16 high-paying jobs for people who hate people

Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr

Not everybody is a people person.

If this sounds like you, then your best approach for finding a job could be searching for work where people skills aren't all that necessary.

To find these jobs, we averaged data from the Occupational Information Network, or O*NET, a US Department of Labor database full of detailed information on 974 occupations.

O*NET rates each occupation on a scale from zero to 100 on how much a job requires workers to be in contact with others and how much a job requires workers to be pleasant with others, where a lower rating signals less required sociability. O*NET also provides the median annual wage for each position based on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2015 wage data.

Now, we're not suggesting that people who hold these positions are all standoffish. Rather, the following jobs pay on average more than $55,000 a year, have an average required sociability score of 65 or less, and therefore require minimal good-natured interaction with others:

Poet, lyricist, or creative writer

Average salary: $60,250

Required sociability score: 52

They create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry, or song lyrics for publication or performance.

Geological sample-test technician

Average salary: $55,610

Required sociability score: 56

They test or analyze geological samples, crude oil, or minerals to the detect the presence of petroleum, gas, or mineral deposits.

Economist

Average salary: $109,230

Required sociability score: 57.5

They conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy.