A Career Guide for the Kinesthetic (Hands-On) Learner

Key Points

• Kinesthetic learners, also known as hands-on learners, thrive when they can engage physically with the learning material, such as through hands-on labs, rather than in traditional classroom settings. They represent about 5% of the population and possess a unique set of skills that are valuable in the workforce.
• The four primary learning styles include visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic, with kinesthetic learners preferring to learn through physical activity and touch. Identifying one's learning style can be done through assessments like the VARK questionnaire.
• Characteristics of kinesthetic learners include a preference for movement, a tendency to touch objects, and a knack for learning through doing. They excel in environments where they can use their physical senses, such as in art, science and shop classes.
• Effective learning strategies for kinesthetic learners involve incorporating movement and touch into study routines, such as walking while studying, taking breaks to stretch, using flashcards, and engaging in hands-on activities.
• Suitable careers for kinesthetic learners often involve skilled trades that require physical activity and hands-on work, including roles like automotive technician, welder, CNC machinist, and various other technician specialties. These careers can be appealing due to their active nature and potential for high income with less required formal education.

Do you regularly crack your knuckles? Can you have a detailed conversation while performing a physical task like playing catch? Do your feet or hands tap a constant rhythm when you’re focused? Do you think most clearly when you’re exercising?

If any of these describes you, there’s a good chance you’re a kinesthetic, or hands-on, learner. Keep reading to learn all about this learning style, including some of the best jobs for kinesthetic learners.

What Are the Four Learning Styles?

Before we dive into what kinesthetic learning is and careers for kinesthetic learners, let’s break down the four different learning styles:

• Visual: This type of learner processes information best when it’s presented in a visual way, whether it be a graphic, chart, diagram or photograph.
• Auditory: These learners are most successful when they can hear information. For example, they may prefer to just listen in class instead of taking notes.
• Reading/writing: This learning style involves using reading and writing to retain information. This may be through the form of notetaking, reviewing handouts and PowerPoint slides, or researching online.
• Kinesthetic: Last but not least, the kinesthetic type of learner needs to take a physically active role in the learning process. These learners thrive when they can touch and engage with the information they’re learning. For example, they may find hands-on labs more effective than sitting in a traditional classroom.

What type of learner are you?

So how do you know what learning style suits you best? After reading through the different styles, think about the one that best describes you. It is possible to have more than one learning style, but you most likely have stronger tendencies toward one.

There are a variety of different assessments available online that can help identify your learning style, such as the VARK questionnaire. This assessment will walk you through a series of questions to help identify your tendencies and which category best suits you.

What Is a Hands-On Learner?

When people refer to hands-on learners, they are referring to the kinesthetic personality. Being a kinesthetic learner means you learn best by doing. You’re hands-on, and you don’t mind getting dirty.

You probably get fidgety sitting in class lectures. The things your teachers say and show you probably don’t sink in at first, but you’re intently focused when they assign you something to draw, build or create.

Kinesthetic learners are often successful in classes where they can explore the subjects with their physical senses, such as:

• Shop: wood, auto and metal
• Art: painting, music and sculpting
• Science: physics and chemistry

This doesn’t mean that kinesthetic learners are limited in what they can learn, only that some subjects may come more naturally to them. Knowing what these are can also help identify careers for kinesthetic learners.

Characteristics of Kinesthetic Learners

Here are a few signs you might be a kinesthetic learner:

• You’re always on the move — you don’t like to sit still.
• You find yourself touching objects, such as when you’re at the store.
• You problem-solve by doing.
• You prefer to do things rather than just read about them.
• You talk with your hands.
• You connect with real-life examples when concepts are explained.

What are kinesthetic skills?

Kinesthetic learners thrive in the right learning environment. They typically excel in art, science and shop classes where the concepts are learned hands-on. Some unique kinesthetic skills include:

• Quick to learn concepts that involve touch or movement.
• Gifted at using tools, ranging from wrenches to paint brushes to lab equipment.
• Highly curious and eager to explore their environment.

What do kinesthetic learners struggle with?

In the wrong learning environment, kinesthetic learners may be misunderstood as not being good students. Just because someone learns best through physical activity doesn’t mean he or she can’t develop other skills for learning as well. A few challenges for the kinesthetic personality may include:

• Slower to grasp concepts when they’re explained visually or audibly.
• Find it difficult to listen and comprehend without interaction.
• Restlessness.

