Jobs by Holland Code: A Career List for All 6 Types
Fifty-four real careers sorted by the six Holland interest types, from apprenticeship trades to doctorate professions. Find your letter, scan your table, and build a shortlist worth researching.
A Holland code sorts careers by interest: Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical), Artistic (creative), Social (helping), Enterprising (persuading), and Conventional (organizing). This page lists nine real jobs for each of the six types, spanning every education level from certificates to doctorates, so you can shortlist careers that match how you actually like to work.
What is a Holland code, and why sort jobs by it?
A Holland code is a three-letter summary of your work interests, drawn from psychologist John Holland’s six RIASEC types. Sorting jobs by code matters because interest fit is where most careers go wrong. In 3,217 career assessments on DreamJobMatcher, only 8.7% of employed people say they love their job, and the most common complaint is not money: 27.3% are simply not happy with the work itself. A list built around what you like doing attacks that problem directly.
How should you use these career lists?
Start with your first letter, scan that table, then use your second letter to narrow the list. Each table spans education levels on purpose: every type has entry routes through certificates, licenses, and apprenticeships as well as degrees.
Then apply a second filter: automation risk. Every career our engine recommends carries an AI Stability Score, our automation-resilience rating. Across 2,590 career recommendations, the average is 7.4 out of 10, but individual careers vary widely. If you do not know your letters yet, the 15-minute assessment scores all six types and returns careers already filtered both ways. If you are weighing that against general-purpose matching tools, we set out what a career finder can and cannot tell you.
Which jobs fit the Realistic (R) type?
Realistic jobs center on tools, machines, vehicles, and physical results. If R leads your code, you probably trust what you can build, fix, or measure more than what you can talk about. Many of these trades also resist automation because the work happens in unpredictable physical spaces. Full guide: Realistic personality type careers.
| Career | Typical entry path | Why it fits R |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Apprenticeship | Precise hands-on problem solving |
| HVAC technician | Certificate | Diagnosing physical systems |
| Wind turbine technician | Certificate | Outdoor work in a growing field |
| Automotive service technician | Certificate | Mechanical diagnosis and repair |
| Carpenter | Apprenticeship | Tangible results every day |
| Firefighter | Postsecondary training | Physical, high-stakes teamwork |
| Surveyor | Bachelor’s degree | Fieldwork plus precise measurement |
| Commercial pilot | Flight training and license | Machines, procedure, movement |
| Civil engineer | Bachelor’s degree | Designs that get built |
Which jobs fit the Investigative (I) type?
Investigative jobs reward analysis, research, and working out why things happen. If I leads your code, you like problems more than tasks. The education spread here is the widest of any type. Full guide: Investigative personality type careers.
| Career | Typical entry path | Why it fits I |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical laboratory technician | Associate degree | Methodical testing and analysis |
| Cybersecurity analyst | Certificate or bachelor’s | Investigating threats and patterns |
| Data analyst | Certificate or bachelor’s | Finding answers in numbers |
| Environmental scientist | Bachelor’s degree | Field research and evidence |
| Software developer | Certificate or bachelor’s | Building and debugging logic |
| UX researcher | Bachelor’s degree | Studying how people behave |
| Epidemiologist | Master’s degree | Tracing causes at scale |
| Pharmacist | Doctorate | Applied science with patients |
| Physician | Doctorate | Diagnosis as daily work |
Which jobs fit the Artistic (A) type?
Artistic jobs turn ideas into something people can see, read, hear, or walk through. Portfolios matter more than diplomas at the entry level here. The trade-off: you compete on work samples, not credentials. Full guide: Artistic personality type careers.
| Career | Typical entry path | Why it fits A |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer | Portfolio and practice | Visual storytelling on assignment |
| Video editor | Portfolio or certificate | Shaping raw footage into story |
| Graphic designer | Certificate or bachelor’s | Ideas made visible |
| Copywriter | Portfolio and practice | Persuasion through words |
| Animator | Certificate or bachelor’s | Motion, character, and craft |
| Interior designer | Bachelor’s degree | Spaces as a creative medium |
| UX designer | Certificate or bachelor’s | Creativity inside constraints |
| Art director | Bachelor’s plus experience | Leading the creative vision |
| Architect | Master’s and licensure | Art that people live in |
Which jobs fit the Social (S) type?
