Enneagram: Careers & Dynamics by Type

Published by: enneagram-personality.com
Last updated:
Sample: 24,000 men and 24,000 women who took this Enneagram test between 01/20/2025 and 04/04/2026, reported their gender, and optionally selected a profession group
Filtering applied: unique IP filtering, anti-bot filters, and a sufficiently high primary type score (>6% higher than the second-highest type) to improve result reliability.

How to read the chart: The first number shows the difference from that type's average across all job groups. The second number, in parentheses, shows the percentage of that type within the overall job group.
For example, 14% of people in healthcare occupations are Type 1s, but this is 10% below the average representation of Type 1s across all jobs. This means they are slightly underrepresented in this job group.

Show the most popular careers by Enneagram type

Job Group Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Healthcare occupations 5007 -10% (14%) +22% (19%) -2% (13%) -26% (6%) -18% (2%) +20% (17%) -10% (10%) -14% (5%) +9% (15%)
Sales, marketing, modelling and trading occupations 4118 -10% (14%) -16% (13%) +73% (23%) -38% (5%) -59% (1%) -8% (13%) +17% (13%) +38% (8%) -35% (9%)
No occupation 4100 -23% (12%) -3% (15%) -55% (6%) +72% (14%) +23% (3%) +20% (17%) -3% (11%) -31% (4%) +30% (18%)
Education occupations 4043 -2% (15%) +16% (18%) -2% (13%) -1% (8%) -18% (2%) +6% (15%) -10% (10%) -31% (4%) +9% (15%)
Arts, design, media and writing occupations 3815 -28% (11%) -35% (10%) -14% (11%) +104% (23%) -18% (2%) -43% (8%) +44% (16%) -14% (5%) -6% (13%)
Directing and managing occupations 3697 +24% (19%) -16% (13%) +91% (25%) -75% (2%) -59% (1%) -22% (11%) -10% (10%) +89% (11%) -49% (7%)
IT & programming 3412 +24% (19%) -3% (15%) -29% (9%) -38% (5%) +95% (6%) -11% (12%) -10% (10%) +3% (6%) +23% (17%)
Office & administrative support 3401 +5% (16%) +16% (18%) -14% (11%) -15% (7%) -18% (2%) +25% (19%) -30% (8%) -48% (3%) +16% (16%)
Finance & accounting occupations 2588 +30% (20%) -9% (14%) +16% (15%) -51% (4%) -18% (2%) +13% (16%) -10% (10%) +20% (7%) -13% (12%)
Scientists & Mathematicians 1571 +37% (21%) -9% (14%) -21% (10%) -38% (5%) +95% (6%) -11% (12%) -3% (11%) +3% (6%) +1% (14%)
Construction, mining, manufacturing and machine operators 1540 +24% (19%) +22% (19%) -29% (9%) -51% (4%) +23% (3%) -1% (14%) -3% (11%) +20% (7%) +9% (15%)
Social sciences specialists (historians, psychologists…) 1407 +5% (16%) +3% (16%) +31% (17%) -15% (7%) -18% (2%) -11% (12%) -3% (11%) -31% (4%) +1% (14%)
Legal occupations 1206 +17% (18%) -23% (12%) +38% (18%) -15% (7%) +23% (3%) +6% (15%) -20% (9%) +55% (9%) -35% (9%)
Social services & sports occupations 1205 -28% (11%) +48% (23%) -6% (12%) -15% (7%) -59% (1%) -1% (14%) +24% (14%) -48% (3%) +16% (16%)
Architecture, surveying & design occupations 1140 +11% (17%) -29% (11%) -6% (12%) +39% (12%) -18% (2%) +6% (15%) +17% (13%) +20% (7%) -13% (12%)
Food preparation & serving occupations 888 -28% (11%) +16% (18%) -44% (7%) +39% (12%) -18% (2%) +20% (17%) +17% (13%) -14% (5%) +16% (16%)
Public service agents 879 -2% (15%) +16% (18%) -14% (11%) -15% (7%) -18% (2%) +6% (15%) +8% (12%) -31% (4%) +9% (15%)
Security, fire-fighters, police & military occupations 664 +43% (22%) +16% (18%) +9% (14%) -75% (2%) +23% (3%) -15% (12%) -3% (11%) +38% (8%) -28% (10%)
Craft & trade occupations 530 -28% (11%) +35% (21%) -44% (7%) +39% (12%) +23% (3%) -8% (13%) +17% (13%) -31% (4%) +23% (17%)
Tourism & hospitality 445 -10% (14%) -16% (13%) -2% (13%) +11% (9%) -18% (2%) -8% (13%) +35% (15%) +20% (7%) +1% (14%)
Drivers, pilots and transport operators 412 +5% (16%) +35% (21%) -21% (10%) -38% (5%) +23% (3%) -1% (14%) -10% (10%) +38% (8%) -6% (13%)
Farming & breeding occupations 406 +17% (18%) -3% (15%) -36% (8%) +23% (10%) +23% (3%) -8% (13%) +8% (12%) +20% (7%) +9% (15%)
Electrical installation & maintenance 373 +43% (22%) +9% (17%) -44% (7%) -51% (4%) +23% (3%) -29% (10%) -3% (11%) -14% (5%) +52% (21%)
Library & printing occupations 313 -10% (14%) -35% (10%) -62% (5%) +75% (16%) +95% (6%) -1% (14%) -3% (11%) -14% (5%) +37% (19%)
Hairdressers, beauticians and related workers 306 -41% (9%) -3% (15%) -2% (13%) +23% (10%) -18% (2%) +41% (20%) +8% (12%) +3% (6%) -6% (13%)
Phone & information services operators 219 -16% (13%) +35% (21%) +9% (14%) -1% (8%) -18% (2%) -1% (14%) -30% (8%) -14% (5%) +16% (16%)
Cleaning and personal services 171 -23% (12%) +22% (19%) -36% (8%) +23% (10%) -59% (1%) +25% (19%) -30% (8%) -48% (3%) +38% (19%)
Tellers, ticketing agents & cash collectors 144 -23% (12%) +9% (17%) -21% (10%) -1% (8%) +23% (3%) +20% (17%) -10% (10%) -66% (2%) +52% (21%)

