Overview
All Metal Fitters and Machinists
-
$2,062 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
Fitters (General)
-
62,200 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
94% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
51 hours Average full-time
-
39 years Average age
-
1% female Gender Share
Fitters (General) fit and assemble metal parts and subassemblies to fabricate production machines and other equipment.
Specialisations: Computer Numeric Control Setter, Diesel Fitter-Mechanic, Fitter-Machinist, Fitter-Mechanic, Maintenance Fitter, Mechanic (Diesel and Heavy Earthmoving Equipment), Plant Mechanic.
You usually need a certificate III in engineering - mechanical trade to work as a Fitter (General). This course is often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
Tasks
- Determines suitable material, method and sequence of operations and machine settings.
- Fits fabricated metal parts and assembles them.
- Checks metal parts for accuracy, clearance and fit.
- Sets guides, stops and other controls on machining tools, sets up prescribed cutting and shaping tools and dies in machines and presses, and sets controls for textile machines.
- Forms metal stock and castings to press, cut, grind, plane, bore and drill metal.
- Cuts, threads, bends and installs hydraulic and pneumatic pipes and lines.
- Prepares pattern mechanisms to control the operation of textile machines used to spin, weave, knit, sew and tuft fabric.
- Performs maintenance of machines, mechanical parts and fluid power equipment.
- May erect machines and equipment.
Prospects
The number of Fitters (General) fell over 5 years:
from 64,800 in 2011 to 62,200 in 2016.
Caution: 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 caution.
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Fitters (General) work in many parts of Australia. Queensland and Western Australia have a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Mining; Manufacturing; and Other Services.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (94%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 51 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 39 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 1% 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 usually need a certificate III in engineering - mechanical trade to work as a Fitter (General). This course is often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
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 Manufacturing and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Metal Fitters and Machinists who are reliable, flexible, adaptable and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
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.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
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.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

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, 51-2041.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
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.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Bright or inadequate lighting
Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
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.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
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, 51-2041.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
All Metal Fitters and Machinists
-
$2,062 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
Fitters (General)
-
62,200 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
94% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
51 hours Average full-time
-
39 years Average age
-
1% female Gender Share
Fitters (General) fit and assemble metal parts and subassemblies to fabricate production machines and other equipment.
Specialisations: Computer Numeric Control Setter, Diesel Fitter-Mechanic, Fitter-Machinist, Fitter-Mechanic, Maintenance Fitter, Mechanic (Diesel and Heavy Earthmoving Equipment), Plant Mechanic.
You usually need a certificate III in engineering - mechanical trade to work as a Fitter (General). This course is often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
Tasks
- Determines suitable material, method and sequence of operations and machine settings.
- Fits fabricated metal parts and assembles them.
- Checks metal parts for accuracy, clearance and fit.
- Sets guides, stops and other controls on machining tools, sets up prescribed cutting and shaping tools and dies in machines and presses, and sets controls for textile machines.
- Forms metal stock and castings to press, cut, grind, plane, bore and drill metal.
- Cuts, threads, bends and installs hydraulic and pneumatic pipes and lines.
- Prepares pattern mechanisms to control the operation of textile machines used to spin, weave, knit, sew and tuft fabric.
- Performs maintenance of machines, mechanical parts and fluid power equipment.
- May erect machines and equipment.
The number of Fitters (General) fell over 5 years:
from 64,800 in 2011 to 62,200 in 2016.
Caution: 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 caution.
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Fitters (General) work in many parts of Australia. Queensland and Western Australia have a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Mining; Manufacturing; and Other Services.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (94%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 51 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 39 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 1% 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 usually need a certificate III in engineering - mechanical trade to work as a Fitter (General). This course is often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
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 Manufacturing and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.
Employers look for Metal Fitters and Machinists who are reliable, flexible, adaptable and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
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.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
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.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

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, 51-2041.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
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.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Bright or inadequate lighting
Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Dangerous equipment
Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
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.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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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, 51-2041.00 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.