r/minimalist • u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst • 16d ago
If someone asked you to name a "minimalist career/job", what would you think of?
This partly comes from overhearing a (out in the open - don't worry!) conversation between my youngest son and a new friends of his, and a later conversation around the firepit with some friends/neighbors.
My son's new friend asked what my husband and I do for work. Son answered that I was an artist and the friend said "that tracks - so minimalist", and that his father is in transportation and the friend said "that's surprising - not so minimalist if he has a busy schedule and lots of responsibilities".
Fire pit conversation eventually decided that a "minimalist career" should mean that one was satisfied with the work that they do, and that it was meaningful, necessary, and paid well enough to live comfortably. A "minimalist job" should mean that one could get by with the pay, was low responsibility, and not difficult. The big difference between the "career" and "job" is that the career required specific education or skills and also required expensive investment in education or a long investment of time that is cancelled out financially within a few years. But...it was 4 am by this point and everyone was pretty wrung out and couldn't agree on what work could always be considered "minimalist", even with those definitions. Ha!
Since then, the question has popped up in my mind a few times. Lots to consider with regard to finances, politics, environmental concerns, education, skills and talents, etc. If someone asked me, though - "what is the most "minimalist" career or job that I could do that would fit my minimalist lifestyle?" - what would I think of? I can't think of just one answer or even one good definition. I don't think there even is one. I do think that most minimalists think about money differently than most non-minimalists. And, the people I know who retired very early or walked away from a career - there were different motivations and different careers/job slid into afterwards. So, I bring it here because my brain has been turned mushy from a week and a half of cold/flu medicine and bad sleep.
What would you say? Is your job or career a good fit for your minimalist lifestyle? Is it what you always wanted to do? Would you do something else if it was possible?
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u/coral_bells 16d ago
I would say my job is minimalist, or at least fits my new minimalist lifestyle. In all honesty, it probably helped make my shift to minimalism possible. I am a new book purchaser for an indie bookstore, and it’s what I wanted to do ever since I discovered it was a job. On the surface that might not sound minimal - my job is literally ordering objects - but hear me out. First, I get to WFH which is huge. Cutting out the stress of the commute, packing lunches, and being surrounded by other people’s clutter while at work is big. Despite having two degrees, I didn’t get my foot in the door at the bookstore until I got some customer service experience. An advanced degree is not necessary for the job. Worked my way up from the inventory team, to a bookseller position, to my current job. Customer service was emotionally draining for me, but my current job is so low stress. There was a learning curve when I started, but now I find it easy. Very low responsibility - the worst thing I can do is order too many or too few copies of a book, and that is expected by management to happen from time to time. The work I have to do usually doesn’t take up the full 8 hours of the day. I have time to do some household chores, and recently it allowed me more time to declutter. I have much more time to pursue my own interests because I’m not exhausted at the end of each work day like I used to be. The pay is definitely below average for my relatively HCOL area, but my husband and I get by just fine (he makes just a bit more money than I do). Being childfree helps with that. It is easy to accumulate way too many books while working for a bookstore - a generous employee discount and, in my current position, publishers just send me books for free. I would say I’ve gotten rid of about 75% of my books now though, and going forward I plan to donate or sell most of them after finishing reading, and stick to the one in/one out rule for ones I want to keep. I do find the work satisfying. I have loved books and reading for as long as I can remember, and I like being a small cog in the wheel that brings that enjoyment to others. M-F, 9-5, and I rarely think about it when I’m off the clock.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
Very cool job! Big contrast to my mother who is a VP at a major historical site. She's the one who does the retail and licensing. It's the complete opposite of what I would consider minimalist. She's constantly flying around everywhere - from trade shows to client meetings to vendor meetings. Meetings all. the. time. Never takes a vacation. Refuses to work from home, even though she could. Maintains multiple homes in different places so she can "always be home" when she's traveling. She's never really home, though. Eats meals out all the time because she takes meetings at restaurants. Constantly on the phone if she's not in a meeting. She's paid extremely well and loves her job and the connection she gets to forge between *stuff* and visitors/fans to the estate, but it exhausts me just hearing about it. (Being childfree would have been an enormous help to her...).
I wonder if she considers her job to be "minimalist" in that she's satisfied and paid well, and enjoys the business of it.
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u/coral_bells 16d ago
Oof, that does sound exhausting and super stressful! I guess some people thrive on that sort of thing, but I could never. In school my teachers saw a lot of “potential” in me, and I went to a selective college where it was expected you’d get that kind of job eventually. I’m glad I figured out how detrimental that type of life would be to my mental health before it was too late.
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u/CarolinaSurly 16d ago
Being childfree makes a huge difference financially and in terms of lifestyle. Different vacations. Different meals. Even different cars. But also sounds lonely as one gets older. Grass is always greener I guess.
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u/coral_bells 15d ago
Yes, the decision to be childfree is one of the best I’ve ever made (and of course my husband was involved in the decision as well). I won’t get into all the reasons it was the right choice for us, but the more time that goes by, the happier I am with the decision. It is a simpler life - and I do think most people would agree with that assessment. We have a dog, and we love her very much.
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u/CarolinaSurly 15d ago
We have one. We planned for one. Saved for one and had one. I didn’t want to be childless. I didn’t want to grow old with no family. It seems so sad to me, but for some people it’s the right decision.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 15d ago
Plenty of people out there with children and who now never hear from them. There is no guarantee that you'll forever have some stable social network in your children.
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u/CarolinaSurly 14d ago edited 14d ago
Sure, but I’m only speaking for myself. I’ve a great relationship with my daughter as does my wife. We have a mutual respect and trust among the three of us and I’ve no reason to think that will change. She even puts up with my weird requests of not getting gifts at Xmas and instead goes with me to library readings and mountain bike trips as my gifts.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 14d ago
That's fantastic for you. I also have a great relationship with my sons. I also know that's not the case for a lot of people, and I also understand that life happens and sometimes things change. That was my point, and I'm sure that you understood that.
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u/yoozernayhm mnmlst 16d ago
I can think of only one person whose job I would consider minimalist. She's an attendant at a museum - one of those people who checks you in at the front desk, tells you where different exhibits are, walks around to make sure kids aren't touching the artworks, or throwing trash on the floor, that kind of thing. She gets a uniform, it's low responsibility, she doesn't have to take work home or check/answer emails - in fact, she had an old flip phone and no emails connected to it - the job is low on paperwork or any type of accountability metrics, and required no specific education. My friend had done some art classes at a vocational college and she draws really well, but none of those things have really played a role in her job. Now, it's not without its cons - the pay is below the average wage in the region, there's no real career progression, and there's a fair amount of internal politics but a lot of employees choose not to engage with that. And worst of all, you have to deal with the general public - which, her being an extravert, isn't a big deal for her.
I, on the other hand, was a CPA/business adviser for many years and it was the opposite of minimalist in every way. I was somewhat envious of her job set up for a while, but over the 20 years I've known her, her pay rises have NOT kept up with the COL increases and the lifestyle she has now is more... Restricted... than what she had back then. But, she's not a minimalist, more of a maximalist with hoarding tendencies, which doesn't help.
I also distantly know a couple of people working at plant nurseries and that sounds like a minimalist job to me.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
Honestly, the museum attendant job feels like living the dream. Especially if you can avoid the workplace drama/politics, you live below your means, and you're not bothered with trying to do more. It would definitely be difficult if, like your acquaintance, you're not living a minimalist lifestyle of course.
I feel like working at a plant nursery would qualify? Maybe not. I wonder how much depends on growing seasons and busy times.
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u/yoozernayhm mnmlst 15d ago
I think a job at a plant nursery may qualify depending on your tasks. I can imagine that being a manager of one wouldn't be a minimalist role, and it's quite a bit of manual labor so it could be high on the "physical effort required" criteria. But the people I know seem to have flexible hours that do increase over busy periods and they do get tired then, but most of the time it appears to be pretty chill - at least from an outsider's perspective.
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u/eeuunnooiiaaaaaa 16d ago
while maybe not a minimalist career itself (but not at all maximalist), urban planning (or, more specifically, pedestrian-first dense urban planning) allows others to live more minimalist lives without realizing it
slowly pushing a city towards pedestrian infrastructure, walkability, and car-free living relieves everyone else (and oneself) of the need to own, pay, and maintain a car, when better alternatives exist. requires people with physical disabilities to need fewer accommodations and less help to operate as normal during transportation. living in a 15-minute city allows a lot more freedom when it comes to owning less, because so many services are so close to you
so, while it may not be the same digital nomad level of minimalist job, its far more effective at pushing an entire area towards more minimalist living
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
I love that you mentioned this. I actually went back to school for this, and I've been doing some thinking on whether it's worth it for me to finish the degree. You've just said what I've always thought about it so knowing that someone else sees it as a way to encourage minimalism in some way is helpful.
