Personality Profiles for Different Jobs

Ever wondered what personality traits thrive in different careers? Our personality trait-job table offers a unique look at how the five-factor model of personality—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—aligns with over 200 well-defined jobs. Click on the job title to see the O-Net job profile details of that job, including typical job duties; education, knowledge, skills, and abilities required; and US labor market pay information. Discover the common personality trait profiles of people who have careers in roles you want!

Comparison of Trait Scores of Incumbents Across a Wide Variety of Jobs

Table: Comparison of Trait Scores of Incumbents Across a Wide Variety of Jobs

This table provides detailed personality trait comparison between large samples of people in a wide variety of jobs. Each row provides an average trait scores percentile for each trait. Lower percentiles indicate lower average scores of that trait across the group in that job. Row values are shaded from dark blue (lower trait scores) to dark green (higher trait scores).

The table is sorted alphabetically by job title.

                 
Less prominent trait   More prominent trait
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Job Title O C E A N
Accountants and Auditors 47.09 57.02 46.61 49.56 43.64
Actors 71.43 38.71 69.18 52.75 78.64
Actuaries 60.33 42.0 38.13 54.38 49.28
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers 60.1 50.24 49.32 42.98 42.23
Administrative Services Managers 47.81 53.78 62.67 40.09 45.82
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors 75.93 42.78 55.13 59.87 56.47
Advertising and Promotions Managers 69.99 44.16 69.53 43.88 49.0
Agricultural Equipment Operators 32.64 54.5 47.61 55.25 52.11
Air Traffic Controllers 50.84 53.27 55.21 44.67 41.8
Aircraft Launch and Recovery Officers 39.63 60.49 52.91 45.5 48.8
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 50.08 58.47 47.65 54.97 34.75
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians 53.67 55.25 48.92 54.7 48.17
Animal Scientists 61.68 40.48 35.98 52.11 56.75
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 63.76 44.71 47.41 49.32 56.43
Architectural and Engineering Managers 65.17 56.12 56.67 42.07 40.87
Archivists 59.91 45.3 45.34 58.71 61.56
Art Directors 66.17 43.01 62.74 42.35 60.99
Artists and Related Workers, All Other 59.44 46.65 47.29 46.49 61.83
Audio and Video Technicians 64.77 44.31 43.88 58.94 63.65
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics 41.06 52.31 46.77 55.92 54.14
Bakers 37.07 45.74 43.09 49.36 54.89
Bill and Account Collectors 39.4 52.91 49.08 49.04 54.58
Billing and Posting Clerks 34.24 57.81 54.18 47.09 49.92
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers 49.24 51.64 40.28 46.57 45.66
Biological Technicians 45.3 41.72 42.03 44.04 49.76
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 37.79 51.0 41.61 52.07 51.08
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity 31.49 48.05 57.53 49.76 63.01
Butchers and Meat Cutters 41.84 54.74 41.33 39.55 49.36
Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products 40.87 54.58 49.6 47.49 48.52
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 46.97 54.06 42.98 48.01 54.58
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary 58.63 53.43 49.04 52.95 50.0
Cargo and Freight Agents 41.76 48.36 53.39 43.25 47.13
Carpenters 41.02 58.94 41.72 51.04 56.67
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists 43.68 46.37 43.33 53.27 53.03
Cashiers 42.94 37.79 41.49 53.98 52.47
Chefs and Head Cooks 43.57 61.56 49.28 40.56 54.34
Chemical Engineers 49.76 50.56 41.76 47.85 50.2
Chemists 56.12 45.38 41.06 53.19 51.2
Childcare Workers 44.75 44.16 58.28 52.19 62.36
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians 49.04 48.6 41.76 48.8 47.17
Civil Engineers 53.74 52.31 44.2 48.96 46.41
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 46.37 51.83 46.49 44.55 48.6
Clergy 71.09 42.82 59.75 65.95 49.76
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists 74.12 36.17 59.06 66.79 40.9
