Overview
All Music Professionals
-
$1,662 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
13,200 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
33% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
46 hours Average full-time
-
40 years Average age
-
29% female Gender Share
Music Professionals write, arrange, orchestrate, conduct and perform musical compositions.
You usually need a formal qualification in music and high level of skill in your chosen musical field to work as a Music Professional. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Tasks
- creating melodic, harmonic and rhythmic structures to express ideas and emotions in musical form
- translating ideas and concepts into standard musical signs and symbols for reproduction and performance
- undertaking research and liaising with clients when composing musical backing for television commercials, popular recordings, and radio, television and film productions
- auditioning and selecting musicians and Singers
- selecting music for performances and assigning instrumental parts to musicians
- directing musical groups at rehearsals and performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance, rhythm and tempo
- studying and rehearsing repertoire and musical scores prior to performances
- playing music in recital, as an accompanist, or as a member of an orchestra, band or other musical group, from score and by memory
- performing music and songs according to interpretation, direction and style of presentation, using highly developed aural skills to reproduce music
Prospects
The number of people working as Music Professionals (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 11,200 in 2014 to 13,200 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: Music Professionals work in many parts of Australia. New South Wales has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Arts and Recreation Services; Education and Training; and Accommodation and Food Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,662 per week (higher 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 (33%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 46 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 40 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 29% 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 formal qualification in music and high level of skill in your chosen musical field to work as a Music Professional. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Music Professionals who have strong interpersonal skills, can communicate well with diverse audiences and work independently.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
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.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
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.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
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.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
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.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Hearing sensitivity
Tell the difference between sounds.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a 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.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
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.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
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.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
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.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
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, 27-2042.02 - Musicians, Instrumental.
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.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
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.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
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.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
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.

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, 27-2042.02 - Musicians, Instrumental.
All Music Professionals
-
$1,662 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
13,200 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
33% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
46 hours Average full-time
-
40 years Average age
-
29% female Gender Share
Music Professionals write, arrange, orchestrate, conduct and perform musical compositions.
You usually need a formal qualification in music and high level of skill in your chosen musical field to work as a Music Professional. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Tasks
- creating melodic, harmonic and rhythmic structures to express ideas and emotions in musical form
- translating ideas and concepts into standard musical signs and symbols for reproduction and performance
- undertaking research and liaising with clients when composing musical backing for television commercials, popular recordings, and radio, television and film productions
- auditioning and selecting musicians and Singers
- selecting music for performances and assigning instrumental parts to musicians
- directing musical groups at rehearsals and performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance, rhythm and tempo
- studying and rehearsing repertoire and musical scores prior to performances
- playing music in recital, as an accompanist, or as a member of an orchestra, band or other musical group, from score and by memory
- performing music and songs according to interpretation, direction and style of presentation, using highly developed aural skills to reproduce music
The number of people working as Music Professionals (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 11,200 in 2014 to 13,200 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: Music Professionals work in many parts of Australia. New South Wales has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Arts and Recreation Services; Education and Training; and Accommodation and Food Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,662 per week (higher 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 (33%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 46 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 40 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 29% 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 formal qualification in music and high level of skill in your chosen musical field to work as a Music Professional. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.
Employers look for Music Professionals who have strong interpersonal skills, can communicate well with diverse audiences and work independently.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
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.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
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.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
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.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
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.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Hearing sensitivity
Tell the difference between sounds.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a 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.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
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.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
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.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
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.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
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, 27-2042.02 - Musicians, Instrumental.
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.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
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.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
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.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
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.

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, 27-2042.02 - Musicians, Instrumental.