Overview
All Primary School Teachers
-
$1,801 Weekly Pay
-
Moderate Future Growth
-
168,900 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
65% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
45 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
85% female Gender Share
Primary School Teachers teach a range of subjects within a prescribed curriculum to primary school students and promote students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.
Specialisations: Primary School Teacher-Librarian.
You need a bachelor degree in education majoring in primary education to work as a Primary School Teacher. If you already have a degree in a relevant field you can complete a postgraduate qualification in primary education to become a Primary School Teacher.
Tasks
- teaching literacy, numeracy, social science, creative expression and physical education skills to primary school students
- presenting prescribed curriculum using a range of teaching techniques and materials
- developing students' interests, abilities and coordination by way of creative activities
- guiding discussions and supervising work in class
- preparing, administering and marking tests, projects and assignments to evaluate students' progress and recording the results
- discussing individual progress and problems with students and parents, and seeking advice from Student Counsellors and senior teachers
- maintaining discipline in classrooms and other school areas
- participating in staff meetings, educational conferences and workshops
- liaising with parent, community and business groups
- maintaining class and scholastic records
- performing extra-curricular tasks such as assisting with sport, school concerts, excursions and special interest programs
- supervising student teachers on placement
Prospects
There were 168,900 Primary School Teachers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew very strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow over the next five years
- is likely to reach 179,800 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Primary School Teachers work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Education and Training industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,801 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (65%, similar to the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 45 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 85% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You need a bachelor degree in education majoring in primary education to work as a Primary School Teacher. If you already have a degree in a relevant field you can complete a postgraduate qualification in primary education to become a Primary School Teacher.
Registration or licencing is required.
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 Primary School Teachers who demonstrate an enthusiastic and positive attitude, can connect well with others and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
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.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Memorization
Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-2021.00 - Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.
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.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Public speaking
Talk to a group of people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
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.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

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, 25-2021.00 - Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.
All Primary School Teachers
-
$1,801 Weekly Pay
-
Moderate Future Growth
-
168,900 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
65% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
45 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
85% female Gender Share
Primary School Teachers teach a range of subjects within a prescribed curriculum to primary school students and promote students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.
Specialisations: Primary School Teacher-Librarian.
You need a bachelor degree in education majoring in primary education to work as a Primary School Teacher. If you already have a degree in a relevant field you can complete a postgraduate qualification in primary education to become a Primary School Teacher.
Tasks
- teaching literacy, numeracy, social science, creative expression and physical education skills to primary school students
- presenting prescribed curriculum using a range of teaching techniques and materials
- developing students' interests, abilities and coordination by way of creative activities
- guiding discussions and supervising work in class
- preparing, administering and marking tests, projects and assignments to evaluate students' progress and recording the results
- discussing individual progress and problems with students and parents, and seeking advice from Student Counsellors and senior teachers
- maintaining discipline in classrooms and other school areas
- participating in staff meetings, educational conferences and workshops
- liaising with parent, community and business groups
- maintaining class and scholastic records
- performing extra-curricular tasks such as assisting with sport, school concerts, excursions and special interest programs
- supervising student teachers on placement
There were 168,900 Primary School Teachers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew very strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow over the next five years
- is likely to reach 179,800 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Primary School Teachers work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in the Education and Training industry.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,801 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Many work full-time (65%, similar to the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 45 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 85% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You need a bachelor degree in education majoring in primary education to work as a Primary School Teacher. If you already have a degree in a relevant field you can complete a postgraduate qualification in primary education to become a Primary School Teacher.
Registration or licencing is required.
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 Primary School Teachers who demonstrate an enthusiastic and positive attitude, can connect well with others and work well in a team.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
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.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Memorization
Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-2021.00 - Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.
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.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Public speaking
Talk to a group of people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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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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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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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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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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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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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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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

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, 25-2021.00 - Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education.