Top INTP Careers

In order to understand what the INTP personality entails, let’s first review the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire. By answering a series of questions that evaluate your decision-making process and perception of the world, this test can determine which personality type you fall under. There are 16 unique personality types.

INTP stands for introversion, intuition, thinking, and perception. Many of the top scientists and inventors throughout history have had this personality type. That’s because those with this personality tend to be quite inventive and intelligent. They are curious about how things work and are always coming up with new ideas. Oftentimes, they use unique problem-solving methods, which can lead them to interesting solutions.

Since those with the INTP personality tend to be introverted, they may express their enthusiasm about new projects or tasks internally. Their thought process is much more fact-based than emotion-based. This is why they often come off as logical individuals.

They tend to do their best work on their own and value solitude. One drawback is that since they mull over projects alone, they may develop a fear of failure. They tend to second guess themselves before presenting a project or new information to their team. This makes their work thorough but means that you will only see their final result rather than their working progress.

A person with an INTP personality understands their brilliance and doesn’t want to be held back by bureaucracy or rules. They thrive in a work environment where they are left alone to do their thing. Someone with this personality would not enjoy working under close management or supervision.

Learn more: The Guide to Getting Your First Job

If you are an INTP personality type, then you may feel most fulfilled in a job that challenges your critical-thinking skills. When your work is too easy, you may find yourself quickly becoming bored. STEM careers tend to be a good fit for this personality since they require problem-solving and innovative thinking. Let’s explore INTP careers by category:

Business

While an INTP personality type may not thrive in a client-facing or sales role, there are plenty of business professions that work well for them. For instance, many companies need someone who can look at their data and find patterns and trends. This would be a great position for this personality type. Essentially, any type of business job that is analytical and involves numbers or data tends to be a good fit. Check out these business jobs if you have this personality:

• Accountant
• Actuary
• Financial analyst
• Market research analyst
• Purchasing agent
• Sales engineer
• Stockbroker
• Technical business analyst
• Technology consultant
• Technical writer

Learn more: How to Get a Job as a Financial Analyst

Computer science

Programmers and web developers take complicated information and use it to create our world’s most important technology. People in these fields often get to work in solitude, making it the perfect fit for many people with the INTP personality type. Although people with this personality type could succeed in a computer science management role, they may prefer to remain a programmer so that they can work alone. Here are some computer science jobs to check out:

• Computer and information research scientist
• Computer systems analyst
• Database administrator
• Information security analyst
• Programmer
• Software developer
• Software engineer
• Web developer

Learn more: How to Get a Job as a Software Engineer

Criminal justice

As detective work relies on DNA and other advanced processes, this kind of career is often a good fit for people with an INTP personality. For instance, a forensic scientist collects samples from a crime scene and analyzes it. People with this career either specialize in crime scene investigation or laboratory analysis. Either one is great for this personality type since criminal justice needs to be fact-based. Explore these criminal justice careers:

• Computer forensic specialist
• Crime analyst
• Forensic accountant
• Forensic entomologist
• Forensic psychologist
• Forensic scientist
• Information security officer
• Lawyer
• Private investigator

Engineering

In order to be a great engineer, you need to be curious about how things work. People who have INTP personalities have this curiosity and take it a step further to improve systems. Engineering requires a great deal of critical thinking and intelligence, making it an excellent career path for this personality. Get to know these different engineering job titles:

• Architect
• Biomedical engineer
• Chemical engineer
• Computer engineer
• Electrical engineer
• Environmental engineer
• Mechanical engineer
• Urban planner

Math

Math tends to come easy for people with this personality type. Many people with an INTP personality use numbers and equations to draw insightful conclusions. They may also be highly skilled at creating algorithms for computer programs. Although they may not end up being a math teacher or professor, there are many other jobs where they can do their work in solitude. Here are a few math careers to check out:

• Auditor
• Budget analyst
• Cartographer
• Cost estimator
• Cryptanalyst
• Economist
• Mathematical physicist
• Mathematician
• Statistician
• Tax accountant

Learn more: The Best Jobs and Career Advice for Economics Majors

Science

Rather than being a science teacher, those with the INTP personality type thrive better in research positions. Being able to collect and analyze data on their own would be an ideal work environment. If a the goal of a research project is to solve an issue based on data, this is definitely this personality type’s cup of tea. People who are INTPs may enjoy many different disciplines of science, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. Learn these compatible careers in science:

• Anthropologist
• Astronomer
• Biologist
• Chemist
• Epidemiologist
• Medical scientist
• Pathologist
• Physicist
• Political scientist