Overview
All Deck and Fishing Hands
-
Unavailable Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
7,400 workers Employment Size
-
Lower skill Skill level rating
-
72% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
57 hours Average full-time
-
42 years Average age
-
8% female Gender Share
Deck and Fishing Hands maintain ships' equipment and structures, and catch fish, crustacea and molluscs.
You can work as a Deck or Fishing Hand without formal qualifications, however, a certificate I, II or III in maritime operations, fishing operations or aquaculture may be useful.
Tasks
- handling ropes and wires, and operating mooring equipment when berthing and unberthing
- standing lookout watches at sea and adjusting the ship's course as directed
- assisting with cargo operations using on-board equipment and stowing and securing cargo
- patrolling ships to ensure safety of the vessel, cargo and passengers
- performing routine maintenance and checks on deck equipment, cargo gear, rigging, and lifesaving and firefighting appliances
- attaching gear and fastening towing cables to nets
- casting and lowering nets, pots, lines and traps into water
- preparing lines, attaching running gear and bait, and setting lines into position
- hauling in fishing gear and removing fish and other marine life
- sorting, cleaning, preserving, stowing and refrigerating catch
Prospects
The number of people working as Deck and Fishing Hands (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 6,000 in 2014 to 7,400 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 small occupation.
- Location: Deck and Fishing Hands work in many parts of Australia. Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania have a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Transport, Postal and Warehousing; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (72%, higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 57 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 42 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 8% 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.
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 Deck or Fishing Hand without formal qualifications, however, a certificate I, II or III in maritime operations, fishing operations or aquaculture 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 Seafood Industry VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Deck and Fishing Hands who are fit, reliable and willing to take direction.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Food production
Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
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.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Depth perception
Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Dynamic strength
Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Balance
Keep your balance or stay upright.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
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.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
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.
-
Guiding and directing staff
Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
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.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Working with electronic equipment
Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
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.

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, 45-3011.00 - Fishers and Related Fishing Workers.
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.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
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.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings
Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
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.
-
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, 45-3011.00 - Fishers and Related Fishing Workers.
All Deck and Fishing Hands
-
Unavailable Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
7,400 workers Employment Size
-
Lower skill Skill level rating
-
72% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
57 hours Average full-time
-
42 years Average age
-
8% female Gender Share
Deck and Fishing Hands maintain ships' equipment and structures, and catch fish, crustacea and molluscs.
You can work as a Deck or Fishing Hand without formal qualifications, however, a certificate I, II or III in maritime operations, fishing operations or aquaculture may be useful.
Tasks
- handling ropes and wires, and operating mooring equipment when berthing and unberthing
- standing lookout watches at sea and adjusting the ship's course as directed
- assisting with cargo operations using on-board equipment and stowing and securing cargo
- patrolling ships to ensure safety of the vessel, cargo and passengers
- performing routine maintenance and checks on deck equipment, cargo gear, rigging, and lifesaving and firefighting appliances
- attaching gear and fastening towing cables to nets
- casting and lowering nets, pots, lines and traps into water
- preparing lines, attaching running gear and bait, and setting lines into position
- hauling in fishing gear and removing fish and other marine life
- sorting, cleaning, preserving, stowing and refrigerating catch
The number of people working as Deck and Fishing Hands (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 6,000 in 2014 to 7,400 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 small occupation.
- Location: Deck and Fishing Hands work in many parts of Australia. Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania have a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Transport, Postal and Warehousing; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (72%, higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 57 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 42 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 8% 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.
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 Deck or Fishing Hand without formal qualifications, however, a certificate I, II or III in maritime operations, fishing operations or aquaculture 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 Seafood Industry VET training pathways.
Employers look for Deck and Fishing Hands who are fit, reliable and willing to take direction.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Food production
Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
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.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Reaction time
Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Rate control
Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
-
Depth perception
Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Dynamic strength
Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Balance
Keep your balance or stay upright.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
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.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
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.
-
Guiding and directing staff
Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
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.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Working with electronic equipment
Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
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.

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, 45-3011.00 - Fishers and Related Fishing Workers.
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.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
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.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings
Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
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.
-
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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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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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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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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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, 45-3011.00 - Fishers and Related Fishing Workers.