Learn about typical career interests of the the ESTJ personality type, potential career matches, and careers to avoid.
Reading time: 5 minutes
After a short summary of ESTJ career interests, you’ll find 20 potential career fits for ESTJs, along with several poor fits, identified by combining data about ESTJ personality patterns with detailed occupational information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The chart below shows where ESTJs tend to fall on the classic RIASEC career interest dimensions: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.
Your unique blend of these dimensions dramatically influences how well a career feels like a good fit.
The dark blue areas show where ESTJs are most likely to fall on each dimension.
Most ESTJs tend to have the following pattern of interests:
High Conventional interests: People with strong Conventional interests excel in roles that require categorizing, planning, and systematizing information and processes. Examples include financial officers, budget analysts, office managers, database analysts, and systems administrators.
Average Enterprising interests: People with strong Enterprising interests are often skilled communicators and enjoy influencing, persuading, and leading other people. They actively pursue leadership roles and opportunities to bolster their status and reputation. Examples include sales and marketing directors, politicians and political organizers, and executives.
Average Social interests: People with strong Social interests fit well with careers that involve helping, comforting, caring for, and teaching other people. Examples include physical therapists, counselors, clergy, social workers, doctors, and nurses.
Average Realistic interests: People with high Realistic interests enjoy careers that allow them to work with their hands or tools to get a job done, rather than thinking or talking about it. They may also gravitate towards jobs with opportunities for working outdoors, competition, and risk-taking. Examples include police officers, military officers, professional athletes, farmers, builders, mechanics, forest rangers, and woodworkers.
Average Investigative interests: People with strong Investigative interests prefer roles that require observation, researching, and understanding ideas. They tend to prefer working with data and ideas rather than working closely with other people. Examples include medical researchers, chemists, software engineers, scientific reporters, and statisticians.
Low Artistic interests: People with strong Artistic interests prefer jobs that require innovation through artistic and intuitive skills in less structured tasks and environments. Examples include artists, novelists, actors or actresses, musicians, curators, and designers.
However, it’s possible to find ESTJs at any point on any of these six dimensions. While most ESTJs have relatively low Artistic interests, there are still a few ESTJs who score very highly on them. This wide range in interests highlights the problem of using broad personality types to find good career matches.
For a more precise assessment of your unique combination of personality traits, career interests, and much more, try the assessments here at TraitLab.
Most ESTJs have intense Conventional interests, which fit well with roles with opportunities to organize, systematize, and develop procedures.
Many ESTJs also have strong Enterprising interests, pulling them towards roles with heavy demands for persuading, leading, and managing others.
Other ESTJs tend to lean into Social interests, meaning they will gravitate towards roles requiring skillful communication and empathy.
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People who work in the following 20 occupations tend to have similar interests to most ESTJs:
Also known as Administrative Aide, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Associate, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, Administrative Specialist, Executive Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Executive Secretary, Office Assistant
Executive Assistants provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. They also may also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.
Typical pay range: $39,350 - $94,830 (annual)
Learn more about Executive Assistants ->
Also known as Cruise Counselor, Guide, Mountain Bike Guide, River Guide, Tour Coordinator, Tour Director, Tour Escort, Tour Manager, Tour Operator, Tours Captain
Travel Guides plan, organize, and conduct long-distance travel, tours, and expeditions for individuals and groups.
Typical pay range: $20,430 - $47,660 (annual)
Learn more about Travel Guides ->
Also known as Audio Visual Specialist, Audio Visual Technician, Catalog Librarian, Instructional Technology Specialist, Librarian, Library Media Specialist, Media Technician, Multimedia Services Coordinator, Reference Librarian, Technical Services Librarian
Librarians administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. In addition, Librarians
Typical pay range: $34,810 - $97,460 (annual)
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Also known as Collections Curator, Collections Manager, Curator, Education Curator, Exhibitions Curator, Exhibits Curator, Museum Curator, Photography Curator, Vertebrate Zoology Curator
Curators administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. They also may conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
Typical pay range: $33,370 - $96,820 (annual)
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Also known as Billing Coordinator, Health Unit Coordinator, Medical Office Specialist, Medical Secretary, Patient Coordinator, Physician Office Specialist, Unit Secretary, Unit Support Representative, Ward Clerk
Patient Coordinators perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures. They also duties may include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
Typical pay range: $27,000 - $54,600 (annual)
Learn more about Patient Coordinators ->
Also known as Credit Administrator, Credit Analyst, Credit and Collections Analyst, Credit Officer, Credit Representative, Credit Risk Analyst, Municipal Fixed Income Analyst
Credit Analysts analyze credit data and financial statements of individuals or firms to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money. They also prepare reports with credit information for use in decisionmaking.
