Skip to content
RoleSprint

Work Context Index

The quietest jobs, by measured noise exposure without a bachelor's degree

The quietest jobs, by measured noise exposure, 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 have the least exposure to distracting or uncomfortable noise 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 Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable, lowest first, 25 are listed: 8 also appear in the unrestricted ranking and 17 enter only under this restriction, led by Paralegals and Legal Assistants (1.6 of 5), First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (1.61 of 5), Models (1.71 of 5). The strongest overall are Ophthalmic Medical Technicians (1.23 of 5), Manicurists and Pedicurists (1.28 of 5), Food Preparation Workers (1.36 of 5). Their median BLS wage is $44,080 (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
What O*NET asks incumbents
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable: "How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?"
Scale
1 = Never; 3 = Once a month or more but not every week; 5 = Every day. Values are mean incumbent ratings.
Wage and outlook source
BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 (Employment in thousands). 10 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 “quiet jobs”. This page answers that with the measurement behind it: Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable, 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 rating for Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable, lowest first. Scale: 1 = Never; 5 = Every day.

#OccupationO*NET valueRankBLS wage and education
1

Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

O*NET-SOC 29-2057.00

1.23 of 5

Never

Lower than 99%

of 894 occupations

$45,570 median (2025)

Postsecondary nondegree award · +21.4% 2025-35

2

Manicurists and Pedicurists

O*NET-SOC 39-5092.00

1.28 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 99%

of 894 occupations

$35,760 median (2025)

Postsecondary nondegree award · +9.2% 2025-35

3

Food Preparation Workers

O*NET-SOC 35-2021.00

1.36 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 99%

of 894 occupations

$35,320 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · -3% 2025-35

4

Computer User Support Specialists

O*NET-SOC 15-1232.00

1.45 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 99%

of 894 occupations

$61,860 median (2025)

Some college, no degree · -3.5% 2025-35

5

Skincare Specialists

O*NET-SOC 39-5094.00

1.48 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 98%

of 894 occupations

$45,330 median (2025)

Postsecondary nondegree award · +8.8% 2025-35

6

Shampooers

O*NET-SOC 39-5093.00

1.54 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 98%

of 894 occupations

$32,600 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · +5.6% 2025-35

7

Funeral Attendants

O*NET-SOC 39-4021.00

1.57 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 97%

of 894 occupations

$35,680 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +2.6% 2025-35

8

Massage Therapists

O*NET-SOC 31-9011.00

1.58 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 97%

of 894 occupations

$58,450 median (2025)

Postsecondary nondegree award · +15.3% 2025-35

9

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

O*NET-SOC 23-2011.00

1.60 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 97%

of 894 occupations

$62,890 median (2025)

Associate's degree · -0.3% 2025-35

10

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

O*NET-SOC 35-1012.00

1.61 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 97%

of 894 occupations

$44,080 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +5.4% 2025-35

11

Models

O*NET-SOC 41-9012.00

1.71 of 5

between "Never" and "Once a year or more but not every month"

Lower than 95%

of 894 occupations

$48,470 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · -2.1% 2025-35

12

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

O*NET-SOC 37-2012.00

1.83 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 93%

of 894 occupations

$35,510 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · +0.6% 2025-35

13

Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers

O*NET-SOC 41-9091.00

1.83 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 93%

of 894 occupations

$41,380 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · -10.4% 2025-35

14

Dishwashers

O*NET-SOC 35-9021.00

1.84 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 93%

of 894 occupations

$34,810 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · -1% 2025-35

15

Orderlies

O*NET-SOC 31-1132.00

1.84 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 93%

of 894 occupations

$38,290 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +4% 2025-35

16

Animal Breeders

O*NET-SOC 45-2021.00

1.86 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 93%

of 894 occupations

$51,130 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +3% 2025-35

17

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

O*NET-SOC 35-9011.00

1.88 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 92%

of 894 occupations

$33,980 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · +5.3% 2025-35

18

Speech-Language Pathology Assistants

O*NET-SOC 31-9099.01

1.88 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 92%

of 894 occupations

$48,430 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +4.8% 2025-35

19

Midwives

O*NET-SOC 29-9099.01

1.88 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 92%

of 894 occupations

$65,790 median (2025)

Postsecondary nondegree award · +5.1% 2025-35

20

Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

O*NET-SOC 51-9031.00

1.88 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 92%

of 894 occupations

$38,020 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · -18.9% 2025-35

21

Tax Preparers

O*NET-SOC 13-2082.00

1.90 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 91%

of 894 occupations

$54,920 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +4.7% 2025-35

22

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

O*NET-SOC 29-2032.00

1.90 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 91%

of 894 occupations

$96,590 median (2025)

Associate's degree · +13.9% 2025-35

23

Waiters and Waitresses

O*NET-SOC 35-3031.00

1.92 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 91%

of 894 occupations

$35,230 median (2025)

No formal educational credential · +2% 2025-35

24

Retail Loss Prevention Specialists

O*NET-SOC 33-9099.02

1.93 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 90%

of 894 occupations

$42,540 median (2025)

High school diploma or equivalent · +3% 2025-35

25

Physical Therapist Assistants

O*NET-SOC 31-2021.00

1.96 of 5

Once a year or more but not every month

Lower than 90%

of 894 occupations

$68,380 median (2025)

Associate's degree · +23% 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

Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable (O*NET element 4.C.2.b.1.a). The question put to incumbents: “How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?”

  1. 1

    Never

  2. 2

    Once a year or more but not every month

  3. 3

    Once a month or more but not every week

  4. 4

    Once a week or more but not every day

  5. 5

    Every day

894 of 894 occupations have a published, unsuppressed value for this element. The percentile beside each occupation is its position among them.

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 The quietest jobs, by measured noise exposure.

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 selection

This 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.

No credit card requiredStart free