Coaches and Scouts 46.1 52.71 62.48 51.2 43.68
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 35.68 48.13 53.43 47.57 51.24
Commercial and Industrial Designers 67.8 40.09 53.03 50.4 59.75
Computer Hardware Engineers 65.39 34.16 21.24 71.6 37.83
Computer and Information Research Scientists 58.0 50.0 48.17 55.8 40.83
Computer and Information Systems Managers 71.09 51.32 51.16 51.83 37.56
Concierges 47.13 47.77 50.6 46.45 58.04
Conservation Scientists 57.73 37.9 47.53 52.35 44.63
Construction Laborers 37.37 53.78 44.31 48.76 51.6
Construction Managers 48.64 63.5 58.2 41.06 47.69
Cooks, Restaurant 39.7 51.12 43.37 46.02 51.2
Correspondence Clerks 45.11 47.45 55.21 48.68 50.08
Couriers and Messengers 39.01 37.64 38.63 46.33 55.92
Craft Artists 49.84 46.22 46.37 48.09 63.76
Crane and Tower Operators 27.26 58.71 47.05 50.12 51.0
Credit Counselors 42.74 56.83 60.99 44.79 44.16
Customer Service Representatives 39.55 46.06 50.0 48.6 56.71
Customs and Border Protection Officers 43.37 48.56 45.5 51.64 51.28
Data Entry Keyers 40.32 53.07 42.82 53.67 53.47
Database Administrators 49.08 41.02 33.61 57.26 50.52
Demonstrators and Product Promoters 55.01 50.68 55.8 44.75 42.35
Dental Assistants 49.76 64.36 59.33 55.72 45.3
Dentists, General 49.0 60.26 46.73 50.08 52.87
Desktop Publishers 36.69 42.54 43.8 42.9 54.02
Detectives and Criminal Investigators 43.88 54.46 52.79 46.97 41.53
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance 44.31 56.08 45.62 44.04 47.57
Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers 41.25 51.6 51.95 54.66 52.75
Economists 57.85 46.61 43.57 52.31 52.19
Editors 62.67 35.12 51.12 50.72 61.56
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary 62.74 53.39 62.44 53.78 43.72
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare 55.01 46.81 65.47 62.02 43.92
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors 59.1 44.31 63.16 55.76 49.0
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers 47.17 49.16 41.57 55.45 49.36
Electrical Engineers 56.59 46.73 39.28 49.36 54.74
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 53.11 43.72 49.68 49.88 49.04
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment 47.53 41.45 48.13 56.08 51.08
Electricians 40.63 44.63 38.48 51.87 45.62
Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers 34.38 44.51 31.67 47.93 49.12
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 56.87 42.0 54.86 58.47 54.02
Engineers, All Other 59.95 48.52 35.09 53.43 49.6
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling 58.43 47.29 67.54 48.01 47.17
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants 41.8 51.99 50.92 52.31 55.61
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors 51.2 42.9 68.37 51.83 47.09
Family Medicine Physicians 56.0 53.03 37.56 55.57 47.41
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 56.08 43.29 38.48 56.75 57.53
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals 43.13 52.51 40.28 54.54 51.75
File Clerks 37.56 45.62 38.44 56.55 56.83
Financial Managers 55.49 63.38 51.36 43.05 37.22
Financial and Investment Analysts 49.12 60.1 46.93 55.69 43.49
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators 80.29 32.82 50.4 52.87 69.36
Firefighters 42.03 51.32 54.58 44.91 48.88
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers 45.74 47.25 47.49 46.1 47.77
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers 42.03 51.36 53.39 51.16 49.56
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 48.64 54.74 57.77 47.89 49.04
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 44.24 57.53 44.79 44.2 44.67
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other 48.64 53.19 49.12 45.3 56.24
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 41.53 57.69 55.88 41.96 42.43
Flight Attendants 39.7 48.88 43.21 43.76 49.68
Food Preparation Workers 34.2 45.82 40.05 54.58 58.08
Food Service Managers 49.96 47.01 64.06 47.89 46.97
Forest and Conservation Technicians 49.28 48.25 42.07 54.66 55.09
Forest and Conservation Workers 34.61 39.43 42.35 57.22 49.8