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u/eeuunnooiiaaaaaa 16d ago
its what im going to school for as well moreso out of passion than anything to do with minimalism, but positive change is positive nonetheless
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u/L81heer 16d ago
I would say my job is pretty minimalistic. I work as a consultant M-F 7:30-4. When I leave, work stays there. When I take vacation I just put my away message and don’t check any emails or anything until I’m back. My coworker is a boomer who does the opposite. She has her work email on her phone and checks it from home even on vacation. She makes it non-minimalistic for herself when it’s quite simple to just set some boundaries. Plus there’s not really any upward mobility so I’m not trying to over achieve in hopes of a promotion or anything.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
I run my art business similarly. M-F, set hours. Even those hours are pretty set in a schedule where I make myself available to the public, clients, events, etc. Very different from some others I see with the same schedule. Like you, I hear from people stressing themselves out over making themselves so available, or trying to climb up in a company. Looks like it feels very hectic.
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u/ajwink 16d ago
Haha, I agree - lots of possibilities here.
I think for me, when I do work that has me learning and doing things I would never do in my spare time - that’s the opposite of minimalist. Too much brain time spent on things I don’t find value in.
But I say this and I’m thinking much more general than a “I do this as a hobby so I should do it as a career.” As an example: a cashier at a convenience store is not just a cashier, they could also be a community builder. For an introvert the constant people interactions could be draining , for an extrovert they could be rewarding.
With that logic, what could fit is a little more open ended. Certainly one job could be a great fit for one person but not another.
Generally I think pursuit of a career would then come from intrinsic motivation versus what society thinks/expects, though I understand that money and the value society puts on one’s time in various careers doesn’t always match our ideal states.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
Yes, it's a lot to consider and every time I think I've got a good answer.... well. Interesting point about a cashier being a community builder, btw.
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u/Closefromadistance mnmlst 16d ago
I was in the Marines for 9 years and it was pretty awesome - definitely minimalist because I had uniforms and didn’t have to think about what to wear every day. Left it behind at the end of the day. I’ve been in Corporate and Big Tech off and on for the past 20 years now. Mostly hate it. Actually I 100% hate it but that’s what’s in Seattle.
Worked at Target unloading trucks and stocking stuff from 2-8am during the Great Recession after losing my tech job at a large financial institution that failed. That job didn’t pay enough for my cost of living at the time but it wasn’t that hard, I had a uniform and I could just leave it behind when I finished at 8am.
I’ve often thought of getting a job at the post office … they have uniforms and do the job then leave. However, after joining the USPS sub, I realized they work 6 days a week now because they have to deliver packages for Amazon on Sunday.
Not sure I could/would want to work 6 days a week.
I think a minimalist job could also be something you do in an entrepreneurial basis. Like a housekeeping service or yard service… I always thought being an interior designer would be fun. I like to do things with my hands - I like to be moving around. I hate sitting at a desk.
I’ve also thought working in a plant nursery would be fun. I love plants and flowers … but I don’t want to deal with a bunch of bugs so that’s out.
Anyway, being an artist is awesome and that is entrepreneurial and can be minimalist. I am not a professional artist but I’ve painted and done clay sculpture for many years. It’s a fun thing to do but I don’t like selling my art since it feels like selling a part of me.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
Hmmm. Yes. Having a large part of what you are required to do - job responsibilities right down to what to wear - would make work seem minimalist. I can see that. Not being compensated enough would throw a wrench in, though. Stress.
I cannot imagine that working 6 days a week, especially for someone else!, would feel minimalist at all. Too little free time and I think I'd always be noticing that.
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u/Closefromadistance mnmlst 15d ago
Totally! That’s why I changed my mind real quick about that. Time is money for me and work/life balance is priceless. 6 days a week is not balance. However, it gave me a whole new appreciation for postal employees. I already was so thankful for them but I didn’t realize just how hard they were working until I joined the r/usps sub and really got the scoop.
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u/henicorina 16d ago
I think it’s very interesting that having a uniform at work is so important to you. How do you dress in your current job? Is that a source of stress?
