Intelligence and Policy Analysts
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Intelligence and Policy Analysts collect and analyse information and data to produce intelligence and to develop and analyse policies guiding the design, implementation and modification of government and commercial operations and programs.
Tasks
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determining organisational and client intelligence requirements
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organising, collecting, collating and analysing data, and developing intelligence information such as electronic surveillance
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compiling and disseminating intelligence information using briefings, maps, charts, reports and other methods
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ascertaining the accuracy of data collected and reliability of sources
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conducting threat and risk assessments and developing responses
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liaising and consulting with program administrators and other interested parties to identify policy needs
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reviewing existing policies and legislation to identify anomalies and out-of-date provisions
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researching social, economic and industrial trends, and client expectations of programs and services provided
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formulating and analysing policy options, preparing briefing papers and recommendations for policy changes, and advising on preferred options
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assessing impacts, financial implications, interactions with other programs and political and administrative feasibility of policies
Characteristics
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University
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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. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow strongly
- is likely to reach 31,000 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 27,300 |
2012 | 24,800 |
2013 | 15,900 |
2014 | 16,600 |
2015 | 18,400 |
2016 | 25,300 |
2017 | 32,800 |
2018 | 27,000 |
2019 | 29,500 |
2020 | 35,600 |
2021 | 28,500 |
2026 | 31,000 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 80% of people employed as Intelligence and Policy Analysts work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points above 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).
More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
Median full-time earnings are $2,278 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,874
- 1 in 4 earn more than $2,621
Median hourly earnings are $61, this is much more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).
Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.
Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)
Earnings | Intelligence and Policy Analysts | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 2,278 | 1,593 |
Total Earnings | 0 | 0 |
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, 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.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Intelligence and Policy Analysts work in the Public administration and safety industry. They are also employed in industries like:
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Intelligence and Policy Analysts | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 20.5 | 31.6 |
VIC | 18.6 | 25.6 |
QLD | 13.5 | 20.0 |
SA | 5.5 | 7.0 |
WA | 7.4 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.0 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 31.1 | 1.9 |
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Around 87% of Intelligence and Policy Analysts live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The Australian Capital Territory has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
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 Intelligence and Policy Analysts is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 62% of the workforce. This is 14 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 | Intelligence and Policy Analysts | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.1 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 3.8 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 34.3 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 29.0 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 20.1 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 7.2 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 3.7 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.9 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 38 | 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 bachelor degree in intelligence operations, political science, international relations or another related field is usually needed to work as an Intelligence or Policy Analyst. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Intelligence and Policy Analysts | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 39.0 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 43.1 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 6.4 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 3.8 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 6.3 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.6 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.8 | 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 Intelligence and Policy Analysts who have strong attention to detail, can communicate clearly with a wide variety of people and can work well in a team.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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68%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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68%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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66%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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66%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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64%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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61%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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55%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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55%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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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%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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52%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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48%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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46%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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46%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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46%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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45%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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41%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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41%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
-
39%
Operations analysisUnderstanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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86%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
82%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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73%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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70%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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68%
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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68%
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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59%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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59%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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58%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
56%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
55%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
53%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
52%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
49%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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47%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
44%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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27%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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25%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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22%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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11%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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68%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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68%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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68%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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68%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
66%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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61%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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61%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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54%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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54%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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54%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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52%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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52%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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50%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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41%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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41%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
39%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
34%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
34%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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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.
-
85%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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84%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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84%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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82%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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81%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
80%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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77%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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76%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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72%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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71%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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71%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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69%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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69%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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68%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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66%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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64%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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58%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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58%
Estimating amounts, costs and resourcesWorking out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
56%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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48%
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.
-
100%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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76%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
62%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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33%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
29%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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24%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
81%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
81%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
76%
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.
-
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.
-
48%
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.
-
33%
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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97%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
97%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
93%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
89%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
89%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
89%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
84%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
83%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
83%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
80%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
78%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
-
74%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
70%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
67%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
65%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
65%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
59%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
57%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
52%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
49%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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, 19-3094.00 - Political Scientists.
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.