Typical pay range: $44,250 - $146,690 (annual)
Learn more about Credit Analysts ->
Also known as City Tax Auditor, Revenue Agent, Revenue Collector, Revenue Officer, Revenue Specialist, Tax Collector, Tax Compliance Officer, Tax Examiner
Tax Examiners determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
Typical pay range: $33,180 - $105,430 (annual)
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Also known as Benefits Administrator, Benefits Analyst, Benefits Specialist, Compensation Analyst, Compensation Consultant, Compensation Coordinator, Compensation Specialist, Compensation/Benefits Specialist, Personnel Specialist, Position Classification Specialist
Benefits Administrators conduct programs of compensation and benefits and job analysis for employer. They also may specialize in specific areas, such as position classification and pension programs.
Typical pay range: $41,490 - $111,930 (annual)
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Also known as 911 Dispatcher, Communications Officer, Communications Operator, Communications Specialist, Dispatcher, Emergency Communications Operator (ECO), Police Dispatcher, Public Safety Dispatcher, Telecommunicator
Emergency Services Dispatchers operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. In addition, Emergency Services Dispatchers
Typical pay range: $28,040 - $67,150 (annual)
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Also known as Inside Sales Representative, Marketing Representative, Sales Representative
Technical Products Sales Representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postsecondary education.
Typical pay range: $42,820 - $171,700 (annual)
Learn more about Technical Products Sales Representatives ->
Also known as Clinical Director, Health Information Management Corporate Director, Health Information Management Director, Health Manager, Mental Health Program Manager, Nurse Manager, Nursing Director
Clinical Directors plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Typical pay range: $59,980 - $195,630 (annual)
Learn more about Clinical Directors ->
Also known as District Sales Manager, National Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Sales and Marketing Vice President, Sales Director, Sales Manager, Sales Supervisor, Sales Vice President, Store Manager
Sales Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. In addition, Sales Managers
Typical pay range: $63,170 - $208,000+ (annual)
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Also known as Bed and Breakfast Innkeeper, Front Desk Manager, Front Office Director, Front Office Manager, Guest Relations Manager, Guest Service Manager, Hotel Manager, Night Manager, Resort Manager, Rooms Director
Hotel Managers plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that provides lodging and other accommodations.
Typical pay range: $32,980 - $108,060 (annual)
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Also known as Admissions Clerk, Admissions Representative, Admitting Clerk, Interviewer, Market Research Interviewer, Registrar, Registration Clerk, Research Interviewer, Telephone Interviewer
Research Interviewers interview persons by telephone, mail, in person, or by other means for the purpose of completing forms, applications, or questionnaires. In addition, Research Interviewers
Typical pay range: $24,980 - $52,550 (annual)
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Also known as Airport Operations Coordinator, Airport Operations Officer, Airport Operations Specialist, Flight Follower, Operations Agent, Operations Coordinator
Airfield Operations Specialists ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. They also duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.
Typical pay range: $28,660 - $98,770 (annual)
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Also known as Commercial Credit Reviewer, Commercial Loan Reviewer, Credit Investigator, Credit Processor, Credit Representative
Credit Investigators authorize credit charges against customers’ accounts. In addition, Credit Investigators
Typical pay range: $28,020 - $62,940 (annual)
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Also known as Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Salesperson, Realtor, Realtor Associate, Sales Agent
Real Estate Agents rent, buy, or sell property for clients. In addition, Real Estate Agents perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts.
Typical pay range: $25,100 - $112,410 (annual)
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Also known as Accounting Manager, Accounts Payable Supervisor, Accounts Receivable Manager, Administrative Supervisor, Customer Service Manager, Customer Service Supervisor, Office Coordinator, Office Manager, Office Supervisor, Staff Services Manager
Office Managers directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.
Typical pay range: $35,360 - $94,170 (annual)
Learn more about Office Managers ->
Also known as Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Executive Director, Executive Vice President (EVP), Operations Vice President
Chief Executives determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. They also plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.
Typical pay range: $62,780 - $208,000+ (annual)
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Also known as Bakery Manager, Delicatessen Manager, Department Manager, Department Supervisor, Grocery Manager, Key Carrier, Meat Department Manager, Parts Sales Manager, Shift Manager, Store Manager
Retail Managers directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. They also duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Typical pay range: $27,260 - $72,810 (annual)
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Most ESTJs would struggle to enjoy careers that primarily demand Artistic and Investigative interests. These careers would focus heavily on creative, open-ended work with abstract ideas, leaving little room for ESTJs to use their strengths in organization, leadership, and attention to detail.
A few examples of poorer fits include:
