Finding the right job is important for everyone. But it can hold special significance for people living with depression. Work can take up much of a person’s time and energy. The nature of and the environment at a job can either make depression symptoms worse or help make them more manageable.
At First Steps Recovery, we understand that career choices play a crucial role in mental health recovery. Our comprehensive treatment programs help individuals address both substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions like depression disorders, so all aspects of life are considered during recovery.
Why Job Choice Matters for People with Depression
A work environment can affect mental health in many ways. A stressful or unsupportive job can lead to an increase of symptoms like fatigue, sadness, or loss of motivation. In contrast, a supportive workplace can help someone manage their depression and help contribute to a sense of stability in their life. Factors like long hours, high demands, and a lack of control can increase stress and make it harder to cope with depression.
According to research, major depressive disorder affects approximately 8.4% of U.S. adults annually. Job-related stress can lead to more severe symptoms of depression. It makes sense — a job is where people often spend the majority of their day. Someone managing a depression disorder may be greatly empowered if they work at a job they love that supports them.
What Makes a Job Good for Someone with Depression?
Certain job features can make work more manageable for people with depression. These characteristics appear in many of the best jobs for people with depression and good jobs for people with depression.
- Flexibility: This often translates to having control over when and where you work. If people can adjust their schedules according to how they feel on a given day, this can help accommodate self-care.
- Autonomy: This refers to jobs that allow for self-direction or independent work. This often helps to reduce stress and allow individuals to set their own pace without constant supervision.
- Manageable Stress: Positions with clear expectations, stable routines, and predictable workloads can be very helpful to people diagnosed with depression.
- Supportive Environment: Workplaces that encourage open communication, respect, and understanding of mental health issues can be extremely helpful to people with depression disorders. These qualities can provide a sense of safety and support for employees.
- Meaningful Work: People who derive a sense of purpose or help others with their work may find that this helps in coping with depression. This can help counter feelings of hopelessness that may occur during bouts of deep depression.
It should be noted that these are guidelines that may not apply to everyone with a depression disorder. For example, someone with depression may find that they benefit from working in a very social retail position because isolation is a major trigger for their symptoms. A person with seasonal depression who works as a teacher may find that their symptoms are lighter in winter months due to being around children excited for winter break.
Much like the best jobs for people with anxiety, it’s best to consider individual factors and needs above all when selecting a career field. This self-knowledge is essential when it comes to picking a career that will support healing from (and managing) depression.
The Best Jobs For People With Depression
The following jobs were selected because they share key features that often make work more manageable for people with depression. Consider them points of inspiration and not strict guidelines for success. Every depressive disorder is different, and what may be detrimental for one person may lift up another.
Creative and Independent Roles
Freelance Writer
This involves creating content for websites, magazines, or businesses. Work is self-paced, allows for creative expression, and typically includes not directly answering to one boss.
Graphic Designer
Graphic design combines creativity with the option for remote or freelance work. Tasks include designing visuals for digital or print media, managing customer relationships, and creating content to advertise one’s services.
Craftsperson
Specialized artistic roles, such as mural painting, designing clothes for cosplayers, or creating props for theater productions, can be extremely rewarding to people with depression. Work is often freelance with flexible hours. But there are also usually options for working with others, such as tattoo artists who rent spaces in shops.
Accountant
If a person with depression enjoys working with numbers and is detail-oriented, becoming an accountant can provide a lot of options and stability to a career. Accountants have the option to work alone or in a team, usually very small. The work is largely seasonal and self-paced, with ebbs and flows depending on the proximity to tax season. Self-employed accountants can exercise control over the number of clients they serve, thus exercising autonomy over their personal workload.
Nature-Based Positions
Gardener or Horticulturist
Jobs that involve caring for plants can frequently be rewarding for people with depression. Time is often spent outdoors, offering regular exposure to nature and physical activity. Landscaping and maintaining gardens can provide an immediate sense of progress, as well as long-term rewards when plants thrive.
Park Ranger
Positions that involve working to preserve outdoor spaces and educating visitors can feel extremely rewarding to people with depression, especially if they have a personal connection to the parks. These roles include a range of responsibilities, and often require consistent upkeep. Depending on location, these jobs often offer a sense of security and “grounding” in getting to know a space very deeply.
Arborist
Sometimes called “tree surgeons,” these plant specialists focus on the well-being and maintenance of trees. They often work with individual plants as opposed to forests and other bodies of plants. Working with tools and seeing the direct results of one’s labor can be very affirming to someone with depression. If someone is already inclined to work in the trades and isn’t afraid of heights, working as an arborist has the potential to be very rewarding.
Technology and Remote Work
Data Entry Specialist
This kind of work involves inputting information into databases or spreadsheets. Work is repetitive, predictable, and often remote. People with depression may appreciate the straightforward nature of the work.
Computer Programmer
Roles of this type involve writing and testing code for software applications. Many work remotely and focus on problem-solving tasks. People with depression may enjoy the problem-solving aspects of these jobs and the (very common) cultural respect for focused work time.
Virtual Assistant
These positions provide administrative support such as scheduling and email management, frequently from home. Duties vary, which can reduce boredom. People with depression may enjoy being part of a small team or providing essential support.
Service and Support Roles
Librarian or Archivist
These types of roles involve working in quiet environments with structured routines. Tasks may include organizing materials, assisting patrons, and maintaining order within the space.
Pet Sitter or Dog Walker
These jobs involve caring for animals, often outdoors. Physical movement and time with animals are regular parts of the job. Many times, the work can be done on a freelance basis. Someone with depression may enjoy working to take care of an animal, particularly if they have specialized experience (such as knowledge about certain breeds or exotic animals).
Online Tutor
These positions involve teaching academic subjects via video calls. Work is often fully remote and can offer flexible scheduling (depending on company and position). People with depression may find meaning in helping others learn.
- Delivery driver
- Warehouse clerk
- Health records technician
- Personal trainer
- Nonprofit worker
- Prep cook
- Janitorial work
- Administrative assistant
- Repair technician
- Social media manager
- IT support technician
- Postal worker
- Patient advocate
The Worst Jobs for People with Depression
Some jobs have features that are more likely to make depression symptoms worse. These may include:
High-stress environments
Positions that involve quick decision-making and responsibility for others’ safety may be very triggering for people with depression.These may include jobs in emergency services, law enforcement, or hospital trauma units.
Irregular shift work
Disrupted sleep patterns may increase depression symptoms, which can lead to poorer long-term outcomes for people with depression. This can correlate to jobs in healthcare, hospitality, or transportation.
Highly isolated positions
For some people with depression, loneliness and prolonged periods away from home can be major triggers. Jobs such as remote monitoring or long-haul truck driving can hinder their abilities to perform self-care on a regular basis.
Customer service roles
Handling the complaints of angry people while representing the needs of a larger company may have very poor effects on the mental health of people with depression. Jobs of this nature include customer service representatives, but also building superintendents, front desk attendants, and hotel concierges.
Sales positions
People who work in sales often cope with frequent “no” responses and the constant risk of deals falling through. This may affect self-esteem and motivation in people with depression disorders.
Receive Support for Depression at First Steps Recovery
Career success is possible for people experiencing depression, especially when workplaces and roles are chosen with mental health in mind. Finding a job that fits your personal strengths and needs can be a key part of a larger strategy that includes ongoing treatment, self-care, and support systems, all of which can help break the cycle of depression.
At First Steps Recovery, we help individuals address mental health challenges and plan for long-term success. Treatment options include both in-person and online programs designed to meet individual needs. If you’re looking for help with depression and co-occurring substance use disorders, contact First Steps Recovery today to learn more.
Dr. Curl is the Medical Director and primary on-site provider for First Steps Recovery. He is a Board Certified Internist and Addiction Medicine Specialist having attended the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completing his residency at Mount Auburn Hospital with Harvard Medical School. Following several years work as an internist and physiatrist (physical medicine and rehabilitation). Dr. Curl completed the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Howard University in Washington DC and participated as a RAM Scholar (Research in Addiction Medicine). While part of the fellowship, Dr. Curl pursued research investigating the barriers to expanding and improving medication for opioid use disorder. Following his fellowship, Dr. Curl spearheaded the Opiate Use Disorder outpatient clinic and worked in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the Howard University Hospital. In 2023, Dr. Curl completed his Board Certification in Addiction Medicine.
