Overview
All Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers
-
$1,328 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
2,100 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
80% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
41 hours Average full-time
-
44 years Average age
-
34% female Gender Share
Graphic Pre-Press Trades Workers manipulate, set and compose text and graphics into a format suitable for printing and other visual media.
Specialisations: Desktop Publishing Operator.
You usually need a certificate III or IV in print communications or printing and graphic arts to work as a Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. These courses are often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
Tasks
- operating graphic cameras and other photographic equipment to reproduce camera-ready copy onto films, plates and digital output devices
- using computer applications to generate images, text, layouts and impositions for print and other visual media displays
- operating plate making equipment to reproduce images from film to printing plates, digital output devices and presses
- operating computer screen-based equipment for scanning, colour separation, colour correction, masking, creative design, combining, imposing, retouching, and other processes used to transfer copy to film and produce film for plate, digital output and cylinder productions
- carrying out digital and chemical proofing from digital systems, and negative and positive films
- evaluating printed proofs, checking and correcting them for quality
- preparing and exposing carbon tissue for laying on cylinders by transfer method, and developing images
Prospects
The number of people working as Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 1,300 in 2014 to 2,100 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: Many Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers work in Victoria.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Information Media and Telecommunications; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,328 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 (80%, higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 41 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 44 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 34% 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 usually need a certificate III or IV in print communications or printing and graphic arts to work as a Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. These courses are often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
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 Printing & Graphic Arts VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers who are hardworking, reliable and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
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.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
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.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
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.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
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.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
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.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-5111.00 - Prepress Technicians and Workers.
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.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Automation of tasks
Do tasks that are mostly automated.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
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, 51-5111.00 - Prepress Technicians and Workers.
All Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers
-
$1,328 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
2,100 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
80% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
41 hours Average full-time
-
44 years Average age
-
34% female Gender Share
Graphic Pre-Press Trades Workers manipulate, set and compose text and graphics into a format suitable for printing and other visual media.
Specialisations: Desktop Publishing Operator.
You usually need a certificate III or IV in print communications or printing and graphic arts to work as a Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. These courses are often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
Tasks
- operating graphic cameras and other photographic equipment to reproduce camera-ready copy onto films, plates and digital output devices
- using computer applications to generate images, text, layouts and impositions for print and other visual media displays
- operating plate making equipment to reproduce images from film to printing plates, digital output devices and presses
- operating computer screen-based equipment for scanning, colour separation, colour correction, masking, creative design, combining, imposing, retouching, and other processes used to transfer copy to film and produce film for plate, digital output and cylinder productions
- carrying out digital and chemical proofing from digital systems, and negative and positive films
- evaluating printed proofs, checking and correcting them for quality
- preparing and exposing carbon tissue for laying on cylinders by transfer method, and developing images
The number of people working as Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 1,300 in 2014 to 2,100 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: Many Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers work in Victoria.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Information Media and Telecommunications; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,328 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 (80%, higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 41 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 44 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 34% 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 usually need a certificate III or IV in print communications or printing and graphic arts to work as a Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. These courses are often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
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 Printing & Graphic Arts VET training pathways.
Employers look for Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers who are hardworking, reliable and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
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.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
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.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
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.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
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.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
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.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-5111.00 - Prepress Technicians and Workers.
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.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Automation of tasks
Do tasks that are mostly automated.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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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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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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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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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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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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, 51-5111.00 - Prepress Technicians and Workers.