Autism-Friendly Careers, Ranked by Work Environment (2026)
This is a ranking of work environments, not of people. The occupation whose published conditions score highest on the five measures below is Cytotechnologist, at $62,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) with +1.7% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 30 occupations with the exact O*NET and BLS figures behind each one.
- Careers ranked
- 30
- Median pay on the list
- $93,790
- No degree needed
- 8 of 30
- Openings a year
- 804,400
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How this list was built
- Every occupation in the bank carries O*NET Work Context ratings on a 1–5 scale, collected from people who do the job. Five of them describe how predictable and how socially demanding the working day is: "Deal With External Customers or the Public in General", "Conflict Situations", "Contact With Others", "Time Pressure", and "Indoors, Environmentally Controlled".
- The score is a weighted blend of exactly those five, each rescaled to 0–100: less dealing with the public counts for 25%, fewer conflict situations for 25%, less contact with others for 20%, less time pressure for 20%, and a stable indoor setting for 10%. An occupation is skipped if O*NET does not report all five.
- The indoor measure is a proxy for predictability rather than a claim that indoor work is better: an occupation rated high on "Indoors, Environmentally Controlled" has physical surroundings that change little from one day to the next. O*NET publishes no measure of noise, lighting or sensory load, and no measure of how structured or scripted the work is. Those are the two biggest gaps in this method, and both matter more to some people than anything it does measure.
- Two filters run before any scoring. The list is limited to the 260 occupations that carry a full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile and at least 50,000 US workers, so every row is a job that exists in volume and has a full profile page here. Each one must also report a BLS median at or above $50,980, the median for all US occupations (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That second rule is an editorial choice, not a data one: a work-environment score on its own fills the top of any list with the lowest-paid work in the economy, which is not an honest answer to anyone asking what to do next.
Work Context describes a job, not a person. It says what an occupation is typically like; it says nothing about whether you would be good at it or want it. In practice the specific employer, the manager and the adjustments available usually decide whether a role works far more than the national average conditions of the occupation do. Read the full methodology.
The 30 highest-scoring work environments
- 59/100 environment fit
1. Cytotechnologist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $62,930
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings/yr
- 22,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.4, conflict situations 2.0, contact with others 3.4, time pressure 3.8, indoors and climate-controlled 4.8.
Stain, mount, and study cells to detect evidence of cancer, hormonal abnormalities, and other pathological conditions following established standards and practices.
Cytotechnologist salary & outlook → - 58/100 environment fit
2. Business Intelligence Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $120,230
- Growth
- +33.5%
- Openings/yr
- 23,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.0, conflict situations 2.3, contact with others 3.3, time pressure 3.7, indoors and climate-controlled 4.2.
Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports.
Business Intelligence Analyst salary & outlook → - 58/100 environment fit
3. Software Developer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $135,980
- Growth
- +15.8%
- Openings/yr
- 115,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 1.9, conflict situations 1.7, contact with others 3.9, time pressure 3.5, indoors and climate-controlled 3.2.
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
Software Developer salary & outlook → - 56/100 environment fit
4. Search Marketing Strategist
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $78,760
- Growth
- +6.7%
- Openings/yr
- 87,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.1, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 3.6, time pressure 3.7, indoors and climate-controlled 4.3.
Employ search marketing tactics to increase visibility and engagement with content, products, or services in Internet-enabled devices or interfaces.
Search Marketing Strategist salary & outlook → - 55/100 environment fit
5. Computer User Support Specialist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $61,860
- Growth
- -3.7%
- Openings/yr
- 40,800
- Education
- Some college
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.0, conflict situations 2.3, contact with others 4.4, time pressure 3.6, indoors and climate-controlled 4.9.
Provide technical assistance to computer users.
Computer User Support Specialist salary & outlook → - 55/100 environment fit
6. Fuel Cell Engineer
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $104,110
- Growth
- +9.1%
- Openings/yr
- 18,100
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.5, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 3.9, time pressure 3.5, indoors and climate-controlled 4.8.
Design, evaluate, modify, or construct fuel cell components or systems for transportation, stationary, or portable applications.
Fuel Cell Engineer salary & outlook → - 55/100 environment fit
7. Network and Computer Systems Administrator
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $99,130
- Growth
- -4.2%
- Openings/yr
- 14,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 1.8, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 4.5, time pressure 3.8, indoors and climate-controlled 5.0.
Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers.
Network and Computer Systems Administrator salary & outlook → - 53/100 environment fit
8. Cytogenetic Technologist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $62,930
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings/yr
- 22,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.1, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 3.4, time pressure 4.8, indoors and climate-controlled 5.0.
Analyze chromosomes or chromosome segments found in biological specimens, such as amniotic fluids, bone marrow, solid tumors, and blood to aid in the study, diagnosis, classification, or treatment of inherited or acqu…
Cytogenetic Technologist salary & outlook → - 53/100 environment fit
9. Industrial Machinery Mechanic
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $64,520
- Growth
- +16.1%
- Openings/yr
- 45,700
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 1.7, conflict situations 2.5, contact with others 4.2, time pressure 3.7, indoors and climate-controlled 3.6.
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems.
Industrial Machinery Mechanic salary & outlook → - 52/100 environment fit
10. Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $58,260
- Growth
- -16.7%
- Openings/yr
- 13,000
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.3, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 3.8, time pressure 4.3, indoors and climate-controlled 4.4.
Compile and record employee time and payroll data.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk salary & outlook → - 51/100 environment fit
11. Cost Estimator
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $78,740
- Growth
- -4.2%
- Openings/yr
- 16,900
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.8, conflict situations 2.5, contact with others 3.7, time pressure 3.8, indoors and climate-controlled 4.3.
Prepare cost estimates for product manufacturing, construction projects, or services to aid management in bidding on or determining price of product or service.
Cost Estimator salary & outlook → - 51/100 environment fit
12. Histology Technician
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $62,930
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings/yr
- 22,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.2, conflict situations 2.6, contact with others 3.9, time pressure 4.5, indoors and climate-controlled 4.7.
Prepare histological slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists.
Histology Technician salary & outlook → - 50/100 environment fit
13. Computer Network Architect
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $134,050
- Growth
- +11.9%
- Openings/yr
- 11,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.9, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 4.2, time pressure 3.6, indoors and climate-controlled 4.7.
Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks.
Computer Network Architect salary & outlook → - 50/100 environment fit
14. Machinist
Production
- Median pay
- $58,750
- Growth
- 0.0%
- Openings/yr
- 29,500
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.6, conflict situations 2.2, contact with others 3.8, time pressure 4.2, indoors and climate-controlled 4.1.
Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal.
Machinist salary & outlook → - 49/100 environment fit
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings/yr
- 14,500
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.7, conflict situations 2.8, contact with others 4.1, time pressure 3.5, indoors and climate-controlled 4.4.
Define, plan, or execute biofuels/biodiesel research programs that evaluate alternative feedstock and process technologies with near-term commercial potential.
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager salary & outlook → - 49/100 environment fit
16. Police Identification and Records Officer
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $93,790
- Growth
- -0.7%
- Openings/yr
- 7,800
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 3.5, conflict situations 2.7, contact with others 3.7, time pressure 3.2, indoors and climate-controlled 4.4.
Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.
Police Identification and Records Officer salary & outlook → - 49/100 environment fit
17. QA Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $104,300
- Growth
- +10.0%
- Openings/yr
- 14,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.1, conflict situations 3.0, contact with others 4.0, time pressure 3.9, indoors and climate-controlled 4.1.
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes.
QA Analyst salary & outlook → - 48/100 environment fit
18. Manufacturing Engineer
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $102,440
- Growth
- +11.0%
- Openings/yr
- 25,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.4, conflict situations 3.1, contact with others 4.2, time pressure 3.6, indoors and climate-controlled 4.4.
Design, integrate, or improve manufacturing systems or related processes.
Manufacturing Engineer salary & outlook → - 48/100 environment fit
19. Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $103,410
- Growth
- +8.7%
- Openings/yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Doctorate
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.4, conflict situations 2.8, contact with others 4.7, time pressure 3.7, indoors and climate-controlled 4.8.
Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health.
Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists salary & outlook → - 48/100 environment fit
20. Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $80,730
- Growth
- +3.0%
- Openings/yr
- 33,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.5, conflict situations 2.9, contact with others 4.2, time pressure 3.8, indoors and climate-controlled 4.5.
Coordinate and document internal regulatory processes, such as internal audits, inspections, license renewals, or registrations.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary & outlook → - 48/100 environment fit
21. Welder
Production
- Median pay
- $53,750
- Growth
- +2.2%
- Openings/yr
- 45,600
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.0, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 3.8, time pressure 4.5, indoors and climate-controlled 2.7.
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Welder salary & outlook → - 47/100 environment fit
22. Histotechnologist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $62,930
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings/yr
- 22,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.4, conflict situations 2.8, contact with others 3.8, time pressure 4.9, indoors and climate-controlled 5.0.
Apply knowledge of health and disease causes to evaluate new laboratory techniques and procedures to examine tissue samples.
Histotechnologist salary & outlook → - 47/100 environment fit
23. Human Factors Engineer and Ergonomist
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $102,440
- Growth
- +11.0%
- Openings/yr
- 25,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 3.4, conflict situations 2.5, contact with others 4.0, time pressure 3.5, indoors and climate-controlled 4.5.
Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology.
Human Factors Engineer and Ergonomist salary & outlook → - 47/100 environment fit
24. Intelligence Analyst
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $93,790
- Growth
- -0.7%
- Openings/yr
- 7,800
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 3.2, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 4.3, time pressure 3.8, indoors and climate-controlled 4.9.
Gather, analyze, or evaluate information from a variety of sources, such as law enforcement databases, surveillance, intelligence networks or geographic information systems.
