Work Context Index
Jobs with the most independent work without a bachelor's degree
Jobs with the most independent work, restricted to occupations with a BLS typical entry-level education below a bachelor's degree (no formal credential, high school, some college, a postsecondary award or an associate's degree). Every value is O*NET's own mean rating; the percentile is where that value sits among all 894 occupations, not among the restricted set.
Which jobs offer the most independent work: freedom to decide, setting your own tasks, and less dependence on a team whose typical entry education is below a bachelor's degree?
Only 516 of the 894 occupations O*NET 30.3 rates have a BLS typical entry-level education below a bachelor's degree (no formal credential, high school, some college, a postsecondary award or an associate's degree). Ranked by the mean percentile across freedom to make decisions, setting your own tasks, working in a team, 25 are listed: 6 also appear in the unrestricted ranking and 19 enter only under this restriction, led by Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners (91st percentile), Animal Trainers (90th percentile), Real Estate Sales Agents (90th percentile). The strongest overall are Animal Breeders (98th percentile), Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers (96th percentile), Farm Labor Contractors (94th percentile). Their median BLS wage is $47,520 (2025, 25 of 25 with a BLS line item), and 25 of the 25 with BLS education data typically need less than a bachelor's degree.
- Occupations compared
- 516 of 894 O*NET occupations qualify (a BLS typical entry-level education below a bachelor's degree (no formal credential, high school, some college, a postsecondary award or an associate's degree)); percentiles are still taken over all 894
- Measures combined
- Freedom to Make Decisions (higher is preferred); Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals (higher is preferred); Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team (lower is preferred)
- How they are combined
- Each measure becomes a percentile rank among all occupations, flipped where lower is preferred, then the percentiles are averaged with equal weight. The figure is a rank average, not a suitability score.
- Wage and outlook source
- BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 (Employment in thousands). 9 of the 25 occupations listed have a dedicated RoleSprint page.
Source and method
O*NET 30.3 Database (Work Context), U.S. Department of Labor, and BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2. Verified 2026-09-05. Ratings are reproduced from O*NET as published mean incumbent responses on each question's own 1-to-5 scale. Percentile ranks, composite averages and the resulting order are RoleSprint's computation and are described on the methodology page. Wage, education and outlook fields are reproduced from BLS for the matching SOC code and left blank where BLS publishes no line item.
What this page does and does not claim
People search this as “jobs for people who like to work alone”. This page answers that with the measurement behind it: 3 Work Context questions — Freedom to Make Decisions, Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals, Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team — each rated on a fixed 1-to-5 scale by people who do each job.
It does not say which jobs suit a personality, a temperament or a health condition. It reports a measured condition of the work and lets you decide whether that condition is the one you meant.
The 25 occupations
Ordered by mean percentile across freedom to make decisions, setting your own tasks, working in a team.
| # | Occupation | Component values | Rank | BLS wage and education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animal Breeders O*NET-SOC 45-2021.00 |
| 98th percentile mean of 3 measures | $51,130 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +3% 2025-35 |
| 2 | Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers O*NET-SOC 41-9091.00 |
| 96th percentile mean of 3 measures | $41,380 median (2025) No formal educational credential · -10.4% 2025-35 |
| 3 | Farm Labor Contractors O*NET-SOC 13-1074.00 |
| 94th percentile mean of 3 measures | $58,460 median (2025) No formal educational credential · +7.4% 2025-35 |
| 4 | Fallers O*NET-SOC 45-4021.00 |
| 93rd percentile mean of 3 measures | $52,100 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -9.9% 2025-35 |
| 5 | Watch and Clock Repairers O*NET-SOC 49-9064.00 |
| 92nd percentile mean of 3 measures | $67,230 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -0.3% 2025-35 |
| 6 | Massage Therapists O*NET-SOC 31-9011.00 |
| 91st percentile mean of 3 measures | $58,450 median (2025) Postsecondary nondegree award · +15.3% 2025-35 |
| 7 | Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners O*NET-SOC 49-9063.00 |
| 91st percentile mean of 3 measures | $46,420 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +1.9% 2025-35 |
| 8 | Animal Trainers O*NET-SOC 39-2011.00 |
| 90th percentile mean of 3 measures | $39,990 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +4.2% 2025-35 |
| 9 | Real Estate Sales Agents O*NET-SOC 41-9022.00 |
| 90th percentile mean of 3 measures | $52,830 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +1.7% 2025-35 |
| 10 | Bicycle Repairers O*NET-SOC 49-3091.00 |
| 89th percentile mean of 3 measures | $42,780 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -5.7% 2025-35 |
| 11 | Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists O*NET-SOC 39-5012.00 |
| 88th percentile mean of 3 measures | $35,790 median (2025) Postsecondary nondegree award · +7.7% 2025-35 |
| 12 | Private Detectives and Investigators O*NET-SOC 33-9021.00 |
| 87th percentile mean of 3 measures | $51,220 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +5.5% 2025-35 |
| 13 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners O*NET-SOC 37-2011.00 |
| 86th percentile mean of 3 measures | $36,840 median (2025) No formal educational credential · +2.2% 2025-35 |
| 14 | Motorboat Operators O*NET-SOC 53-5022.00 |
| 86th percentile mean of 3 measures | $47,520 median (2025) Postsecondary nondegree award · +4.9% 2025-35 |
| 15 | Craft Artists O*NET-SOC 27-1012.00 |
| 86th percentile mean of 3 measures | $46,080 median (2025) No formal educational credential · +2% 2025-35 |
| 16 | Potters, Manufacturing O*NET-SOC 51-9195.05 |
| 86th percentile mean of 3 measures | $46,170 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +5.8% 2025-35 |
| 17 | Barbers O*NET-SOC 39-5011.00 |
| 86th percentile mean of 3 measures | $38,210 median (2025) Postsecondary nondegree award · +3.3% 2025-35 |
| 18 | Transportation Inspectors O*NET-SOC 53-6051.00 |
| 85th percentile mean of 3 measures | $92,100 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +2.2% 2025-35 |
| 19 | Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers O*NET-SOC 49-2011.00 |
| 85th percentile mean of 3 measures | $47,810 median (2025) Some college, no degree · -3% 2025-35 |
| 20 | Self-Enrichment Teachers O*NET-SOC 25-3021.00 |
| 84th percentile mean of 3 measures | $46,800 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +3.5% 2025-35 |
| 21 | Wellhead Pumpers O*NET-SOC 53-7073.00 |
| 84th percentile mean of 3 measures | $69,960 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -2% 2025-35 |
| 22 | Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors O*NET-SOC 39-9031.00 |
| 84th percentile mean of 3 measures | $47,160 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +7.3% 2025-35 |
| 23 | Pest Control Workers O*NET-SOC 37-2021.00 |
| 83rd percentile mean of 3 measures | $45,250 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +5.5% 2025-35 |
| 24 | Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers O*NET-SOC 49-9061.00 |
| 83rd percentile mean of 3 measures | $52,720 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -15.5% 2025-35 |
| 25 | Tool and Die Makers O*NET-SOC 51-4111.00 |
| 82nd percentile mean of 3 measures | $64,050 median (2025) Postsecondary nondegree award · -9.2% 2025-35 |
Values are mean ratings from O*NET 30.3; most come from surveys of people in the occupation, some from occupational experts, and some for newer occupations from O*NET analysts. Wage, education and outlook are from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 for the matching SOC code and are blank where BLS publishes no line item.
How this was measured
Freedom to Make Decisions (higher is preferred)
“How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?” Scale 1 = No freedom; 5 = A lot of freedom.
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals (higher is preferred)
“How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?” Scale 1 = No freedom; 5 = A lot of freedom.
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team (lower is preferred)
“How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?” Scale 1 = Not important at all; 5 = Extremely important.
The full method, including how ties are broken and what the data cannot tell you, is on the methodology page.
The restriction applied
Only occupations with a BLS typical entry-level education below a bachelor's degree (no formal credential, high school, some college, a postsecondary award or an associate's degree) are listed: 516 of 894 qualify.
The unrestricted ranking is at Jobs with the most independent work.
Combine this with other conditions
The explorer ranks all occupations on any set of measures you choose, with the same values and the same arithmetic as this page.
Open the explorer with this selectionThis page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. RoleSprint has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Wage, education and outlook figures are reproduced from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What to do next
These rankings describe occupations in general. The next question is whether a specific opening in one of them actually matches what you can show, and that is answered by comparing the posting with your resume.