Overview
All Social Professionals
-
$1,942 Weekly Pay
-
Very strong Future Growth
-
17,300 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
39% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
43 hours Average full-time
-
46 years Average age
-
64% female Gender Share
Social Professionals research and study human behaviour, society and institutions from current and historical perspectives, and verbally render spoken statements, and transcribe text and recorded spoken material from one language into another.
You usually need a bachelor degree in a related field to work as a Social Professional. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Tasks
- assembling historical data by consulting sources of information such as historical indexes and catalogues, archives, court records, diaries, newspaper files and other materials
- organising, authenticating, evaluating and interpreting historical, political, sociological, anthropological and linguistic data
- undertaking historical and cultural research into human activity, and preparing and presenting research findings
- providing simultaneous and consecutive verbal or signed renditions of speeches into another language
- rendering the meaning and feeling of what is said and signed into another language in the appropriate register and style in a range of settings such as courts, hospitals, schools, workplaces and conferences
- studying original texts and transcripts of recorded spoken material to comprehend subject matter and translating them into another language
- rendering the meaning and feeling of written material, such as literary, legal, technical and scientific texts, into another language in the appropriate register and style, so that it will read as an original piece rather than as a translation
Prospects
The number of people working as Social Professionals (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 9,000 in 2014 to 17,300 in 2019.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Social Professionals work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Education and Training; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,942 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Less than half work full-time (39%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 43 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 46 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (54%).
- Gender: 64% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Caution: The 2019 employment projections do not take account of any impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore no longer reflective of current labour market conditions. As such, they should be used, and interpreted, with extreme caution. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You usually need a bachelor degree in a related field to work as a Social Professional. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
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.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Community Services VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Social Professionals who have good leadership and planning skills, with a strong ability to communicate.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
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.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
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.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
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.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
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).
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Memorization
Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
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.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
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.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
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, 19-3041.00 - Sociologists.
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.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Public speaking
Talk to a group of people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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, 19-3041.00 - Sociologists.
All Social Professionals
-
$1,942 Weekly Pay
-
Very strong Future Growth
-
17,300 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
39% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
43 hours Average full-time
-
46 years Average age
-
64% female Gender Share
Social Professionals research and study human behaviour, society and institutions from current and historical perspectives, and verbally render spoken statements, and transcribe text and recorded spoken material from one language into another.
You usually need a bachelor degree in a related field to work as a Social Professional. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Tasks
- assembling historical data by consulting sources of information such as historical indexes and catalogues, archives, court records, diaries, newspaper files and other materials
- organising, authenticating, evaluating and interpreting historical, political, sociological, anthropological and linguistic data
- undertaking historical and cultural research into human activity, and preparing and presenting research findings
- providing simultaneous and consecutive verbal or signed renditions of speeches into another language
- rendering the meaning and feeling of what is said and signed into another language in the appropriate register and style in a range of settings such as courts, hospitals, schools, workplaces and conferences
- studying original texts and transcripts of recorded spoken material to comprehend subject matter and translating them into another language
- rendering the meaning and feeling of written material, such as literary, legal, technical and scientific texts, into another language in the appropriate register and style, so that it will read as an original piece rather than as a translation
The number of people working as Social Professionals (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 9,000 in 2014 to 17,300 in 2019.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a medium sized occupation.
- Location: Social Professionals work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Education and Training; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,942 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Less than half work full-time (39%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 43 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 46 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (54%).
- Gender: 64% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Caution: The 2019 employment projections do not take account of any impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are therefore no longer reflective of current labour market conditions. As such, they should be used, and interpreted, with extreme caution. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, National Skills Commission trend data to May 2019 and projections to 2024.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You usually need a bachelor degree in a related field to work as a Social Professional. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
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.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Community Services VET training pathways.
Employers look for Social Professionals who have good leadership and planning skills, with a strong ability to communicate.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
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.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Philosophy and theology
Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
History and archeology
Events of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
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.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
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.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
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).
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Memorization
Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
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.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
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.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Scheduling work and activities
Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
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, 19-3041.00 - Sociologists.
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.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Letters and memos
Write letters and memos.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Public speaking
Talk to a group of people.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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, 19-3041.00 - Sociologists.