Intelligence Analyst salary & outlook → - 47/100 environment fit
25. Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $100,330
- Growth
- +13.8%
- Openings/yr
- 10,200
- Education
- Master's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 3.6, conflict situations 2.1, contact with others 4.3, time pressure 3.0, indoors and climate-controlled 3.5.
Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities.
Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapist salary & outlook → - 46/100 environment fit
26. Automotive Engineer
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $104,110
- Growth
- +9.1%
- Openings/yr
- 18,100
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 3.1, conflict situations 2.7, contact with others 3.9, time pressure 3.9, indoors and climate-controlled 4.4.
Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology.
Automotive Engineer salary & outlook → - 46/100 environment fit
27. Computer Systems Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $105,850
- Growth
- +8.7%
- Openings/yr
- 34,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.8, conflict situations 2.4, contact with others 4.5, time pressure 4.2, indoors and climate-controlled 4.8.
Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns.
Computer Systems Analyst salary & outlook → - 46/100 environment fit
28. Information Security Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $129,180
- Growth
- +28.5%
- Openings/yr
- 16,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.9, conflict situations 2.9, contact with others 4.3, time pressure 3.6, indoors and climate-controlled 4.8.
Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information.
Information Security Analyst salary & outlook → - 46/100 environment fit
29. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $62,930
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings/yr
- 22,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.8, conflict situations 2.9, contact with others 4.4, time pressure 3.8, indoors and climate-controlled 4.9.
Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician salary & outlook → - 45/100 environment fit
30. Automotive Body and Related Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $54,890
- Growth
- +1.6%
- Openings/yr
- 14,600
- Education
- High school
O*NET Work Context (1–5): dealing with the public 2.3, conflict situations 2.7, contact with others 3.6, time pressure 4.5, indoors and climate-controlled 2.5.
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
Automotive Body and Related Repairer salary & outlook →
Autism-friendly careers: FAQ
What kinds of work environments tend to suit an autistic working style?
On the five O*NET Work Context measures this page uses, the highest-scoring environments involve little dealing with the general public, little conflict, lower overall contact with others, less time pressure, and stable indoor surroundings. The highest-scoring occupation in the bank on that definition is Cytotechnologist, at $62,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) with +1.7% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Individual needs vary far more than these five averages can capture.
Is this a list of jobs autistic people should do?
No, and it is not medical advice. Nothing on this page is medical, diagnostic or clinical advice, and none of it should displace a clinician, an employment specialist or a disability employment service. The ranking orders published descriptions of workplaces by five named conditions. Autistic people work in every occupation in this directory, and many of the things that most affect whether a job works — the sensory environment of one office, a manager who communicates directly, a written rather than verbal interview — are properties of an employer, not of an occupation.
Does this list account for sensory needs?
Only indirectly, and that is a real limitation. O*NET publishes no noise, lighting or sensory-load measure, so the closest available proxy is "Indoors, Environmentally Controlled", which carries just 10% of the score and only tells you the surroundings are stable. If sensory load is the deciding factor for you, treat the ordering here as a starting point and check the actual workplace.
How is this different from your careers for introverts list?
The introvert list qualifies occupations on hard thresholds for contact with others, dealing with the public and public speaking, then orders what is left. This one weights predictability heavily — time pressure and conflict together carry 45% — so it favours work that is steady and low-ambiguity rather than simply quiet. The two lists overlap, and that overlap is real rather than an artefact. This ranking covers 30 of the 923 occupations in the bank.
How was this list built?
Every occupation in the bank carries O*NET Work Context ratings on a 1–5 scale, collected from people who do the job. Five of them describe how predictable and how socially demanding the working day is: "Deal With External Customers or the Public in General", "Conflict Situations", "Contact With Others", "Time Pressure", and "Indoors, Environmentally Controlled". The score is a weighted blend of exactly those five, each rescaled to 0–100: less dealing with the public counts for 25%, fewer conflict situations for 25%, less contact with others for 20%, less time pressure for 20%, and a stable indoor setting for 10%. An occupation is skipped if O*NET does not report all five. The indoor measure is a proxy for predictability rather than a claim that indoor work is better: an occupation rated high on "Indoors, Environmentally Controlled" has physical surroundings that change little from one day to the next. O*NET publishes no measure of noise, lighting or sensory load, and no measure of how structured or scripted the work is. Those are the two biggest gaps in this method, and both matter more to some people than anything it does measure. Two filters run before any scoring. The list is limited to the 260 occupations that carry a full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile and at least 50,000 US workers, so every row is a job that exists in volume and has a full profile page here. Each one must also report a BLS median at or above $50,980, the median for all US occupations (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That second rule is an editorial choice, not a data one: a work-environment score on its own fills the top of any list with the lowest-paid work in the economy, which is not an honest answer to anyone asking what to do next. Full method: /careers/methodology.
What do these careers pay?
The middle career on this list pays $93,790 a year, against $50,980 for all US occupations (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The range runs from $53,750 to $171,270.