Drug and Alcohol Counsellors
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Drug and Alcohol Counsellors provide support and treatment for people with drug and alcohol dependency problems, develop strategies which assist them to set goals and affect and maintain change, and provide community education. They may work in call centres.
Tasks
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Assesses client needs in relation to treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.
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Conducts counselling interviews with individuals, couples and family groups.
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Assists people in the understanding and adjustment of attitudes, expectations and behaviour.
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Presents alternative approaches and discusses potential for attitude and behavioural change.
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Consults with clients to develop rehabilitation plans taking account of vocational and social needs.
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May work in a call centre.
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Analytical
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Creative
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Helping
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Counsellors, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 64% of people employed as Drug and Alcohol Counsellors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Drug and Alcohol Counsellors work in the Health care and social assistance industry. They are also employed in industries like:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Drug and Alcohol Counsellors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 24.4 | 31.6 |
VIC | 33.5 | 25.6 |
QLD | 11.8 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.2 | 7.0 |
WA | 14.1 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.9 | 2.0 |
NT | 4.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.6 | 1.9 |
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Around 48% of Drug and Alcohol Counsellors live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.
Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Drug and Alcohol Counsellors is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 63% of the workforce. This is 15 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Drug and Alcohol Counsellors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 2.7 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 22.7 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 24.0 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 24.5 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 12.8 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 8.9 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 4.4 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 45 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A formal qualification in counselling (alcohol and drugs), mental health, psychology, social work or another related field is needed to work as a Drug and Alcohol Counsellor. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
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.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Drug and Alcohol Counsellors | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 20.5 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 29.4 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 26.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 13.3 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 4.3 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 2.1 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 3.8 | 12.5 |
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.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Counsellors who can communicate clearly and are caring and compassionate.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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70%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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63%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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59%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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59%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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57%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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57%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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57%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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55%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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55%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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55%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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54%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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52%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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52%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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46%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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46%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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46%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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46%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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45%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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45%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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45%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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95%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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89%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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76%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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71%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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67%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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65%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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61%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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61%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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60%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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49%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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43%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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43%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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42%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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42%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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40%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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37%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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37%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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36%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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31%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
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22%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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64%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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64%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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63%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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61%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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59%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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57%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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57%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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57%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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54%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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50%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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48%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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46%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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46%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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45%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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45%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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43%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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37%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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34%
Speed of recognitionQuickly 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.
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74%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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71%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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70%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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70%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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70%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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65%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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64%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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63%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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62%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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61%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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60%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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59%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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59%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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57%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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57%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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57%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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54%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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50%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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50%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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43%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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100%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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62%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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57%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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43%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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29%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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19%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
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95%
RelationshipsServe 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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76%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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71%
IndependenceWork 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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71%
RecognitionAdvancement 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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62%
Working conditionsJob 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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57%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
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98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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95%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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94%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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91%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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90%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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88%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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87%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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87%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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86%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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85%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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85%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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85%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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83%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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82%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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82%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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81%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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79%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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76%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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75%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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70%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
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, 21-1011.00 - Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.