Overview
All Chemical, Gas, Petroleum & Power Plant Operators
-
$3,082 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
7,800 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
95% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
51 hours Average full-time
-
45 years Average age
-
4% female Gender Share
Chemical, Gas, Petroleum and Power Generation Plant Operators control the operation of chemical production equipment, pump gas and oil from wellheads, refine and process petroleum products, and operate boilers, turbogenerators and associated plant to generate electrical power.
You can work as a Chemical, Gas, Petroleum or Power Generation Plant Operator without formal qualifications if you are able to demonstrate your technical competency to employers. A certificate III or IV in process plant operations or another related field might be helpful.
Tasks
- controlling equipment performing continuous and batch processes to process chemicals and natural gas, manufacture refined petroleum products, and blend petroleum base stocks to produce commercial fuels, lubricating oils and asphalt
- controlling the preparation, measuring and feeding of raw material and processing agents such as catalysts and filtering media into plant
- patrolling and inspecting equipment to ensure proper operation and setting operating controls on equipment
- analysing samples and readings and recording test data
- controlling records of production, quantities transferred and details of blending and pumping operations
- checking equipment for malfunctions and arranging maintenance
- operating power generation plant controls to produce required load
- monitoring operation of power generation plant and interpreting instrument readings
- authorising procedures to isolate high-voltage and low-voltage electrical apparatus and plant
- writing reports and maintaining records on equipment performance, instrument readings and switching operations
- carrying out routine operating tests
Prospects
The number of people working as Chemical, Gas, Petroleum & Power Plant Operators (in their main job) fell over 5 years:
from 9,800 in 2014 to 7,800 in 2019.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a small occupation.
- Location: Chemical, Gas, Petroleum & Power Plant Operators work in many parts of Australia. Western Australia has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services; and Mining.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $3,082 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (95%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 51 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 45 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (53%).
- Gender: 4% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Caution: The 2019 employment projections do not take account of any impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore no longer reflective of current labour market conditions. As such, they should be used, and interpreted, with extreme caution. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
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 can work as a Chemical, Gas, Petroleum or Power Generation Plant Operator without formal qualifications if you are able to demonstrate your technical competency to employers. A certificate III or IV in process plant operations or another related field might be helpful.
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 Resources and Infrastructure Industry, Gas Industry, National Water Industry, Chemical, Hydrocarbons & Refining, Electricity Supply Industry - Generation Sector VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Boat Builders and Shipwrights who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
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.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
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.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
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.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

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, 51-8013.00 - Power Plant Operators.
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.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Dangerous conditions
Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
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.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Work at heights
Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
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, 51-8013.00 - Power Plant Operators.
All Chemical, Gas, Petroleum & Power Plant Operators
-
$3,082 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
7,800 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
95% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
51 hours Average full-time
-
45 years Average age
-
4% female Gender Share
Chemical, Gas, Petroleum and Power Generation Plant Operators control the operation of chemical production equipment, pump gas and oil from wellheads, refine and process petroleum products, and operate boilers, turbogenerators and associated plant to generate electrical power.
You can work as a Chemical, Gas, Petroleum or Power Generation Plant Operator without formal qualifications if you are able to demonstrate your technical competency to employers. A certificate III or IV in process plant operations or another related field might be helpful.
Tasks
- controlling equipment performing continuous and batch processes to process chemicals and natural gas, manufacture refined petroleum products, and blend petroleum base stocks to produce commercial fuels, lubricating oils and asphalt
- controlling the preparation, measuring and feeding of raw material and processing agents such as catalysts and filtering media into plant
- patrolling and inspecting equipment to ensure proper operation and setting operating controls on equipment
- analysing samples and readings and recording test data
- controlling records of production, quantities transferred and details of blending and pumping operations
- checking equipment for malfunctions and arranging maintenance
- operating power generation plant controls to produce required load
- monitoring operation of power generation plant and interpreting instrument readings
- authorising procedures to isolate high-voltage and low-voltage electrical apparatus and plant
- writing reports and maintaining records on equipment performance, instrument readings and switching operations
- carrying out routine operating tests
The number of people working as Chemical, Gas, Petroleum & Power Plant Operators (in their main job) fell over 5 years:
from 9,800 in 2014 to 7,800 in 2019.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a small occupation.
- Location: Chemical, Gas, Petroleum & Power Plant Operators work in many parts of Australia. Western Australia has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services; and Mining.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $3,082 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (95%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 51 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 45 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (53%).
- Gender: 4% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Caution: The 2019 employment projections do not take account of any impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore no longer reflective of current labour market conditions. As such, they should be used, and interpreted, with extreme caution. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
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 can work as a Chemical, Gas, Petroleum or Power Generation Plant Operator without formal qualifications if you are able to demonstrate your technical competency to employers. A certificate III or IV in process plant operations or another related field might be helpful.
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 Resources and Infrastructure Industry, Gas Industry, National Water Industry, Chemical, Hydrocarbons & Refining, Electricity Supply Industry - Generation Sector VET training pathways.
Employers look for Boat Builders and Shipwrights who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
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.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
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.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
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.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

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, 51-8013.00 - Power Plant Operators.
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.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Dangerous conditions
Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
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Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
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Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
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Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
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Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
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Work at heights
Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).
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Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
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Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
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Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
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Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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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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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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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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, 51-8013.00 - Power Plant Operators.