Tenth House in Astrology: Career, Success, and Social Status by Sign

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While you hardly have to be an astrology pro to know your sun sign (which is what you typically look to when you read your daily horoscope), and you may also be able to rattle off your moon and rising signs without missing a beat, that's really just scratching the surface of your birth chart and all the intel you can glean from it.

For instance, do you know what your 10th house in astrology is? If not, you'd be wise to learn. According to Liz Tran, astrologer and founder of New York City-based corporate-wellness-coaching studio Reset, your 10th house in astrology points to your career and your public reputation. The 10th house can even help with interpreting your manager’s sign.

What does the 10th house represent in astrology?

For some background on the astrological houses, your birth chart (which you can run for free here!) breaks into 12 sections—or houses, with each representing a different section of your life. Your 10th house in astrology can illuminate features that will be helpful in your career in addition to the very fields in which you may work well.

Colin Bedell, an astrologer and author of Queer Cosmos, adds that the 10th house also deals with parental figures because our deepest motivations around our careers often stem from our family of origin. “How does family and the way that we were raised instruct the way we show up professionally?” he says.

The 10th house can also be interpreted as more esoteric as it is the highest section of the birth chart. “It's typically the space where we are connected to our highest aspirations, our highest potential, and where we can actually locate our strengths, gifts, and abilities given to us by God or the Universe as we understand it,” Bedell says.

Of course, the intel provided by the 10th house in astrology are just broad strokes, and not an exact blueprint for you to follow. "Look at the qualities and the aspects and the preferences of the sign in the 10th house, and use that to shape your work environment," Tran says. Check out exactly what she means below.

What it means if your 10th house in astrology is in the following signs:

Aries

If your 10th house is in Aries, Tran says you're a natural leader. "They are real hustlers, entrepreneurs," she says, adding that since they're opinionated, they do well as their own boss. "Aries is like 'I'm here. I know what I'm doing. And everyone else follow me.'"

Taurus

"Taurus represents being in a tangible world," Tran says. "Taurus is more like 'Give me something substantial. I want to build security, and I want to be able to like work with things that are real, physical objects.'" So, those with Taurus in the 10th house may consider banking, finance, jobs related to nature and the Earth, or even running a bed and breakfast.

Gemini

"Gemini is the sign of intelligence, and communication," Tran says. "You would be a great writer, editor, and also be a great person to work on teams because Gemini is the sign of partnership."

And with your 10th house in Gemini—the sign of twins—you may have two separate careers happening simultaneously. "They might be a writer, but then they're also launching their own skin-care line, or they might be an editor, but then they also have a side hustle where they're starting an app," she says.

Cancer

"Cancer is the sign of the nurturer," also representing home life and domesticity, Tran says.

With your 10th house in Cancer, you may really like to work from home. Or, at least to work in a comfortable environment that feels homey (hello, workleisure wardrobe!), with co-workers who feel like family. You likely thrive in fields of nursing, childcare, psychology, or as a stay-at-home parent.

Leo

With a 10th house in Leo, you want a career where you can help others, but also one that's not behind the scenes (the generalized trope of Leo the Lion still holds true here) "This is a person who needs a job where they will be publicly recognized," Tran says. "Leo is a warm-hearted, open, and generous sign that, of course, wants a lot of recognition, but also will give a lot of it back, too."

So while being a singer or dancer might work, so too would being a philanthropist.

Virgo

"Virgos are extremely analytical and perfectionistic, so they'll always do a good job," Tran says. "You can trust that a Virgo will take whatever task is at hand and execute it really beautifully."

You work well in capacities that allow you to improve things, so options like consultant, manager, accountant—anything that requires you to be detail-oriented—are all great.

Libra

Libra is represented by the scales of justice, and gravitates to roles that involve fairness and harmony—like lawyer. "Those who don't feel drawn to the law might be in the arts, because they care about beauty and harmony," Tran says.

Scorpio

The 10th house in Scorpio points to you loving being in control and someone who aggressively chases your goals. You don't like dealing with the superficial, and you enjoy getting into the depths of the human psyche. Tran says psychology and science are great fields for you.

Sagittarius

"Sagittarius really likes to learn about other cultures, likes to read books about different places, and actually really likes to travel a lot," Tran says. "So any role where they can physically travel or mentally travel—go to new places that their mind hasn't been before and learn in order to broaden their horizons—works well."

