Does your personality type influence how much money you earn? Certain personality traits exhibit patterns related to income, with some characteristics helping people up the corporate ladder while others may hinder professional growth. Some people seem naturally inclined to stay focused and organized, choosing more lucrative industries.

Average Incomes Across 16 Personality Types

The 16 MBTI personality types were designed by developers Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs. Personality types can help you discover your strengths and gain a better understanding of other people.

According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Testing website with 72,000 participants:

The average income of the highest-earning personality types is 78% higher than the lowest-earning types. The highest earners are the ENTJ (Commander) and ESTJ (Executive) personalities.

In the age group of people in their twenties, the top 8 highest-earning personality types, with 75% being extroverted:

  • ENTJ (Commander) Personality
  • ESTJ (Executive) Personality
  • ENTP (Debater) Personality
  • ESTP (Entrepreneur) Personality
  • ISTJ (Logistician) Personality
  • ESFJ (Consul) Personality
  • ENFJ (Protagonist) Personality
  • INTJ (Architect) Personality

Income disparities among personality types in different age groups from 20 to 59:

Comparison of income based on different personality traits:

  • Extraversion (E) trait higher than Introversion (I) trait
  • Sensing (S) trait higher than Intuition (N) trait
  • Thinking (T) trait higher than Feeling (F) trait
  • Judging (J) trait higher than Perceiving (P) trait

People with extroverted personalities are more likely to hold supervisory or managerial positions, and they are also more likely to be responsible for overseeing large teams of more than 20 employees.

This doesn’t mean that introverts lack the potential to earn money in their career paths. Rather, they might not actively seek higher-paying, more advanced roles and instead pursue what they enjoy.

Perception (P) Types Tend to Lean Towards Balancing Life and Work.

The income gap between Judging (J) and Perception (P) types is surprising. Judging personalities are organized, systematic, and responsible, persevering and resisting impulsivity and distractions.

On the other hand, Perceiving types are often more laid-back, spontaneous, and free-spirited, emphasizing flexibility and enjoyment. They tend to value their leisure time more than Judging types.

It’s entirely possible that the Perceiving are inherently capable of making money, but they make a conscious choice in their careers to spend less time working hard in the office and more time enjoying life.

Even though Judging types may put in more effort, they also seem to enjoy doing so. When asked about job satisfaction, Judging types rate their work more highly than the Perceiving.

Average Income and Job Satisfaction

Interestingly, although high-earning ESTJs and ENTJs also have relatively high job satisfaction, they are surpassed in job satisfaction by several emotional types—ESFJ, ESFP, and ENFJ.

So, this is another piece of evidence that money doesn’t buy happiness.

What If You Belong To a Low-Income Personality Type?

This article is not meant to undermine the confidence of low-income and average-income people. While your personality is unlikely to undergo significant changes, you still have considerable earning potential. Even if you don’t belong to one of the high-earning personality types, if you can successfully replicate their behaviors, you can still achieve an income similar to theirs. It may feel unnatural and challenging at first, but consciously developing your inferior functions can help you climb the career ladder and increase your income.

Alternatively, you can stay true to yourself, pursue a lifestyle that feels comfortable to you, and recognize that a high income is not the sole reflection of your worth. You can have your criteria for judgment.

You can take a look at what an INFP said:

As an INFP personality, my income is currently quite good, and I’m proud of it. But I see that being an INFP is considered one of the lower personality types, and I can understand that. For me, creating meaning in my work is more important than climbing the corporate ladder. Of course, earning more money is attractive to me because it provides security and more income for my family. Still, I don’t care much about reputation or a larger office. I am very satisfied with my current position, and the idea of taking on a leadership role makes me feel annoyed. I will continue to happily work in my little corner.

Another INTP shared:

As a 28-year-old INTP (Logician), my current annual salary is much lower than that of my ENTJ friends. But I am happy because this job doesn’t consume my life entirely. I have plenty of time to pursue various hobbies, write novels, review movies, and manage my video account during my free time.