Learn about typical career interests of the the ISFJ personality type, potential career matches, and careers to avoid.
Reading time: 5 minutes
After a short summary of ISFJ career interests, you’ll find 20 potential career fits for ISFJs, along with several poor fits, identified by combining data about ISFJ personality patterns with detailed occupational information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The chart below shows where ISFJs 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 ISFJs are most likely to fall on each dimension.
Most ISFJs tend to have the following pattern of interests:
High 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 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.
Average 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.
Low 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.
Low 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.
Low 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.
However, it’s possible to find ISFJs at any point on any of these six dimensions. While most ISFJs have relatively low Investigative interests, there are still a few ISFJs who score very highly on them. This is one of the limitations to using MBTI personality types for career matching. Alternatively, you can find a more precise assessment of your unique combination of personality traits, strengths, career interests, and more here at TraitLab.
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Most ISFJs have intense Social interests, which fit well with roles requiring skillful communication and empathy.
Many ISFJs also have strong Artistic interests, meaning they will gravitate towards roles with opportunities to create, innovate, and experiment.
Some ISFJs have relatively higher Conventional interests, meaning they will gravitate towards roles with opportunities to organize, systematize, and develop procedures.
Searching for a better career fit?
Compare your unique personality profile against hundreds of career paths.
People who work in the following 20 occupations tend to have similar interests to most ISFJs:
Also known as Caregiver, Child Care Worker, Child Caregiver, Childcare Provider, Childcare Worker, Daycare Teacher, Daycare Worker, Infant Teacher, Toddler Teacher
Childcare Providers attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. They also perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.
Typical pay range: $18,380 - $37,720 (annual)
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Also known as Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Career Counselor, College Counselor, Guidance Counselor, School Adjustment Counselor, School Counselor, Student Development Advisor, Student Services Coordinator
Guidance Counselors advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
Typical pay range: $35,620 - $97,910 (annual)
Learn more about Guidance Counselors ->
Also known as Employment Advisor, Employment Services Case Manager, Employment Specialist, Human Services Care Specialist, Job Coach, Rehabilitation Counselor, Rehabilitation Specialist, Vocational Case Manager, Vocational Placement Specialist, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC)
Rehabilitation Counselors counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress of daily life. In addition, Rehabilitation Counselors
Typical pay range: $25,660 - $66,180 (annual)
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Also known as Art History Professor, Art Instructor, Art Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Instructor, Music Instructor, Music Professor, Professor, Theatre Professor
Art History Professors teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. They also includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Typical pay range: $34,220 - $153,060 (annual)
Learn more about Art History Professors ->
Also known as Computer Training Specialist, Corporate Trainer, E-Learning Developer, Job Training Specialist, Management Development Specialist, Senior Instructor, Supervisory Training Specialist, Technical Trainer, Trainer, Training Specialist
Corporate Trainers design or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance. They also may analyze organizational training needs or evaluate training effectiveness.
Typical pay range: $33,900 - $107,060 (annual)
Learn more about Corporate Trainers ->
Also known as Apprise Counselor, Community Health Outreach Worker, Community Health Program Coordinator, Community Health Program Representative (Community Health Program Rep), Community Health Promoter, Community Health Worker (CHW), Community Nutrition Educator, HIV CTS Specialist (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counseling and Testing Services Specialist)
Community Health Workers promote health within a community by assisting individuals to adopt healthy behaviors. In addition, Community Health Workers
Typical pay range: $28,010 - $70,790 (annual)
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Also known as Adoption Social Worker, Case Manager, Case Worker, Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker), Family Protection Specialist, Family Resource Coordinator, Family Service Worker, Foster Care Social Worker, School Social Worker, Youth Services Specialist
Family Social Workers provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. In addition, Family Social Workers
Typical pay range: $32,300 - $80,290 (annual)
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Also known as Clinical Therapist, Counselor, Family Therapist, Human Relations Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Marriage and Family Counselor, Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Outpatient Therapist, Play Therapist
Family Therapists diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. They also apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.
Typical pay range: $33,140 - $92,930 (annual)
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Also known as Curriculum and Instruction Director, Curriculum Coordinator, Curriculum Director, Curriculum Specialist, Education Specialist, Instructional Designer, Instructional Systems Specialist, Instructional Technologist, Learning Development Specialist, Program Administrator
Instructional Coordinators develop instructional material, coordinate educational content, and incorporate current technology into instruction in order to provide guidelines to educators and instructors for developing curricula and conducting courses. In addition, Instructional Coordinators
Typical pay range: $39,270 - $105,650 (annual)
Learn more about Instructional Coordinators ->
Also known as Art Teacher, English Teacher, High School Science Teacher, History Teacher, Mathematics Instructor (Math Instructor), Science Teacher, Secondary Teacher, Social Studies Teacher, Spanish Teacher, Teacher
High School Teachers teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.
Typical pay range: $41,330 - $102,130 (annual)
Learn more about High School Teachers ->
Also known as Adult Basic Education Instructor (ABE Instructor), Adult Basic Education Teacher (ABE Teacher), Adult Education Instructor, Adult Education Teacher, ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor), ESL Teacher (English as a Second Language Teacher), ESOL Teacher (English for Speakers of Other Languages Teacher), GED Instructor (General Educational Development Instructor), GED Teacher (General Educational Development Teacher), Teacher
Adult Education Instructors teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in basic education, literacy, or English as a Second Language classes, or in classes for earning a high school equivalency credential.
Typical pay range: $32,120 - $95,630 (annual)
Learn more about Adult Education Instructors ->
Also known as Adjunct Professor; Assistant Professor; Associate Professor; Health and Human Performance Professor; Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor); Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor); Instructor; Kinesiology Professor; Physical Education Professor (PE Professor); Professor
Physical Education Professors teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. They also includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Typical pay range: $33,140 - $130,580 (annual)
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Also known as Court Interpreter, Deaf Interpreter, Educational Interpreter, Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, Paraprofessional Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter, Spanish Interpreter, Technical Translator, Translator
Interpreters interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.
Typical pay range: $29,740 - $96,480 (annual)
Learn more about Interpreters ->
Also known as Child Development Teacher, Early Childhood Teacher, Group Teacher, Infant Teacher, Montessori Preschool Teacher, Nursery Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher (Pre-K Teacher), Preschool Teacher, Teacher, Toddler Teacher
Preschool Teachers instruct preschool-aged students, following curricula or lesson plans, in activities designed to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.
Typical pay range: $21,900 - $58,230 (annual)
Learn more about Preschool Teachers ->
Also known as Assistive Technology Trainer, Early Intervention Occupational Therapist, Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant, Occupational Therapist (OT), Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Registered Occupational Therapist, Staff Occupational Therapist, Staff Therapist
Occupational Therapists assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. They also use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual’s environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
Typical pay range: $57,330 - $122,670 (annual)
Learn more about Occupational Therapists ->
Also known as Certified Diabetes Educator, Clinical Instructor, Community Health Consultant, Education Coordinator, Health Education Coordinator, Health Education Specialist, Health Educator, Health Promotion Specialist, Public Health Educator, Public Information Officer
Health Education Specialists provide and manage health education programs that help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. In addition, Health Education Specialists
Typical pay range: $33,720 - $101,890 (annual)
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Also known as Agricultural Education Teacher, Allied Health Teacher, Business Education Teacher, Cosmetology Teacher, Drafting Instructor, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher (FACS Teacher), Instructor, Teacher, Technology Education Teacher, Vocational Teacher
Technical Education High School Teachers teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the secondary school level.
Typical pay range: $43,410 - $96,020 (annual)
Learn more about Technical Education High School Teachers ->
Also known as Activity Coordinator, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), General Activities Therapist, Recreation Therapist, Recreational Therapist, Rehabilitation Therapist, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Recreational Therapists plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. In addition, Recreational Therapists
Typical pay range: $31,450 - $79,250 (annual)
Learn more about Recreational Therapists ->
Also known as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Communication Arts Professor, Communication Instructor, Communication Professor, Instructor, Mass Communications Professor, Professor, Speech Instructor, Speech Professor
Communications Professors teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. They also includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Typical pay range: $40,690 - $137,520 (annual)
Learn more about Communications Professors ->
Also known as Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Architecture Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Faculty Member, Instructor, Interior Design Professor, Lecturer, Professor
Architecture Professors teach courses in architecture and architectural design, such as architectural environmental design, interior architecture/design, and landscape architecture. They also includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Typical pay range: $45,960 - $178,310 (annual)
Learn more about Architecture Professors ->
Most ISFJs would struggle to enjoy careers that consistently demand Investigative and Enterprising interests. These careers would involve heavy amounts of research, abstract reasoning, management, and leadership.
A few examples include:
