Career Options for Introverts in Education
Working in education often means working with people, whether teaching a class or coordinating with other teachers. But that doesn't mean there aren't jobs within education that introverts might enjoy. Below are some career options within the education industry for people who consider themselves to be introverted.
| Job Title | Median Salary (2020)* | Job Growth (2019-2029)* |
|---|---|---|
| Instructional Coordinator | $66,970 | 6% |
| School Library Assistant | $31,840 (for all library technicians and assistants) | -4% (for all library technicians and assistants) |
| Online Elementary ESL Teacher | $60,940 (for all elementary school teachers, except special education) | 4% (for all elementary school teachers, except special education) |
| Online Adjunct Professor | $80,790 (for all postsecondary teachers) | 9% (for all postsecondary teachers) |
| Curriculum Editor | $63,400 (for all editors) | -7% (for all editors) |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Career Information for Introverts in Education
Instructional Coordinator
Instructional coordinators mainly work with curriculum. Their focus is on developing curriculum and teaching standards, and much of their time is spent alone in an office evaluating curriculum and its level of accuracy. They also coordinate the use of their curriculum with teachers and schools. Instructional coordinators usually work inside schools, whether primary, secondary, or post-secondary, and need a master's degree in the field as well as experience using or working with curriculum.
School Library Assistant
Library assistants help the main librarian with everything they need to do, such as organizing materials and doing small clerical tasks. School library assistants work in any school library, such as at elementary, middle, or high schools as well as at university libraries. They keep up textbook collections and help teachers develop materials to implement curriculum. This job is good for introverts because while they do work with others, maintaining collections and clerical work are best done alone. They need only a high school diploma because most training will be done while they are at work.
Online Elementary ESL Teacher
Online elementary ESL teachers are growing in popularity because of other nationalities that want to learn English. This job is good for introverts because they can usually schedule their own hours and teach English over the internet without having to be around very many people at the same time. These teachers usually work with small classes or one-on-one and teach the basics of English grammar and punctuation to elementary-age children. They typically need a bachelor's degree, and certification in teaching the English language (TESOL) is usually preferred.
Online Adjunct Professor
Online adjunct professors teach in a variety of subjects, from English to history to math. These professors usually work on a contract/part-time basis. They conduct their interaction with students online rather than in person, greatly limiting how many people introverts must interact with at one time. They need a master's or higher in their field of interest, and further certification may be required.
Curriculum Editor
Curriculum editors often work independently while editing and proofreading curriculum for quality assurance. They may work with a team to cover every aspect of correction before publishing, but some of the work can be done alone, which is good for an introvert. Some online and remote positions may available in this field, even further limiting contact with others. Curriculum editors usually need a bachelor's degree in the field of curriculum they want to edit.