How Do Kinesthetic Learners Learn Best?

Kinesthetic learners have a highly developed tactile system. That means they have a strong connection between their brain and the sensory information they receive from their tendons and muscles.

Their brains absorb information from the things they touch and the movements they make in a heightened way. It’s why hands-on projects are so effective for this type of learning style.

Kinesthetic learners might be described as having great muscle memory, which is a type of long-term memory that is developed through repetitive physical activity. Muscle memory often applies to sports but may also be developed through doing things like building, crafts or writing.

Kinesthetic learning strategies

If you’re a kinesthetic learner, it can be helpful to map out specific learning strategies to incorporate into your routine. Whether you’re studying for an exam in school or are practicing for an upcoming presentation at work, the following activities can help ensure you absorb the information:

• Practice by repeating motions.
• Walk while studying.
• Write concepts on a whiteboard.
• Study for short time periods and take periodic breaks to go for a walk or stretch in between.
• Use hands-on activities with things that can be touched.
• Make flashcards.

The Best Careers for Kinesthetic Learners: What Are Good Hands-On Careers?

Identifying whether you’re a kinesthetic learner can help you throughout your life. When deciding on a field of study or a career, you can quickly identify paths where your style of learning may be an advantage and have an awareness of where you may have some challenges.

Careers in the skilled trades are often ideal for kinesthetic learners. They tend to be hands-on, appeal to the naturally curious, and keep the brain and body active.

Good career paths for kinesthetic learners can include:

• Airframe & powerplant technician
• Automotive technician
• CNC machinist
• Collision repair technician
• Diesel technician
• HVACR technician
• Industrial maintenance technician
• Marine technician
• Motorcycle technician
• Non-destructive testing technician
• Robotics & automation technician
• Welder
• Wind turbine technician

Does this sound like you? If you learn best when you’re hands-on, you may want to check out Universal Technical Institute’s training programs. Some of these programs can be completed in less than a year!

Check out this day-in-the-life video to get an idea of what it’s like to be a student at UTI:

Jobs for kinesthetic learners’ salaries

There are a variety of jobs for hands-on learners with great income potential, and many of these require little schooling, which means you can enter the workforce sooner.¹

For accurate, up-to-date salary information, we suggest referring to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Below are the median annual salaries for jobs in the United States in hands-on industries in May 2023, according to the BLS:⁶

• Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians: $75,020⁵⁷
• Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other: $73,500⁶²
• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians: $65,080⁵⁹
• Wind Turbine Service Technicians: $61,770⁶¹
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics: $61,420⁶⁰
• Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers: $57,300⁵⁸
• Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists: $58,970²⁹
• Automotive Body and Related Repairers: $48,740²⁸
• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: $48,940²⁶
• Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics: $47,770²⁵
• Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians: $49,990³¹
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators: $48,550³⁴
• Motorcycle Mechanics: $46,270³⁰

This means half of the technicians in these fields earned more and half earned less. Keep in mind that salary depends on several factors, including experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area.

FAQs

Can kinesthetic learning skills be developed, or are they innate?

Kinesthetic learning skills can be sharpened through practice and experience, though some individuals may have a natural aptitude for hands-on activities. Engaging in physical activities, such as sports, crafts or interactive learning exercises, can enhance one's ability to process information through movement and touch.

How rare are kinesthetic learners?

Kinesthetic learners make up just 5% of the population! This means they are quite rare — and they have a special set of skills that can be a valuable asset in the workforce.

What is kinesthetic vs. tactile learning?

The term “kinesthetic learning” is often used interchangeably with “tactile learning.” There is a lot of debate on this topic, as some believe the two are the same, while others believe there are key differences.

In general, kinesthetic learning has to do with moving the body — such as by jumping, walking and running. Tactile learning refers specifically to the feeling of touching something, such as building an engine in the lab. Both involve actively doing something while learning.

Learn More About Jobs for Kinesthetic Learners at UTI

If you’re a kinesthetic learner struggling in an all-lecture learning environment, it’s time to switch gears. Learn about the hands-on training that takes place at UTI.¹⁸

Request more information to speak to an Admissions Representative about our programs, or tour a campus and see if our hands-on labs are a good fit for you!