Overview
All Medical Laboratory Scientists
-
$1,871 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
24,100 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
71% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
42 hours Average full-time
-
39 years Average age
-
71% female Gender Share
Medical Laboratory Scientists conduct medical laboratory tests to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.
Also known as: Hospital Scientist, or Medical Scientific Officer.
Specialisations: IVF Embryologist.
You need a bachelor degree in medical or biomedical science to work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Tasks
- preparing tissue sections for microscopic examination
- examining and analysing samples to study the effects of microbial infections
- analysing samples of body tissue and fluids to develop techniques to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases
- advising Medical Practitioners on the interpretation of tests and methods for use in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
- setting up the steps and rules of laboratory medical testing
- operating and maintaining laboratory equipment
- maintaining laboratory quality assurance and safety standards
- preparing scientific papers and reports
Prospects
The number of people working as Medical Laboratory Scientists (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 16,200 in 2014 to 24,100 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: Medical Laboratory Scientists work in many parts of Australia. Victoria has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Health Care and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and Education and Training.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,871 per week (very high compared to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (71%, higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 42 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 39 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 71% 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 need a bachelor degree in medical or biomedical science to work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
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.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Medical Laboratory Scientists who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
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.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
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.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
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.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
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.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
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.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process 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, 19-1042.00 - Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
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.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
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.
-
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.

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, 19-1042.00 - Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
All Medical Laboratory Scientists
-
$1,871 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
24,100 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
71% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
42 hours Average full-time
-
39 years Average age
-
71% female Gender Share
Medical Laboratory Scientists conduct medical laboratory tests to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.
Also known as: Hospital Scientist, or Medical Scientific Officer.
Specialisations: IVF Embryologist.
You need a bachelor degree in medical or biomedical science to work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Tasks
- preparing tissue sections for microscopic examination
- examining and analysing samples to study the effects of microbial infections
- analysing samples of body tissue and fluids to develop techniques to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases
- advising Medical Practitioners on the interpretation of tests and methods for use in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
- setting up the steps and rules of laboratory medical testing
- operating and maintaining laboratory equipment
- maintaining laboratory quality assurance and safety standards
- preparing scientific papers and reports
The number of people working as Medical Laboratory Scientists (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 16,200 in 2014 to 24,100 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: Medical Laboratory Scientists work in many parts of Australia. Victoria has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Health Care and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and Education and Training.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,871 per week (very high compared to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (71%, higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 42 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 39 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 71% 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 need a bachelor degree in medical or biomedical science to work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
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.
Employers look for Medical Laboratory Scientists who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
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.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
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.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
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.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
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.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
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.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process 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, 19-1042.00 - Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
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.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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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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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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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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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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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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.

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, 19-1042.00 - Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.