and they’ll put their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills to work wherever they end up.

Careers That INFJs May Want To Avoid

If you’re an INFJ, you can be successful in whatever career you choose. However, many of this personality type find that when they’re in a career that requires many skills and preferences that don’t come naturally to them, they’re more easily drained, burnt out, and discontent in their work.

So, as an INFJ, some career paths will, by nature, likely be more stressful and less enjoyable for you. Just take this list as a helpful resource and reference point and then go out and pursue whatever career path you choose.

Restaurant Manager

While INFJs make excellent leaders, some leadership roles are unpopular for many of this personality type, and being a restaurant manager is one of them.

Because INFJs care so deeply about people and their principles and need time alone to recharge, taking on the hectic job of managing a restaurant can be incredibly draining for them.

One of the main reasons for this is that they have to regularly make customers and employees upset with them, which INFJs don’t generally enjoy.

They care deeply about the people around them. They genuinely have the best intentions in mind when they interact with them, so being in a perpetual state of discord with others is often exhausting for this personality type.
Sales Manager

When it comes to sales, INFJs often have a hard time bringing themselves to push people to buy a product or service they don’t necessarily believe in. Combine that with having to drive and manage employees and even play the bad guy at times, and that’s a recipe for a stressful position for an INFJ.

Again, that’s not to say you couldn’t be successful and even thrive in a sales manager position as an INFJ, but it does mean you should consider these aspects of the job before you pursue this career path.
Mechanic

A mechanic’s job doesn’t leave much room for creativity or building relationships with people, giving much to be desired in this career for an INFJ.

While mechanics do impact people’s lives positively and practically, the nature of the trade is that it doesn’t leave room for much innovation from the average mechanic. Because of this, many idealistic and passionate INFJs will quickly grow bored with having to do the same job the same way every time without any creative outlet.
Engineering Technician

While engineering often works with big ideas and creates innovative designs to solve complex problems, engineering technicians do the labor that makes that possible. For example, they may build and set up equipment, conduct experiments, collect data, and calculate results.

Some personality types thrive with this detailed, mundane work, but INFJs typically don’t. They need room to grow and to be able to help others grow, so many prefer to do work that directly furthers a cause they’re passionate about.
Real Estate Broker

While INFJs typically have the communication and interpersonal skills required to do this job well, many find it exhausting. In addition, since many INFJs find it’s stressful when their relationships are not peaceful, a career that depends on saying hard things to people is likely going to drain someone of this personality type.

Plus, real estate brokers have to be “on” for their clients and typically have days full of meetings, which exhausts the introverted INFJ.
Medical Coder

Hospitals and other health care facilities usually employ medical coders to create and submit coded records of every procedure and supply provided to a patient to their insurance providers. While this is valuable work that helps others, INFJs don’t typically thrive in jobs that require monotonous work like this.

Again, some INFJs may enjoy a position like this, but if you identify as this type, be aware of what will be asked of you and whether or not you’ll enjoy it, not just be able to do it or not.

Best Career Paths For INFJ Personality Types FAQ

Is HR a good career for INFJ?

Yes, HR is a good career for INFJ personality types. That’s because their inner vision, personal values, and principled nature make that type of work a breeze.

HR allows INFJs to guide new employees and customers without becoming too overwhelmed by social interaction. Their calm and gentle nature also makes it easier to navigate frustrating phone calls.

Overall, HR is a great career path for INFJ personality types because the job allows you to help others with the benefit of being at a distance. That way, an INFJ can fulfill their social desires without becoming too drained.
Can INFJs be politicians?

Yes, INFJs can be politicians. In fact, because this personality type is drawn to positions of power and tends to like the idea of changing the world, becoming a politician is often a great fit.

Of course, that’s not to say that every INFJ would like politics. Some might find that they become exhausted by all of the roadblocks that stand in the way of progress/change. After all, many countries don’t just have one person calling all of the shots.

Overall though, becoming a politician can be a great way for INFJs to pursue the change they’re passionate about.

Historic INFJ politicians include Mahatma Gandhi and Thomas Jefferson.
Are INFJs good at coding?

Yes, INFJs are good at coding. While this also depends on the individual person in question, the INFJ personality type as a whole can be conducive to the learning of coding.

Aspects of coding that INTJs might enjoy include:
- Focusing on complex problems and finding the solution
- Excitement in teaching others about the skill and designing training courses.
- Having co-workers to mingle with without constant pressure to interact
Of course, because a coding job doesn’t only entail working with code, there are other parts of the job INFJs might not like. The monotony and lack of deep interaction that comes with office work can become unbearable for some.

Overall, while there are many INFJs who can become good at working with code, there are fewer of them who enjoy coding jobs.
Are INFJs good entrepreneurs?

Yes, INFJs are often good entrepreneurs. That’s because an INFJ’s creativity, long-range thinking, and independent working style allow them to create successful businesses.

First, their creativity will enable them to formulate clever ideas. You won’t find a lot of INFJ copy-cats out there. These ideas can be great tools for starting a new business or product.

An INFJ’s long-range thinking then allows them to devise intelligent and thought-through plans that will guide their decision-making. Every business can benefit from a skilled planner.

And finally, their independent working style means that they can succeed on their own without needing help from others. That’s great when you’re looking to start your own business.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Abby McCain

Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.

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