Great career options for Sag include a philosopher, professor, anthropologist, or asking to be transferred to an international branch of your current company.

Capricorn

"Capricorn is the business person who puts on their suit and really enjoys their identity as a professional," Tran says.

To this point, if Capricorn is in your 10th house in astrology, she says your career is a huge part of your identity. You're very organized, like to assume responsibility, and work well in managerial or administrative roles. You like to be in charge.

Aquarius

"Aquarius is the sign of innovation change in technology," Tran says. "Aquarius needs to be in an environment where they can brainstorm, be rewarded for unorthodox ideas, and play the role of the dreamer or idealist."

You're also fabulous at networking and would likely do well in marketing, public relations, at a start-up, or as a professor.

Pisces

Tran says those with Pisces in the 10th house are well-suited for creative careers or roles that cater to helping others.

"Pisces are really in touch with other people's emotions and the creative spirits, so they're really deep feelers," Tran says. "They are flexible and can fit into almost any environment because they can emotionally intuit the needs of others."

Being an artist, psychologist, nurse, or yoga instructor are all good fits.

What it means if the following planet is in your 10th house in astrology:

In addition to signs, your birth chart also includes planets, and they can highlight facets of your personality. "Each of the planets represents different aspects of who we are," Tran says, adding that not having planets in your 10th house is nothing to worry about. But if they're there, they could be an important part of who you are. Check out what it means below if a specific planet is in your 10th house in astrology.

Sun

Your career and who you are are completely intertwined.

Moon

The moon represents emotion, and you express a lot of your feelings through work.

Mercury

This is the planet of thinking and communication, so your job is very cognitive and intellectual.

Venus

Venus represents beauty, love, and harmony—so do work that is artistic. Work is also the way that you feel loved, and supported.

Mars

This is the planet of action and taking charge. When you're feeling the impulse to move your life forward or to take action, it will generally be via your career.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the planet of good fortune and luck, so you feel like you're often lucky when it comes to your career. Jupiter is also the planet of expansion, so you'll always want to grow, learn, and expand your knowledge to aid your career.

Saturn

Saturn is the planet of discipline and hard work. You may feel that you have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders, and that's fine with you since you have a strong work ethic and don't mind long hours. Work isn't necessarily a burden, but it definitely feels heavy.

Uranus

This is the planet of innovation and change. You can expect your career to be full of positive twists and turns—and you enjoy that unpredictability.

Pluto

Pluto is the planet of transformation, and it represents the more substantive, meaningful parts of life. Your career is the stage upon which you're able to transform who you are over the course of your life.

10th House FAQs

So, how do astrological houses work?

Backing up for a sec, let’s go over how the 12 houses in astrology work. Each house focuses on a different area of life such as travel, career, or romance. There are many different interpretations of the houses, which Bedell describes as a beautiful thing. But in general, he says, the houses point to environments and the approach of that particular area of life.

For example, the 10th house “speaks to our professional environment—the location, the space, and also the approach that we would want to integrate to see success in that particular house,” he says. So, if you have a Taurus-ruled 10th house, for instance, he says Taurus-ruled environments (think art, music, and relational health) would help you self-actualize professionally.

How do I find my 10th house?

Once you pull up your natal chart, you’ll see that the circle is divided into 12 sections.

To find your 10th house, Bedell points to the northernmost section of the chart (slightly to the left of where the 12 o’clock mark would be on a clock). Then, he says, look at what zodiac sign is right over the 10th house to better understand your career sector.

Which planet is strong in the 10th house?

The short answer: All of them.

“Given the fact that it's where we really shine professionally, we can really see any planet function really beautifully in the 10th house,” Bedell says, adding that each planet offers something really specific and functional to this placement.

In particular, he says the sun, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus bring good vibes to the 10th house.

Does an empty 10th house mean no success?

As mentioned earlier, having no planets in your 10th house is really NBD. It doesn’t mean you’re not destined for success, Bedell says.

In these cases, to gain more career insight, he suggests looking at the planetary rule of the sign that governs the 10th house. For instance, if your 10th house is ruled by Sagittarius, you’d look at that sign’s ruling planet, which is Jupiter, for clarity and instruction around career.

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