Speech Pathologists
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Speech Pathologists provide diagnostic assessment and management of disorders of communication and swallowing through direct intervention, education, consultancy, advocacy, or a combination of these approaches.
Tasks
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Administers tests and observes patients to determine nature and extent of disorders.
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Plans and conducts programs of remedial exercises to correct disorders such as stuttering and abnormal articulation.
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Administers individual and group therapy for rehabilitation of patients with communication problems caused by defective hearing, cerebral palsy, surgery and injury.
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Advises on treatment for children with difficulties in learning to speak.
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Counsels and guides language-handicapped individuals, their families, teachers and employers.
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. 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, Audiologists and Speech Pathologists, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 56% of people employed as Speech Pathologists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 10 percentage points below 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 Speech Pathologists 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 | Speech Pathologists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 30.1 | 31.6 |
VIC | 26.7 | 25.6 |
QLD | 20.4 | 20.0 |
SA | 8.1 | 7.0 |
WA | 10.9 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.0 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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Around 66% of Speech Pathologists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
- Melbourne - Inner South
- Melbourne - Inner East
- Brisbane Inner City.
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 Speech Pathologists is 34 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 97% of the workforce. This is 49 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 | Speech Pathologists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 10.9 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 41.1 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 25.4 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 14.4 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 4.8 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 2.4 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.0 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 34 | 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
An accredited bachelor or masters degree in speech-language pathology is needed to work as a Speech Pathologist.
Registration with Speech Pathology Australia is required.
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 | Speech Pathologists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 27.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 71.8 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 0.3 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 0.6 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.0 | 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 Audiologists and Speech Pathologists who are caring and empathetic and can work well in a team, with the ability to communicate with a diverse range of people.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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64%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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61%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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61%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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59%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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59%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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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%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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57%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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55%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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54%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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54%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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52%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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52%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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50%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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50%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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48%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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43%
Operations analysisUnderstanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
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43%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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41%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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81%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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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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68%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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66%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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66%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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53%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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53%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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47%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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44%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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44%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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40%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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37%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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37%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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32%
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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27%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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25%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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24%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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22%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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18%
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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14%
Engineering and technologyUse engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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79%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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70%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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68%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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64%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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64%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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63%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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61%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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61%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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57%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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55%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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55%
Hearing sensitivityTell the difference between sounds.
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54%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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52%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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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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45%
Auditory attentionPay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
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45%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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43%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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41%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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74%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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71%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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67%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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66%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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65%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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64%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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64%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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64%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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62%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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62%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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61%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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60%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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60%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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60%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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59%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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57%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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55%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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52%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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47%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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44%
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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95%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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86%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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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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33%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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29%
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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24%
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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81%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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76%
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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74%
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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67%
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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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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97%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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95%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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93%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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90%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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90%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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89%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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88%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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84%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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83%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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76%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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75%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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74%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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74%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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73%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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73%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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66%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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65%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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62%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
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54%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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53%
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, 29-1127.00 - Speech-Language Pathologists.
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.