Overview
All Signwriters
-
$1,462 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
7,800 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
82% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
12% female Gender Share
Signwriters design, fabricate and paint signs for displays, buildings, hoardings, boats and structures.
Specialisations: Sign Manufacturer.
You can work as a Signwriter without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in signs and graphics or another related course may be useful.
Tasks
- conferring with clients and responding to proposals, sketches and written instructions to determine composition of signs
- designing and creating signs and graphics using computer software and signmaking machines
- designing and creating signs by measuring and calculating letter size, preparing the surface, applying background paint using brushes, sprays and rollers, and creating the letters using brushes, stencils, enamel paint and decals
- designing and creating wall murals, screen prints, gold leaf work and custom vehicle art
- painting signs and lettering using lacquers, varnishes, paints and other materials
- painting signs on brick, metal, timber, glass, plastic and other surfaces
- making and erecting three dimensional signs
- preparing cost estimates for labour and materials
- may erect and work on scaffolding
- may install signs on-site
Prospects
The number of people working as Signwriters (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 6,800 in 2014 to 7,800 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 very small occupation.
- Location: Signwriters work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Manufacturing; and Construction.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,462 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (82%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 12% 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 can work as a Signwriter without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in signs and graphics or another related course may be useful.
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 Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Signwriters who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
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.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
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.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Hearing sensitivity
Tell the difference between sounds.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
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.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
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.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

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, 51-9121.00 - Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
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.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Pace of work set by equipment
Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Dangerous conditions
Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on 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.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
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.
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.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
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.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

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, 51-9121.00 - Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
All Signwriters
-
$1,462 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
7,800 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
82% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
12% female Gender Share
Signwriters design, fabricate and paint signs for displays, buildings, hoardings, boats and structures.
Specialisations: Sign Manufacturer.
You can work as a Signwriter without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in signs and graphics or another related course may be useful.
Tasks
- conferring with clients and responding to proposals, sketches and written instructions to determine composition of signs
- designing and creating signs and graphics using computer software and signmaking machines
- designing and creating signs by measuring and calculating letter size, preparing the surface, applying background paint using brushes, sprays and rollers, and creating the letters using brushes, stencils, enamel paint and decals
- designing and creating wall murals, screen prints, gold leaf work and custom vehicle art
- painting signs and lettering using lacquers, varnishes, paints and other materials
- painting signs on brick, metal, timber, glass, plastic and other surfaces
- making and erecting three dimensional signs
- preparing cost estimates for labour and materials
- may erect and work on scaffolding
- may install signs on-site
The number of people working as Signwriters (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 6,800 in 2014 to 7,800 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 very small occupation.
- Location: Signwriters work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Manufacturing; and Construction.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,462 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (82%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 12% 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 can work as a Signwriter without formal qualifications, however, a certificate III in signs and graphics or another related course may be useful.
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 Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.
Employers look for Signwriters who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
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.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
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.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Colour discrimination
Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Hearing sensitivity
Tell the difference between sounds.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
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.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
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.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

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, 51-9121.00 - Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
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.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Pace of work set by equipment
Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Dangerous conditions
Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
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Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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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.
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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.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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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.
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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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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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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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

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, 51-9121.00 - Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.