Overview
All Veterinary Nurses
-
$1,088 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
12,100 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
49% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
40 hours Average full-time
-
29 years Average age
-
97% female Gender Share
Veterinary Nurses care for animals under treatment and in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assist Veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
Also known as: Animal Nurse, or Veterinary Assistant.
You usually need a certificate III or IV in veterinary nursing to work as a Veterinary Nurse. Some workers complete a traineeship.
Tasks
- holding animals to allow examination and treatment by Veterinarians
- cleaning and sterilising examination tables and equipment
- preparing instruments and handing them to the Veterinarian
- assisting Veterinarians to administer anaesthetics and oxygen during operations
- placing animals in cages for recovery from operations and monitoring their condition
- giving medications to animals
- maintaining stock control and records
- providing animal care advice, and preparing, delivering, and reviewing animal care education programs
- may perform diagnostic laboratory tests
- may act as receptionist, accept payments and undertake clerical work
Prospects
The number of people working as Veterinary Nurses (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 7,900 in 2014 to 12,100 in 2019.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Veterinary Nurses work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,088 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Around half work full-time (49%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 40 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 29 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are under 25 years of age (30%).
- Gender: 97% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Caution: The 2019 employment projections do not take account of any impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore no longer reflective of current labour market conditions. As such, they should be used, and interpreted, with extreme caution. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You usually need a certificate III or IV in veterinary nursing to work as a Veterinary Nurse. Some workers complete a traineeship.
Registration or licencing may be required.
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 Animal Care and Management VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Veterinary Nurses who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and who can communicate clearly.
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.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
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.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
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.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
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.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

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, 31-9096.00 - Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
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.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Disease or infection
Be exposed to disease or infections.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings
Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Radiation
Be exposed to radiation.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.

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, 31-9096.00 - Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
All Veterinary Nurses
-
$1,088 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
12,100 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
49% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
40 hours Average full-time
-
29 years Average age
-
97% female Gender Share
Veterinary Nurses care for animals under treatment and in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assist Veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
Also known as: Animal Nurse, or Veterinary Assistant.
You usually need a certificate III or IV in veterinary nursing to work as a Veterinary Nurse. Some workers complete a traineeship.
Tasks
- holding animals to allow examination and treatment by Veterinarians
- cleaning and sterilising examination tables and equipment
- preparing instruments and handing them to the Veterinarian
- assisting Veterinarians to administer anaesthetics and oxygen during operations
- placing animals in cages for recovery from operations and monitoring their condition
- giving medications to animals
- maintaining stock control and records
- providing animal care advice, and preparing, delivering, and reviewing animal care education programs
- may perform diagnostic laboratory tests
- may act as receptionist, accept payments and undertake clerical work
The number of people working as Veterinary Nurses (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 7,900 in 2014 to 12,100 in 2019.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Veterinary Nurses work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,088 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Around half work full-time (49%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 40 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 29 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are under 25 years of age (30%).
- Gender: 97% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Caution: The 2019 employment projections do not take account of any impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore no longer reflective of current labour market conditions. As such, they should be used, and interpreted, with extreme caution. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You usually need a certificate III or IV in veterinary nursing to work as a Veterinary Nurse. Some workers complete a traineeship.
Registration or licencing may be required.
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 Animal Care and Management VET training pathways.
Employers look for Veterinary Nurses who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and who can communicate clearly.
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.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
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.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
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.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
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.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

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, 31-9096.00 - Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.
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.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Disease or infection
Be exposed to disease or infections.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings
Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Radiation
Be exposed to radiation.
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.
-
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.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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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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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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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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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without 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.

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, 31-9096.00 - Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.