Overview
All Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers
-
$1,541 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
70,300 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
91% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
46 hours Average full-time
-
38 years Average age
-
1% female Gender Share
Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers cut, shape, join and repair metal components of iron and steel structures, boilers, pressure vessels and pipes, ships and other vessels.
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Structural Steel or Welding Trades Worker.
Tasks
- studying blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
- selecting, cleaning and preparing metal stock
- cutting marked-out metal sections and shapes using hand tools, flame cutting torches and metal cutting machines
- shaping and bending metal sections and pipes using hand and machine tools, and by heating and hammering
- aligning parts to be joined using hand tools and measuring instruments
- joining metal sections using various welding techniques, bolting and riveting
- examining welds for width of bead, penetration and precision
- finishing products by cleaning, polishing, filing and bathing in acidic solutions
- cleaning and smoothing welds by filing, chiselling and grinding
Prospects
There were 70,300 Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew moderately over the past 5 years
- is expected to stay about the same over the next five years
- is likely to reach 69,900 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers work in many parts of Australia. Western Australia has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Construction; and Mining.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,541 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (91%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 46 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 38 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 1% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Structural Steel or Welding Trades Worker.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Manufacturing and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers who are reliable, work well in a team and who have good people skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2011.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Dangerous conditions
Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Cramped work space
Work in an awkward position or in cramped work spaces.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Bright or inadequate lighting
Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Walking and running
Spend time walking and running.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2011.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
All Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers
-
$1,541 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
70,300 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
91% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
46 hours Average full-time
-
38 years Average age
-
1% female Gender Share
Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers cut, shape, join and repair metal components of iron and steel structures, boilers, pressure vessels and pipes, ships and other vessels.
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Structural Steel or Welding Trades Worker.
Tasks
- studying blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
- selecting, cleaning and preparing metal stock
- cutting marked-out metal sections and shapes using hand tools, flame cutting torches and metal cutting machines
- shaping and bending metal sections and pipes using hand and machine tools, and by heating and hammering
- aligning parts to be joined using hand tools and measuring instruments
- joining metal sections using various welding techniques, bolting and riveting
- examining welds for width of bead, penetration and precision
- finishing products by cleaning, polishing, filing and bathing in acidic solutions
- cleaning and smoothing welds by filing, chiselling and grinding
There were 70,300 Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew moderately over the past 5 years
- is expected to stay about the same over the next five years
- is likely to reach 69,900 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers work in many parts of Australia. Western Australia has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Construction; and Mining.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,541 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (91%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 46 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 38 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 1% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Structural Steel or Welding Trades Worker.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Manufacturing and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.
Employers look for Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers who are reliable, work well in a team and who have good people skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2011.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Dangerous conditions
Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Cramped work space
Work in an awkward position or in cramped work spaces.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
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Bright or inadequate lighting
Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.
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Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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Walking and running
Spend time walking and running.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2011.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.