Social jobs are built around teaching, treating, and supporting people directly. If S leads your code, your energy comes from human progress you can watch happen. Healthcare and education dominate this table. Full guide: Social personality type careers.
| Career | Typical entry path | Why it fits S |
|---|---|---|
| Community health worker | High school plus certificate | Direct help in your community |
| Teaching assistant | Associate degree | Supporting learners daily |
| Registered nurse | Associate or bachelor’s | Care backed by clinical skill |
| Human resources specialist | Bachelor’s degree | People problems at work |
| Elementary school teacher | Bachelor’s degree | Teaching as a craft |
| Social worker | Bachelor’s or master’s | Advocacy for people in crisis |
| School counselor | Master’s degree | Guiding students one on one |
| Speech-language pathologist | Master’s degree | Therapy with measurable progress |
| Physical therapist | Doctorate | Hands-on recovery work |
Which jobs fit the Enterprising (E) type?
Enterprising jobs involve persuading, selling, leading, and taking commercial risks. If E leads your code, you want a scoreboard and the authority to move it. Several of these careers pay on commission, so income follows performance. Full guide: Enterprising personality type careers.
| Career | Typical entry path | Why it fits E |
|---|---|---|
| Sales representative | High school diploma | Persuasion with a scoreboard |
| Real estate agent | State license | Independent, commission-driven work |
| Insurance sales agent | State license | Relationship-based selling |
| Retail store manager | High school plus experience | Leading a team to targets |
| Digital marketing manager | Bachelor’s degree | Campaigns, budgets, results |
| Financial advisor | Bachelor’s plus licenses | Winning and keeping clients |
| Sales engineer | Bachelor’s degree | Technical persuasion |
| Product manager | Bachelor’s plus experience | Influence without authority |
| Attorney | Doctorate | Argument as a profession |
Which jobs fit the Conventional (C) type?
Conventional jobs run on accuracy, structure, and systems that keep organizations honest. If C leads your code, you find satisfaction in order that other people rely on. Choose carefully here: this table has the widest spread of automation exposure of the six. Full guide: Conventional personality type careers.
| Career | Typical entry path | Why it fits C |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll specialist | High school plus certificate | Accuracy people depend on |
| Bookkeeper | Certificate | Order out of transactions |
| Health information technician | Associate degree | Records, codes, and systems |
| Paralegal | Associate degree | Structured detail work |
| Insurance underwriter | Bachelor’s degree | Rules applied to risk |
| Accountant | Bachelor’s degree | Standards, deadlines, precision |
| Auditor | Bachelor’s degree | Verifying that systems work |
| Compliance officer | Bachelor’s degree | Guarding the rulebook |
| Actuary | Bachelor’s plus exams | Deep quantitative structure |
What if your code has two or three letters?
Read the tables for your top two letters and shortlist the jobs that could sit in either. Most real careers blend types: a sales engineer is Enterprising plus Investigative, a nurse is Social plus Realistic. If two letters scored close together, treat both tables as yours. If your interests have never been scored, a Holland code test ranks all six letters instead of guessing from a job title you once liked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one job appear under more than one Holland code?
Yes. Most real jobs blend two or three types, which is why full Holland codes have three letters. A UX designer is Artistic and Investigative. A nurse is Social and Realistic. Use your first letter to pick a starting table, then use your second letter to narrow the list.
Do these careers require a college degree?
No. Each list spans education levels on purpose. Electricians, real estate agents, bookkeepers, and community health workers can start with a diploma plus a certificate, license, or apprenticeship. Others, like physicians and school counselors, need graduate degrees. Match the entry path to your budget and timeline.
How do I find my Holland code?
Take an interest assessment. A good one asks how you feel about specific work activities, scores all six types, and returns your top three letters in order. DreamJobMatcher’s 15-minute assessment does this and adds an AI Stability Score to every career it recommends.
Are Holland code job lists accurate?
They are a solid starting point, not a verdict. Interest fit predicts satisfaction better than guessing, but it ignores salary needs, local demand, and the skills you already have. Treat any list, including this one, as a shortlist to research rather than an answer to accept.
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Last updated: August 2026
Written by the DreamJobMatcher Research Team · About the team