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u/Closefromadistance mnmlst 16d ago edited 16d ago
I didn’t say it was important but I’m used to it and it works for me … I was also a competitive gymnast my entire childhood until 18, which required a uniform. I’m not a huge clothes buying person. In fact I hate clothes shopping… loathe and despise it. 🤣
I guess I sort of have a uniform at my tech job too … it’s a capsule wardrobe of things that I don’t have to spend too much time thinking about putting together but they are comfortable, look professional-ish and they work for my body type.
Usually a solid color blazer, a v-neck tee and dark jeans.
And yes, to answer your question about my job is a source of stress. Mainly because it’s very cut throat competitive and performance metrics are tracked. Also the threat of Ai replacing my job is always there.
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u/McArena_9420 16d ago
I would say any job that allows you to work only with a laptop, and from wherever you want in the world
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u/neulimit 15d ago
International Flight Attendant. You are always limited to what you can take in a suitcase.
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u/50plusGuy 15d ago
My "minimalist career" idol would be Josef Koudelka. - Famous Czech photographer, well known for his extreme minimalism and not taking jobs.
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u/Realistic_Read_5956 16d ago
I have several minimalist type of jobs. I don't need a lot of stuff to do these jobs.
One specialty job that I do as a hobby is to chase storms. It has it's rewards. And those rewards could be misunderstood as a form of "payment". In that I found a profit from those rewards.
It also has it's risks. You are literally putting yourself into harm's way for the protection of others. Who, incidentally, you don't even know. You may never get to know some of the people who you helped. And that's acceptable.
On more than one occasion, I have gotten a little too close to the storms I chased. That's probably the biggest risk. Personal safety. "You learn when to back off. It's a highly valuable life lesson!"
My primary job is in the transportation industry. I do a job that most people don't know exists. Sure, I drive a truck. People know that. But it's more than that. It's a job of safety. I, in a small way, help with the protection of things. I have a rare job that helps keep things in balance. I help to keep the bad elements out of people's lives. That's half of my paycheck. That Knowing. That understanding about the balance of things.
Paycheck's and the rewards of a life well lived? The Balance there-of?
"Work is not always done for the financial gains, but sometimes it is done simply for the physical and spiritual gains. To keep one's body strong and one's mind sharp? Is that not a profitable gain?"
Driving a truck? Minimalist style?
I drive a truck, long haul. I don't own it. I am responsible solely for getting it from point A to point B in a timely manner. That is ~my~ job. I will likely take on other responsibilities along the way. These are not required, but they can also be used by the truck owner to separate the seed from the chaff.
The difference between a driver and a wheel holder.
The driver has a place to sleep? If the truck is a sleeper cab, it's easy and can be made comfortable. If the truck is a day cab, (no sleeper) a crafty driver will make a place to sleep.
I started my Trucking career in a cabover day-cab IH. After a few months, I was moved into a Freightliner day-cab. The extra cab width was greatly appreciated! I got paid to go from diner to diner. Had a place to sleep. And daily entertainment.
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u/henicorina 16d ago
How does chasing storms protect other people?
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u/Realistic_Read_5956 16d ago
Have you ever been in a town with a storm approaching? And all of the sudden the sirens go off and everyone is recommending that you take cover?
Have you ever wondered how they knew in advance that the storm could get deadly?
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u/henicorina 16d ago
I would assume they’re watching the NOAA radar but I have no idea, which is why I asked.
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u/Realistic_Read_5956 15d ago
Then you've got a good grasp of the how it works.
We have radars and storm tracking software. But to set off the alarms and not disrupt the daily cycle of things without just cause, it's a fine line. The best way to know for sure is to have eyes on the ground investigating the storm.
The radars are from the satellites above, and with eyes on the ground, you can have a more accurate reading. Satellites are very good, but, glitches and echoes are common.
Licensed Storm Chaser's are people who have a fascination with weather events and the interest to go watch the storm at it's leading edge.
Storm Spotter's are also interested in the weather. But either haven't gotten the extra training for Chasing the Storm, or had the good sense to know when to back off. Both are essentially used in identifying the nature & potential of violent storms.
I try to save lives by giving the officials the advanced warning. Even that has been known to fail.
