Overview
All Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators
-
$1,063 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
4,300 workers Employment Size
-
Lower skill Skill level rating
-
92% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
3% female Gender Share
Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing Machine Operators operate machines to manufacture and finish a variety of clay, concrete, glassware and stone products by extruding, shaping, mixing, grinding, cutting and other processes.
You can work as a Clay, Concrete, Glass or Stone Machine Operator without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. A certificate II in manufactured mineral products might be helpful.
Tasks
- monitoring the flow of clay and other raw materials and products into machines, and adjusting valves and controls to specifications
- positioning clay and stone on machines to be cut and worked
- operating concrete mixing, stacking and splitting machines
- setting up and installing moulds and other machine fixtures
- setting up and operating glass-making machines to produce molten glass, and regulating temperature of molten glass
- pressing and blowing glass into moulds to form glassware products
- collecting and examining samples for conformity to specifications and adjusting machine settings accordingly
- setting grinding and cutting edges
- using hand tools to cut, inscribe and polish roughly hewn stone to finished condition
Prospects
The number of people working as Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 3,000 in 2014 to 4,300 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 very small occupation.
- Location: Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Construction; and Wholesale Trade.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,063 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (92%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 3% 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 Clay, Concrete, Glass or Stone Machine Operator without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. A certificate II in manufactured mineral products 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 Manufactured Mineral Products VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators who are reliable, hardworking and can interact well with others.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
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.
-
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.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
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.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Response orientation
Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
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.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Influencing people
Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Managing payments and orders
Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

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, 51-9195.05 - Potters, Manufacturing.
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.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
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.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
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.
-
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, 51-9195.05 - Potters, Manufacturing.
All Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators
-
$1,063 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
4,300 workers Employment Size
-
Lower skill Skill level rating
-
92% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
3% female Gender Share
Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing Machine Operators operate machines to manufacture and finish a variety of clay, concrete, glassware and stone products by extruding, shaping, mixing, grinding, cutting and other processes.
You can work as a Clay, Concrete, Glass or Stone Machine Operator without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. A certificate II in manufactured mineral products might be helpful.
Tasks
- monitoring the flow of clay and other raw materials and products into machines, and adjusting valves and controls to specifications
- positioning clay and stone on machines to be cut and worked
- operating concrete mixing, stacking and splitting machines
- setting up and installing moulds and other machine fixtures
- setting up and operating glass-making machines to produce molten glass, and regulating temperature of molten glass
- pressing and blowing glass into moulds to form glassware products
- collecting and examining samples for conformity to specifications and adjusting machine settings accordingly
- setting grinding and cutting edges
- using hand tools to cut, inscribe and polish roughly hewn stone to finished condition
The number of people working as Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 3,000 in 2014 to 4,300 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 very small occupation.
- Location: Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Construction; and Wholesale Trade.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,063 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (92%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 3% 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 Clay, Concrete, Glass or Stone Machine Operator without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. A certificate II in manufactured mineral products 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 Manufactured Mineral Products VET training pathways.
Employers look for Clay, Concrete, Glass & Stone Machine Operators who are reliable, hardworking and can interact well with others.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
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.
-
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.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
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.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Response orientation
Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
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.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Influencing people
Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Managing payments and orders
Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

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, 51-9195.05 - Potters, Manufacturing.
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.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
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.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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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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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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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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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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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.
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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.
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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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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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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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, 51-9195.05 - Potters, Manufacturing.