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists 44.67 50.64 57.93 43.57 48.13
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other 48.6 46.61 45.58 57.34 57.89
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 35.64 54.54 48.44 48.96 47.69
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping 43.37 51.2 50.56 49.6 50.76
Human Resources Managers 56.12 57.93 66.17 46.61 39.94
Human Resources Specialists 50.12 52.79 61.26 52.71 47.05
Industrial Engineers 53.35 49.6 43.45 50.56 45.26
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 47.57 50.48 44.2 50.64 49.44
Industrial Production Managers 51.04 58.43 49.96 44.24 44.31
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 42.03 46.53 34.53 47.93 56.51
Instructional Coordinators 69.92 43.13 53.31 48.13 52.19
Insurance Underwriters 44.47 42.43 51.56 50.64 48.64
Interior Designers 54.89 53.27 47.57 53.67 58.0
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 35.83 46.57 41.14 50.24 56.47
Judicial Law Clerks 46.02 58.2 48.25 44.67 52.51
Landscape Architects 62.44 44.16 47.53 50.44 58.86
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 42.27 43.13 37.11 54.18 52.59
Lawyers 61.22 57.61 50.48 47.69 44.71
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists 50.64 37.37 44.55 56.63 59.02
Lodging Managers 56.87 56.24 58.82 46.85 42.19
Management Analysts 61.26 55.76 54.58 48.92 42.62
Managers, All Other 57.93 56.08 57.53 41.64 38.17
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 57.53 47.65 62.1 45.78 51.71
Marketing Managers 50.16 55.17 66.6 39.4 41.22
Massage Therapists 54.38 43.45 54.02 55.21 41.76
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians 40.67 55.88 44.75 50.04 51.48
Mechanical Engineers 59.75 52.39 39.2 55.49 42.27
Medical Assistants 58.59 60.41 49.56 48.01 57.18
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 57.5 45.62 41.29 55.96 57.38
Medical and Health Services Managers 54.93 56.67 53.98 51.2 32.42
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners 55.49 51.36 68.55 47.29 46.61
Music Directors and Composers 63.38 42.58 59.52 52.19 65.65
Network and Computer Systems Administrators 57.69 42.9 37.45 55.57 43.6
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists 69.01 35.27 59.72 43.37 65.06
Nurse Midwives 44.31 50.32 54.66 52.87 48.01
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians 46.3 52.07 62.51 54.42 49.48
Operations Research Analysts 56.08 49.36 55.41 46.26 52.75
Opticians, Dispensing 38.74 54.89 47.85 42.7 46.73
Orthotists and Prosthetists 46.33 54.54 42.15 47.89 57.02
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 36.47 45.9 46.26 42.86 51.79
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators 36.99 56.99 52.55 55.25 45.3
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks 40.32 52.71 50.28 51.83 53.11
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other 39.36 46.3 48.17 47.69 55.61
Personal Financial Advisors 50.72 53.78 58.2 46.1 41.8
Pharmacists 40.32 50.0 41.92 53.15 51.71
Photographers 62.36 43.53 61.98 59.17 58.12
Physical Therapists 46.41 52.15 48.64 59.21 53.7
Physicians, All Other 56.79 53.82 46.65 53.43 51.68
Plant and System Operators, All Other 40.36 50.8 42.54 51.64 53.19
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 29.87 52.35 48.01 46.49 50.88
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 41.76 56.71 55.37 42.58 41.49
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other 73.17 44.87 43.33 55.41 50.8
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 44.16 47.89 57.69 56.67 54.7
Printing Press Operators 39.97 40.21 40.56 52.15 59.02
Production Workers, All Other 31.35 48.72 39.97 49.8 52.55
Project Management Specialists 54.22 52.23 56.71 47.25 43.25
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers 47.85 43.64 62.89 39.28 42.27
Radiation Therapists 40.05 45.3 39.2 56.28 50.96
Receptionists and Information Clerks 42.54 48.68 49.72 49.44 52.79
Registered Nurses 45.38 53.7 45.98 54.46 50.64
Regulatory Affairs Specialists 50.52 48.76 45.82 45.14 45.11
Retail Salespersons 36.43 45.82 47.01 51.36 57.93
