Overview
All Mail Sorters
-
$1,270 Weekly Pay
-
Decline Future Growth
-
10,900 workers Employment Size
-
Entry level Skill level rating
-
63% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
41 hours Average full-time
-
50 years Average age
-
50% female Gender Share
Mail Sorters receive, sort and despatch mail in organisations and postal sorting centres.
You can work as a Mail Sorter without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as warehousing, distribution or business.
Tasks
- receiving and checking incoming mail and mail bags
- assisting with the verification of registered and special articles
- operating mail processing equipment such as letter preparation lines, letter indexing and sorting equipment
- performing manual sorting duties and preparing documentation for despatching mail
- processing underpaid mail, bulk mail lodgements, express mail and other mail services
- operating letter indexing and sorting machines, multi-line optical character machines and bar-coding equipment
- investigating complaints regarding lost items
Prospects
There were 10,900 Mail Sorters in 2020. The number of workers:
- fell over the past 5 years
- is expected to fall over the next five years
- is likely to reach 10,000 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Mail Sorters work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Transport, Postal and Warehousing; Public Administration and Safety; and Financial and Insurance Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,270 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (63%, similar to 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 50 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (64%).
- Gender: 50% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You can work as a Mail Sorter without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as warehousing, distribution or business.
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 Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Mail Sorters who are efficient, reliable and have a good work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
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.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
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.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
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.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
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.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or 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, 43-5053.00 - Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
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.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Pace of work set by equipment
Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Walking and running
Spend time walking and running.
-
Automation of tasks
Do tasks that are mostly automated.
-
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.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other 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.
-
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.
-
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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
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.
-
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.

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, 43-5053.00 - Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators.
All Mail Sorters
-
$1,270 Weekly Pay
-
Decline Future Growth
-
10,900 workers Employment Size
-
Entry level Skill level rating
-
63% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
41 hours Average full-time
-
50 years Average age
-
50% female Gender Share
Mail Sorters receive, sort and despatch mail in organisations and postal sorting centres.
You can work as a Mail Sorter without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as warehousing, distribution or business.
Tasks
- receiving and checking incoming mail and mail bags
- assisting with the verification of registered and special articles
- operating mail processing equipment such as letter preparation lines, letter indexing and sorting equipment
- performing manual sorting duties and preparing documentation for despatching mail
- processing underpaid mail, bulk mail lodgements, express mail and other mail services
- operating letter indexing and sorting machines, multi-line optical character machines and bar-coding equipment
- investigating complaints regarding lost items
There were 10,900 Mail Sorters in 2020. The number of workers:
- fell over the past 5 years
- is expected to fall over the next five years
- is likely to reach 10,000 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Mail Sorters work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Transport, Postal and Warehousing; Public Administration and Safety; and Financial and Insurance Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,270 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (63%, similar to 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 50 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (64%).
- Gender: 50% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You can work as a Mail Sorter without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as warehousing, distribution or business.
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 Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.
Employers look for Mail Sorters who are efficient, reliable and have a good work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
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.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
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.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
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.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
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.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or 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, 43-5053.00 - Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
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.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Pace of work set by equipment
Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Walking and running
Spend time walking and running.
-
Automation of tasks
Do tasks that are mostly automated.
-
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.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other 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.
-
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.
-
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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
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.
-
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.

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, 43-5053.00 - Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators.