Overview
All Software and Applications Programmers
-
$2,003 Weekly Pay
-
Very strong Future Growth
-
135,000 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
90% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
41 hours Average full-time
-
37 years Average age
-
17% female Gender Share
Software and Applications Programmers design, develop, test, maintain and document program code in accordance with user requirements, and system and technical specifications.
You usually need a bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as programming, software engineering, software development or computer science) to work as a Software or Applications Programmer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Tasks
- researching, consulting, analysing and evaluating system program needs
- identifying technology limitations and deficiencies in existing systems and associated processes, procedures and methods
- testing, debugging, diagnosing and correcting errors and faults in an applications programming language within established testing protocols, guidelines and quality standards to ensure programs and applications perform to specification
- writing and maintaining program code to meet system requirements, system designs and technical specifications in accordance with quality accredited standards
- writing, updating and maintaining technical program, end user documentation and operational procedures
- providing advice, guidance and expertise in developing proposals and strategies for software design activities such as financial evaluation and costings for recommending software purchases and upgrades
Prospects
The number of people working as Software and Applications Programmers (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 80,200 in 2014 to 135,000 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 very large occupation.
- Location: Software and Applications Programmers work in many parts of Australia. New South Wales and Victoria have a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Financial and Insurance Services; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $2,003 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (90%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 41 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 37 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 17% 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 or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as programming, software engineering, software development or computer science) to work as a Software or Applications Programmer. 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 Information and Communications Technology VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Software and Applications Programmers who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong computer skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
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.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Programming
Writing computer programs.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Technology design
Designing and improving equipment and technology.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
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.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
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.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speed of recognition
Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
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.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
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.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

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, 15-1132.00 - Software Developers, Applications.
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.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
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.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
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.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
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.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-1132.00 - Software Developers, Applications.
All Software and Applications Programmers
-
$2,003 Weekly Pay
-
Very strong Future Growth
-
135,000 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
90% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
41 hours Average full-time
-
37 years Average age
-
17% female Gender Share
Software and Applications Programmers design, develop, test, maintain and document program code in accordance with user requirements, and system and technical specifications.
You usually need a bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as programming, software engineering, software development or computer science) to work as a Software or Applications Programmer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Tasks
- researching, consulting, analysing and evaluating system program needs
- identifying technology limitations and deficiencies in existing systems and associated processes, procedures and methods
- testing, debugging, diagnosing and correcting errors and faults in an applications programming language within established testing protocols, guidelines and quality standards to ensure programs and applications perform to specification
- writing and maintaining program code to meet system requirements, system designs and technical specifications in accordance with quality accredited standards
- writing, updating and maintaining technical program, end user documentation and operational procedures
- providing advice, guidance and expertise in developing proposals and strategies for software design activities such as financial evaluation and costings for recommending software purchases and upgrades
The number of people working as Software and Applications Programmers (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 80,200 in 2014 to 135,000 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 very large occupation.
- Location: Software and Applications Programmers work in many parts of Australia. New South Wales and Victoria have a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Financial and Insurance Services; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $2,003 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (90%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 41 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 37 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 17% 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 or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as programming, software engineering, software development or computer science) to work as a Software or Applications Programmer. 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 Information and Communications Technology VET training pathways.
Employers look for Software and Applications Programmers who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong computer skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
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.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Geography
Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Programming
Writing computer programs.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Operations analysis
Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Technology design
Designing and improving equipment and technology.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
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.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Mathematics
Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Working with numbers
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
-
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.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Speed of recognition
Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Working with computers
Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
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.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
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.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Collecting and organising information
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

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, 15-1132.00 - Software Developers, Applications.
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.
-
Spend time sitting
Spend time sitting at work.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Competition
Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
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.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Repeating same tasks
Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Consequence of error
Work where mistakes have serious consequences.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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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.
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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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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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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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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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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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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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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-1132.00 - Software Developers, Applications.