Jobs that don't require talking to people
If talking is the draining part of work, the question is which jobs ask for the least of it. O*NET rates every occupation on three kinds of talking: face-to-face discussions, telephone conversations and public speaking.
We averaged the three into a talking score from 0 to 100, where lower means less talking. We ranked 743 occupations and kept the lowest 40.
What the data shows
- The quietest job on the list is Cutters and Trimmers, Hand, with a talking score of 19.
- 28% of these 40 jobs pay more than the US median wage of $50,980.
- 37 of the 40 need no more than a high school diploma to get started.
- 23 of the 40 are projected to shrink between 2025 and 2035.
- 25 of the 40 also score 25 or under for dealing with customers or the public.
- The fastest growing is Cooks, Restaurant at +12.1% over ten years.
The ranking
Click a column heading to sort. Pay is the national median annual wage. Growth is the projected change in employment from 2025 to 2035.
| # | Occupation | Talking score | Median pay | Typical entry education | Growth 2025-35 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | 19 | $38,020 | No formal educational credential | -18.9% | 500 |
| 2 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 22 | $39,150 | No formal educational credential | +4.7% | 149,500 |
| 3 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 28 | $46,330 | High school diploma or equivalent | -10.5% | 13,200 |
| 4 | Rock Splitters, Quarry | 31 | $48,740 | No formal educational credential | +5.8% | 400 |
| 5 | Cooks, Restaurant | 32 | $37,390 | No formal educational credential | +12.1% | 218,600 |
| 6 | Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 33 | $38,670 | High school diploma or equivalent | -10.3% | 2,400 |
| 7 | Crossing Guards and Flaggers | 33 | $38,100 | No formal educational credential | +3.5% | 17,300 |
| 8 | Sewing Machine Operators | 33 | $36,670 | No formal educational credential | -15.1% | 9,800 |
| 9 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | 36 | $48,110 | High school diploma or equivalent | -23.0% | 800 |
| 10 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 37 | $52,800 | High school diploma or equivalent | -13.2% | 1,000 |
| 11 | Upholsterers | 37 | $46,340 | High school diploma or equivalent | -2.3% | 1,700 |
| 12 | Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | 37 | $58,470 | No formal educational credential | -5.3% | 7,300 |
| 13 | Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | 37 | $35,650 | High school diploma or equivalent | -6.9% | 400 |
| 14 | Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 38 | $63,340 | High school diploma or equivalent | -17.3% | 200 |
| 15 | Tire Builders | 38 | $57,390 | High school diploma or equivalent | +0.8% | 1,900 |
| 16 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 38 | $43,220 | High school diploma or equivalent | +4.1% | 41,400 |
| 17 | Pourers and Casters, Metal | 38 | $51,810 | High school diploma or equivalent | -5.0% | 400 |
| 18 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 38 | $49,690 | No formal educational credential | +2.1% | 15,500 |
| 19 | Furniture Finishers | 38 | $44,540 | High school diploma or equivalent | -3.5% | 1,500 |
| 20 | Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 39 | $38,760 | High school diploma or equivalent | -13.6% | 900 |
| 21 | Avionics Technicians | 39 | $82,280 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +9.4% | 1,700 |
| 22 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 40 | $43,960 | High school diploma or equivalent | -9.7% | 2,500 |
| 23 | Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | 40 | $48,040 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.6% | 1,800 |
| 24 | Print Binding and Finishing Workers | 40 | $42,290 | High school diploma or equivalent | -17.5% | 2,300 |
| 25 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 40 | $41,220 | No formal educational credential | -13.1% | 4,000 |
| 26 | Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | 40 | $61,290 | High school diploma or equivalent | -13.7% | 100 |
| 27 | Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | 40 | $46,680 | High school diploma or equivalent | -2.9% | 6,900 |
| 28 | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 40 | $35,730 | No formal educational credential | -3.4% | 5,800 |
| 29 | Manicurists and Pedicurists | 40 | $35,760 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +9.2% | 21,900 |
| 30 | Sheet Metal Workers | 40 | $61,800 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.5% | 9,800 |
| 31 | Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | 41 | $35,060 | No formal educational credential | -15.7% | 2,200 |
| 32 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 41 | $39,530 | High school diploma or equivalent | -13.7% | 1,300 |
| 33 | Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | 41 | $42,770 | High school diploma or equivalent | -1.0% | 4,500 |
| 34 | Animal Breeders | 41 | $51,130 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.0% | 1,000 |
| 35 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 41 | $53,750 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.4% | 40,300 |
| 36 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 42 | $48,250 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.5% | 15,300 |
| 37 | Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | 42 | $43,530 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.4% | 1,700 |
| 38 | Software Developers | 42 | $135,980 | Bachelor's degree | +10.2% | 95,300 |
| 39 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 42 | $50,690 | High school diploma or equivalent | -9.4% | 12,500 |
| 40 | Bakers | 42 | $37,160 | No formal educational credential | +5.5% | 36,500 |
What to keep in mind
- Every job involves some talking. A low score means less of it than other occupations, not none.
- O*NET scores 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, and some occupations have small samples. We left out 5 occupations that O*NET flags as unreliable.
See every occupation in the full introvert jobs table.