Sailors and Marine Oilers 42.15 61.18 57.5 44.59 48.96
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 44.39 48.92 58.82 46.49 51.4
Sales and Related Workers, All Other 37.56 49.24 58.98 37.15 49.76
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 70.54 43.76 50.2 54.34 55.45
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 35.01 50.16 48.25 55.13 56.32
Sewers, Hand 34.94 51.95 39.7 51.87 53.11
Sheet Metal Workers 46.22 62.06 40.32 46.61 51.6
Ship Engineers 47.81 65.17 50.8 46.53 42.62
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 37.71 52.31 43.33 46.89 56.47
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers 46.53 42.7 37.79 54.74 54.46
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 65.76 40.09 39.01 56.28 65.43
Social and Community Service Managers 61.68 54.14 63.95 55.57 49.08
Social and Human Service Assistants 53.98 45.62 51.79 55.05 49.12
Software Developers 63.72 41.68 30.5 61.64 47.93
Soil and Plant Scientists 51.6 43.05 46.97 52.59 47.73
Special Education Teachers, Elementary School 59.44 46.33 54.89 59.33 54.93
Special Effects Artists and Animators 67.47 34.57 51.87 59.25 68.3
Speech-Language Pathologists 61.79 48.29 49.24 62.4 58.16
Statisticians 46.33 41.8 37.33 57.5 57.57
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors 55.72 45.22 58.43 57.5 49.16
Survey Researchers 51.64 39.82 53.82 44.43 50.2
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers 44.39 48.48 45.86 51.95 45.78
Taxi Drivers 30.33 48.6 52.43 47.41 56.12
Teachers and Instructors, All Other 58.75 47.49 54.02 55.09 52.47
Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education 34.79 47.65 54.66 58.51 55.8
Team Assemblers 34.53 49.36 40.32 43.41 53.98
Telemarketers 42.78 45.18 52.59 53.11 58.82
Tellers 48.17 46.06 63.46 50.28 61.52
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 41.25 54.89 38.51 60.26 55.17
Tool and Die Makers 42.31 43.17 41.45 52.95 54.46
Training and Development Specialists 67.15 42.03 64.39 51.0 42.11
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 44.79 60.22 49.92 44.04 44.39
Travel Agents 45.38 39.51 61.64 47.09 50.52
Travel Guides 64.32 41.49 51.48 46.26 53.86
Urban and Regional Planners 57.97 48.96 57.69 49.0 59.06
Veterinarians 65.36 45.9 35.64 49.72 52.95
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers 47.69 43.88 34.27 59.87 60.3
Waiters and Waitresses 51.95 37.98 51.44 45.94 61.18
Web Developers 67.65 38.29 30.64 67.83 64.88
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 36.88 48.56 41.18 52.15 47.65
Writers and Authors 75.46 35.35 49.48 51.52 65.39


Comparison of Trait Combinations Across Many Jobs

Chart: Comparison of Trait Combinations Across Many Jobs

Discover the fascinating relationship between personality traits and professional roles with our interactive Career-Personality Explorer. Drawing from extensive research on the "Big Five" personality dimensions (Anni et. al., 2024), this visualization reveals how different personality traits cluster across more than 200 occupations. Select any two personality dimensions to explore patterns – you might uncover that software developers tend to score differently on conscientiousness than graphic designers, or that sales managers and accountants show distinct patterns of extraversion. Hover over any point to see exactly how professionals in each field typically score on your chosen traits. Whether you're curious about workplace dynamics, interested in understanding professional cultures, or simply fascinated by the intersection of personality and work, this unique tool offers a window into how different traits manifest across the professional landscape.

You can select any combination of five factor traits from the "X-Axis" and "Y-Axis" drop down menus and the chart will update with those settings. Hover over the plotted dots to see specific data points for each job.



References

Anni, K., Vainik, U., & Mõttus, R. (2024). Personality profiles of 263 occupations. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication.
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