Overview
All Mining Engineers
-
$3,118 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
Petroleum Engineers
-
2,600 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
93% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
48 hours Average full-time
-
36 years Average age
-
17% female Gender Share
Petroleum Engineers plan and direct the engineering aspects of locating and extracting petroleum or natural gas from the earth.
Specialisations: Mud Engineer, Petrophysical Engineer.
You need a bachelor degree in engineering majoring in petroleum engineering to work as a Petroleum Engineer. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Tasks
- Conducts preliminary surveys of petroleum and natural gas deposits with prospectors, geologists, geophysicists, other scientists and engineers to determine the resources present, the feasibility of extracting the reserves, and the design and development of the extraction process.
- Prepares operation and project cost estimates and production schedules, and reports the progress, production and costs compared to budget.
- Assesses the natural, technical, financial and safety risks associated with the phases of the project development, construction and operations.
- Co-ordinates the utilisation of labour and equipment consistent with efficiency targets, statutes, safety guidelines and environmental conditions.
- Conducts research and provides advice on engineering operations for the exploration, location and extraction of petroleum and natural gas.
- Determines location for drilling.
- Decides on types of derrick and equipment including seabed platforms.
- Devises methods of controlling the flow of oil and gas from wells.
Prospects
The number of people working as Petroleum Engineers (in their main job) fell over 5 years:
from 3,200 in 2011 to 2,600 in 2016.
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: Many Petroleum Engineers work in Western Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Mining; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and Manufacturing.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (93%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 48 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 36 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 17% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
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 engineering majoring in petroleum engineering to work as a Petroleum Engineer. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.
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 Mining Engineers who can communicate clearly, have strong interpersonal skills and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
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.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

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, 17-2171.00 - Petroleum Engineers.
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.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
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.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.
-
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.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
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, 17-2171.00 - Petroleum Engineers.
All Mining Engineers
-
$3,118 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
Petroleum Engineers
-
2,600 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
93% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
48 hours Average full-time
-
36 years Average age
-
17% female Gender Share
Petroleum Engineers plan and direct the engineering aspects of locating and extracting petroleum or natural gas from the earth.
Specialisations: Mud Engineer, Petrophysical Engineer.
You need a bachelor degree in engineering majoring in petroleum engineering to work as a Petroleum Engineer. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Tasks
- Conducts preliminary surveys of petroleum and natural gas deposits with prospectors, geologists, geophysicists, other scientists and engineers to determine the resources present, the feasibility of extracting the reserves, and the design and development of the extraction process.
- Prepares operation and project cost estimates and production schedules, and reports the progress, production and costs compared to budget.
- Assesses the natural, technical, financial and safety risks associated with the phases of the project development, construction and operations.
- Co-ordinates the utilisation of labour and equipment consistent with efficiency targets, statutes, safety guidelines and environmental conditions.
- Conducts research and provides advice on engineering operations for the exploration, location and extraction of petroleum and natural gas.
- Determines location for drilling.
- Decides on types of derrick and equipment including seabed platforms.
- Devises methods of controlling the flow of oil and gas from wells.
The number of people working as Petroleum Engineers (in their main job) fell over 5 years:
from 3,200 in 2011 to 2,600 in 2016.
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: Many Petroleum Engineers work in Western Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Mining; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and Manufacturing.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (93%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 48 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 36 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 17% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
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 engineering majoring in petroleum engineering to work as a Petroleum Engineer. It is also common to complete postgraduate studies.
Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.
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 Mining Engineers who can communicate clearly, have strong interpersonal skills and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
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.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

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, 17-2171.00 - Petroleum Engineers.
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.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
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.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.
-
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.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
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, 17-2171.00 - Petroleum Engineers.