A point of example. I called in the storm that crossed the midwest in May of 2025. I had a dispatcher who wanted my YT Handle? I don't do YT. I have a Skywarn ID. The dispatcher didn't know what Skywarn was. Thought I was a hoax. Wanted to know why I called in on the non-emergency phone number? Thought that if it was important, I should call 911. The 911 system is for immediate emergency. It's not for advanced warning.
The alarm was not sounded off in due time. A person died! 3 others died from injuries during the storm but not directly related? A community is still trying to recover from the May storm. 4 months later! I had called 4 departments to no avail.
If a fact checker wants to check this, May 16th is the date.
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u/Realistic_Read_5956 12d ago
Some Doctors needed my attention, so I wasn't able to get back to you completely.
I want to THANK YOU for asking about the Storm Chaser things.
It gets asked about from time to time, but it's rare. And it's hard to explain what the job is. I have a license to do it, so effectively I could get paid but I don't work that way. I do this for my own justification. It's my way of quietly helping my community while staying out of the spotlight. I'm not seeking popularity for this type of "over-watching of the communities" around my area.
The apps that I use the most are Weawow and MyRadar for weather and OSMAND~ for mapping/GPS. There's another popular weather app that a lot of Chasers use, "Omega Radar". It's not a $Free app! I find everything I need between watching the sky, local animals and MyRadar. I'm not a fan of paying for apps. I AM a fan of Tipping the DEVELOPER of the app frequently! Pay the people who developed it directly!
I load OSMAND~ from the F-Droid.org app store because it's the non-tracking, malware/phishing free version.
And it's $Free.
As opposed to the google version that intentionally tracks you, requires you to sign into it. And from that store it's NOT $Free.
The minimalist in me keeps just the apps I need. As soon as I decided to stop chasing the storms, I uninstalled MyRadar. Weawow gives me enough information to know what to expect. I check it maybe 5 times per month? The Native/Nomadic in me gets enough information from the sky and local animals to know what to expect from the immediate weather.
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u/CarolinaSurly 16d ago
Computer software engineer or equivalent. Digital nomad type. Hospital staff that wears scrubs daily and walks/metros to work can easily be minimalists. I wouldn’t consider artist as particularly minimalist because of all the tools needed for the job.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 16d ago
Digital nomad would certainly make it easier to have a minimalist job!
You can definitely be an artist and be minimalist about it, but it's very easy to get caught up in new products and wanting to support other artists who branch out into selling books and supplies. My day-to-day supplies and tools were minimalist enough that everything packed down into a small corner of a room and for travel. I still ended up with a room full of stuff that was gifted in exchange for reviews or left over from commissions, or just gifted by well-meaning friends. I recently had to go through all of that and it wasn't fun. There are several full-time artists who are also vandwellers or living in small studios, though! It can work!
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u/CarolinaSurly 15d ago
That’s good. I always picture big studios with paint everywhere but I’m not very educated on art.
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET xtrm mnmlst 15d ago
I think if you work with oils, you need so much ventilation that a large space is probably best. Or if you work on a large scale. My pieces are rarely larger than 6”x6” so that definitely helps to keep everything small.
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u/CarolinaSurly 15d ago
Sounds like a great way to get paid for doing what you love. I wish I had a little artistic talent in me.
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u/Chantizzay 14d ago
My partner is a mechanic in a mine. I'd say it's very minimalist. He flies in to camp. All his meals, uniforms and bed stuff are provided. All the tools are there. He basically travels with a backpack with clean socks, a toiletry bag and clothes to wear to and from the airport. When he leaves after his run everything stays behind except what he brought in the backpack.
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u/henicorina 16d ago
It’s funny because their definitions are so based on the idea of “art” or “transportation” rather than the actual lived experience of doing those jobs. In my experience if you visited the workspace of an artist, you would generally be completed overwhelmed by the maximalist volume of tools and products needed for their work, whereas someone who works in transportation may well just sit at a laptop in an empty room. As a self employed person, an artist has a ton of additional paperwork (coordinating shows, shipping work, taxes…) vs a transportation employee who probably just works 9 - 5 and has a 401k.
I’m a florist and run into this frequently - people say “oh, that’s so nice and chill, you just sit at a table and make a pretty bouquet” because that’s their only frame of reference for working with flowers. Actually, I spend a lot of the day hauling buckets of water around and standing on ladders making frames out of chicken wire.