FAQ

Why is there a correlation between Enneagram types and jobs?

Enneagram types are associated with different traits and preferences, which may help explain why some types appear more often in certain job groups than others. For example, Type 1s may be more common in detail-oriented fields such as accounting, mathematics, or law, while Type 2s may be more common in people-focused roles such as teaching or social work. These are broad patterns observed in this sample, not fixed career rules.

Can an Enneagram type be happy in a job that is less popular for their type?

Absolutely. People of any Enneagram type can be happy in any job they find meaningful. The associations between Enneagram types and jobs reflect general tendencies, but they also show that most types are represented across most job groups, just in different proportions.

Enneagram Type 1 Careers

Type 1s are overrepresented in:

  • Security, fire-fighters, police & military occupations (+43%)
  • Electrical installation & maintenance (+43%)
  • Scientists & Mathematicians (+37%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Hairdressers, beauticians and related workers (-41%)

Enneagram Type 2 Careers

Type 2s are overrepresented in:

  • Social services & sports occupations (+48%)
  • Craft & trade occupations (+35%)
  • Drivers, pilots and transport operators (+35%)
  • Phone & information services operators (+35%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Arts, design, media and writing occupations (-35%)
  • Library & printing occupations (-35%)

Enneagram Type 3 Careers

Type 3s are overrepresented in:

  • Directing and managing occupations (+91%)
  • Sales, marketing, modelling and trading occupations (+73%)
  • Legal occupations (+38%)
  • Social sciences specialists (historians, psychologists…) (+31%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Library & printing occupations (-62%)
  • Food preparation & serving occupations (-44%)
  • Craft & trade occupations (-44%)
  • Electrical installation & maintenance (-44%)
  • Farming & breeding occupations (-36%)
  • Cleaning and personal services (-36%)

Enneagram Type 4 Careers

Type 4s are overrepresented in:

  • Arts, design, media and writing occupations (+104%)
  • Library & printing occupations (+75%)
  • Architecture, surveying & design occupations (+39%)
  • Food preparation & serving occupations (+39%)
  • Craft & trade occupations (+39%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Directing and managing occupations (-75%)
  • Security, fire-fighters, police & military occupations (-75%)
  • Finance & accounting occupations (-51%)
  • Construction, mining, manufacturing and machine operators (-51%)
  • Electrical installation & maintenance (-51%)
  • Sales, marketing, modelling and trading occupations (-38%)
  • IT & programming (-38%)
  • Scientists & Mathematicians (-38%)
  • Drivers, pilots and transport operators (-38%)

Enneagram Type 5 Careers

Type 5s are overrepresented in:

  • IT & programming (+95%)
  • Scientists & Mathematicians (+95%)
  • Library & printing occupations (+95%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Sales, marketing, modelling and trading occupations (-59%)
  • Directing and managing occupations (-59%)
  • Social services & sports occupations (-59%)
  • Cleaning and personal services (-59%)

Enneagram Type 6 Careers

Type 6s are fairly evenly distributed across job groups. They are only significantly overrepresented (>+30%) in:

  • Hairdressers, beauticians and related workers (+41%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Arts, design, media and writing occupations (-43%)

Enneagram Type 7 Careers

Type 7s are also fairly evenly distributed across job groups. They are only significantly overrepresented (>+30%) in:

  • Arts, design, media and writing occupations (+44%)
  • Tourism & hospitality (+35%)

There are no job groups in which Type 7s are underrepresented by more than 30%.

Enneagram Type 8 Careers

Type 8s are overrepresented in:

  • Directing and managing occupations (+89%)
  • Legal occupations (+55%)
  • Drivers, pilots and transport operators (+38%)
  • Sales, marketing, modelling and trading occupations (+38%)
  • Security, fire-fighters, police & military occupations (+38%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Tellers, ticketing agents & cash collectors (-66%)
  • Office & administrative support (-48%)
  • Social services & sports occupations (-48%)
  • Social sciences specialists (historians, psychologists…) (-31%)
  • Craft & trade occupations (-31%)
  • Public service agents (-31%)

Enneagram Type 9 Careers

Type 9s are overrepresented in:

  • Electrical installation & maintenance (+52%)
  • Tellers, ticketing agents & cash collectors (+52%)
  • Cleaning and personal services (+38%)
  • Library & printing occupations (+37%)

On the other hand, they are underrepresented in:

  • Directing and managing occupations (-49%)
  • Sales, marketing, modelling and trading occupations (-35%)
  • Legal occupations (-35%)

Back to the full table