Jobs for HSPs are by no means hard to come by. It really depends on the type of HSP you are. There are many similar qualities from one HSP to the next, but after that, attributes start to vary. I’ve done my best to put a spotlight on those similarly “sensitive” qualities in choosing what I consider to be the best jobs or careers for us highly sensitive individuals.

If you’re a Highly Sensitive Person, finding a job that’s a good fit for you can be a little daunting. We are sensitive to many things in our environment, so how do we maneuver through the minutia to find something that both excites and fulfills us?

First things first. Know thyself.

By this, I mean take stock of your priorities when it comes to finding a job. You want to be happy in your job, so don’t compromise too much. We want to find a career we can thrive in, so we need to find a balance, keeping a few things in mind.

Generally speaking, HSPs can be sensitive to things like excessive noise, smells, chaos, bright lights, disturbing visuals, conflict, being under pressure, and any type of overstimulation. That sounds like a lot, but it’s still manageable.

On the flip side, we care deeply about people, and have an incredible sense of empathy and intuition when it comes to those in our lives. We hold a deep appreciation of anything creative, such as art, architecture, and music, and may have an affinity for doing it ourselves, as it comes naturally for us.

We want to rule out negative or disheartening stimuli, because of our very empathetic nature, and focus on the positive and helpful. If you’ve just recently learned that you’re an HSP, please see my post, “What is a Highly Sensitive Person?“.

Business-minded Jobs for HSPs?

Although HSPs are usually detail-oriented, careful in their work, and can multi-task (to a certain degree), we also don’t typically react well to group projects, deadlines, stress, mundane tasks or environments, or someone hanging over our shoulder, with a critical eye.

This forces me to reconsider some of the general business-oriented jobs for HSPs. Many highly sensitive people would make great business leaders and are fully capable of performing these jobs, but these jobs may not feel meaningful or utilize the strengths of an HSP, so you’ll find that I’ve focused my energy on more creative, empathic-type jobs.

If you are one of those HSPs whose interest lies in the business category, please feel free to visit my not-so-obvious jobs for INFJs post to see some of the business-minded jobs I listed for INFJs, who have similar traits to the HSP.

A few of the following jobs may require degrees or certifications.

Jobs for Highly Sensitive People

For the Creative HSP

• Literary Scout: Just like a music or film scout, you find the most promising books to sell to your client (agency). It’s a relatively “new” job, mostly in New York, but very appropriate for avid readers.
• Art Librarian: Help people research, find, and learn about the history of specific pieces of art and collections.
• Artist: Whether a painter, musician, fiber artist, jeweler or photographer, a career in the arts can be very rewarding and therapeutic for a highly sensitive person.
• Song Writer: Put your emotions into words for a living as a poet or song writer.
• Art Instructor: On the same note as above, you can also teach your hobby or craft online, in person, or to others.
• Video Editor: This is a great position in the background that still has some creative flair to to it in the style created during editing.
• Web Designer: Creativity for the technologically inclined.
• Personal Chef: Use your creative prowess to make tasty meals for your clientele when they don’t have the time, or create pre-prepped meals and sell them to the public.
• Graphic Designer: An artistic form of visual communication and a sweet fit for creative HSPs.
• Freelance Writer: Write for who you want, when you want, all from the comfort of your own home. Write for others or author your own book, write a script, or even a creative or personal blog.
• Cake Decorator: Artistic, love cake, and working alone? Yes, please.
• Interior Designer: Love putting together a room, down to the tiniest detail? This might be the career for you.
• Actor: If you have a love for the dramatic and don’t have a problem with the spotlight, being an actor could be in your future.
• Content Creator: Create marketing content in different forms of media, from videos and ebooks to copy writing and infographics.
• Fashion Designer: If you have a flair for fashion, consider using your sketching talents to influence the fashion industry.
• Curator: Responsible for researching, collecting, managing and displaying pieces for museums and art galleries.

Jobs for HSP Healers

• Psychotherapist: There are hundreds of forms of therapy to choose from, so if you’re interested in using your empathy for good in a one-on-one environment, then this might be a great choice for you.
• Massage Therapist: Soothing music, limited talking, with the reward of helping someone feel better almost instantly.
• Yogi: Relax in your job while teaching yoga to others. Soothing music, dimly lit room, quiet space.
• Personal Coach: Pick your favorite. Fitness, nutritional, health, or even a happiness coach. One-on-one coaching by appt. only.
• Midwife: With a focus on women going through a profoundly rewarding time in their life, and you get to help them transition.
• Spiritual Counselor or Ministry: Let your emotions guide you in helping others find their way.
• Nanny: Taking care of children is an ideal job for highly sensitive people. It plays to their ability to organize, imagine, and care for others (some HSPs may find this too loud/chaotic, especially with young kids).
• Special Education Teacher: A challenging and significantly rewarding career for the HSP.
• Acupuncturist: Working one-on-one with patients to alleviate pain and clear the way for healing.
• Speech Therapist: Providing guidance and emotional support to people who need a little extra help and confidence.

For the Nature & Animal Lovers

• Forestry: HSPs thrive in outdoor environments, and being in land management offers the fulfillment of conserving and repairing our land.
• Landscape Designer: We have an eye for detail and a focus on creativity, plus a love of the outdoors, making this job a great choice.
• Travel Guide: This would be a great experience for someone who loves to travel and although you’ll likely be in a group situation, the group is usually fairly small.
• Pet Groomer: Grooming dogs can be therapeutic and fun (depending on the dog), so grab the shampoo!
• Dog Walker: Walking dogs takes you outside for an adventure each and every time. It’s a pleasant way to spend your time.
• Pet Sitter: Take care of other people’s pets while staying in their home. Nothing to do but hang out and snuggle.
• Animal Trainer: Training animals on set for acting, training dolphins for performance, or doing obedience training with dogs. One-on-one and lots of fun.
• Florist: Quiet, creative job where the object is to create something beautiful for someone else. Sounds perfect.
• Plant Care: Working in a plant nursery requires nothing more than a green thumb and gets you around plants, doing things like watering and pruning, which can feel very curative, in it’s own right.
• Wildlife Biologist: Where nature meets wildlife, and then you come along and study that interaction.

Other Jobs for HSPs

• Personal Assistant: Working on your own, with your great attention to detail, and making someone else’s life a little more manageable. Psst, you can even be a virtual assistant (remote).
• Charity Work: This could even be a volunteer position, but would be very rewarding for an HSP to be in a position to give of themselves.
• Editor: Again, detail-oriented, but on your own, and you might even enjoy what you’re reading while you’re searching for errors.
• Personal Shopper: Have fun shopping while spending someone else’s money, using your keen eye for detail to choose the perfect outfit!
• Small Business Owner: HSPs are great at managing, building, organizing, and have a great eye. They would be perfect as a small business owner – brick and mortar or online.
• Grant Writer: Use your compassion, precision, and writing skills to draw up proposals for others in need.
• Real Estate Agent: Control your own schedule and work one-on-one matching clients with their perfect home!
• Private tutor: You decide what you’re good at and want to teach.
• Book Reviewer: More of a part-time job, but if you love to read and share your opinion, could be fun.

I know it can be difficult to figure out where you would best fit in to the workforce when you need to rule out so many different environments to keep yourself sane, so let’s be thankful that there is such a eclectic variety of jobs out there, and some of them may actually fit very well.

Good luck, HSPs, in your search for the right career fit for you. No matter what job you’re looking for, I hope my suggestions sparked something in you. A spark can lead to so much more!

There are way more jobs for HSPs than what’s listed here, so if you have an idea or are an HSP happy in your current job, please comment below!