Overview
All Recycling and Rubbish Collectors
-
$1,586 Weekly Pay
-
Decline Future Growth
-
1,900 workers Employment Size
-
Entry level Skill level rating
-
69% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
46 years Average age
-
6% female Gender Share
Recycling and Rubbish Collectors collect household, commercial and industrial waste for recycling and disposal.
Also known as: Waste Removalist.
Specialisations: Garbage Depot Worker.
You can work as a Recycling or Rubbish Collector without formal qualifications, however, a certificate II or III in waste management or waste driving operations may be useful.
Tasks
- riding on and in garbage and recycling trucks
- collecting rubbish and items for recycling from domestic, commercial and industrial premises
- loading rubbish and recycling into bins and garbage and recycling trucks
- unloading garbage and recycling trucks
- may operate compacting equipment on garbage trucks
- may supervise other garbage collectors
Prospects
The number of people working as Recycling and Rubbish Collectors (in their main job) fell over 5 years:
from 4,100 in 2014 to 1,900 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: Recycling and Rubbish Collectors work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services; Public Administration and Safety; and Administrative and Support Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,586 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (69%, similar to 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 46 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (54%).
- Gender: 6% 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 Recycling or Rubbish Collector without formal qualifications, however, a certificate II or III in waste management or waste driving operations may be useful.
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 Property Services VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Recycling and Rubbish Collectors who are reliable and work well as part of a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
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.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
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.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
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.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
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.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Working with electronic equipment
Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

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, 53-7081.00 - Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
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.
-
In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
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.
-
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.
-
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, 53-7081.00 - Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
All Recycling and Rubbish Collectors
-
$1,586 Weekly Pay
-
Decline Future Growth
-
1,900 workers Employment Size
-
Entry level Skill level rating
-
69% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
46 years Average age
-
6% female Gender Share
Recycling and Rubbish Collectors collect household, commercial and industrial waste for recycling and disposal.
Also known as: Waste Removalist.
Specialisations: Garbage Depot Worker.
You can work as a Recycling or Rubbish Collector without formal qualifications, however, a certificate II or III in waste management or waste driving operations may be useful.
Tasks
- riding on and in garbage and recycling trucks
- collecting rubbish and items for recycling from domestic, commercial and industrial premises
- loading rubbish and recycling into bins and garbage and recycling trucks
- unloading garbage and recycling trucks
- may operate compacting equipment on garbage trucks
- may supervise other garbage collectors
The number of people working as Recycling and Rubbish Collectors (in their main job) fell over 5 years:
from 4,100 in 2014 to 1,900 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: Recycling and Rubbish Collectors work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services; Public Administration and Safety; and Administrative and Support Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,586 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (69%, similar to 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 46 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (54%).
- Gender: 6% 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 Recycling or Rubbish Collector without formal qualifications, however, a certificate II or III in waste management or waste driving operations may be useful.
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 Property Services VET training pathways.
Employers look for Recycling and Rubbish Collectors who are reliable and work well as part of a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
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.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
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.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
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.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
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.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Working with electronic equipment
Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

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, 53-7081.00 - Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.
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.
-
In an enclosed vehicle or equipment
Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
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.
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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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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, 53-7081.00 - Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors.