Overview
All Massage Therapists
-
$1,038 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
16,000 workers Employment Size
-
High skill Skill level rating
-
25% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
43 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
76% female Gender Share
Massage Therapists perform therapeutic massage and administer body treatments for health, fitness and remedial purposes.
Specialisations: Chinese (Tui-Na) Masseur, Remedial Masseur, Shiatsu Therapist, Sports Medicine Masseur, Thai Masseur.
You usually need a certificate IV in massage therapy or a diploma of remedial massage or another related field to work as a Massage Therapist.
Tasks
- massaging the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, tendons and ligaments, to assist healing
- utilising a range of massage techniques to enhance sports performance and prevent injury
- administering treatments to promote relaxation, improve circulation and relieve muscle tension
- assessing and treating specific soft tissue dysfunction and providing rehabilitation advice
- employing other techniques, such as acupressure or Shiatsu, and complementary aids, such as infra-red lamps, wet compresses, ice, essential oils and herbal and mineral therapies, to assist recovery
- assessing client's physical condition and case history and advising on stretching exercises and relaxation techniques
Prospects
The number of people working as Massage Therapists (in their main job) grew strongly over 5 years:
from 14,000 in 2014 to 16,000 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 medium sized occupation.
- Location: Massage Therapists work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,038 per week (lower than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Less than half work full-time (25%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 43 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 76% 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 IV in massage therapy or a diploma of remedial massage or another related field to work as a Massage Therapist.
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 Health Industry VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Massage Therapists who are caring, compassionate and empathetic and can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people.
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.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Dynamic strength
Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
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.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Stamina
Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
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, 31-9011.00 - Massage Therapists.
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.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
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.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
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.

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, 31-9011.00 - Massage Therapists.
All Massage Therapists
-
$1,038 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
16,000 workers Employment Size
-
High skill Skill level rating
-
25% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
43 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
76% female Gender Share
Massage Therapists perform therapeutic massage and administer body treatments for health, fitness and remedial purposes.
Specialisations: Chinese (Tui-Na) Masseur, Remedial Masseur, Shiatsu Therapist, Sports Medicine Masseur, Thai Masseur.
You usually need a certificate IV in massage therapy or a diploma of remedial massage or another related field to work as a Massage Therapist.
Tasks
- massaging the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, tendons and ligaments, to assist healing
- utilising a range of massage techniques to enhance sports performance and prevent injury
- administering treatments to promote relaxation, improve circulation and relieve muscle tension
- assessing and treating specific soft tissue dysfunction and providing rehabilitation advice
- employing other techniques, such as acupressure or Shiatsu, and complementary aids, such as infra-red lamps, wet compresses, ice, essential oils and herbal and mineral therapies, to assist recovery
- assessing client's physical condition and case history and advising on stretching exercises and relaxation techniques
The number of people working as Massage Therapists (in their main job) grew strongly over 5 years:
from 14,000 in 2014 to 16,000 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 medium sized occupation.
- Location: Massage Therapists work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,038 per week (lower than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Less than half work full-time (25%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 43 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 76% 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 IV in massage therapy or a diploma of remedial massage or another related field to work as a Massage Therapist.
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 Health Industry VET training pathways.
Employers look for Massage Therapists who are caring, compassionate and empathetic and can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people.
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.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Dynamic strength
Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
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.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Stamina
Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
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, 31-9011.00 - Massage Therapists.
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.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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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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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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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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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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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.

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, 31-9011.00 - Massage Therapists.