Sports Umpires
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Sports Umpires officiate at sporting events, such as netball, hockey, football, basketball, cricket, boxing and wrestling matches, by interpreting and enforcing match rules.
Specialisations: Linesperson (Sport).
A high level of sporting knowledge and skill is needed to work as a Sports Umpire. Some workers also have formal qualifications. Courses in officiating are often available through the relevant sporting association.
Tasks
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Officiates at sporting events to enforce rules.
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Co-ordinates and directs sporting activities, and liaises with other officials to interpret and enforce rules and regulations relating to sport.
Characteristics
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- 452323 Other Sports Officials
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Informal or on-the-job
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Practical
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Light
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Medium
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Heavy
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, Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 2% of people employed as Sports Umpires work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 64 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 47 hours per week in their main job. This is 3 hours more than 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 Sports Umpires work in the Arts and recreation services industry.
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 | Sports Umpires | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 21.6 | 31.6 |
VIC | 40.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 13.4 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.2 | 7.0 |
WA | 13.1 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.4 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.5 | 1.9 |
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Around 75% of Sports Umpires live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner South
- Melbourne - Inner East
- Melbourne - Outer East
- Perth - North West
- Melbourne - South East.
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 Sports Umpires is 17 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 15 to 19 years.
Females make up 28% of the workforce. This is 20 percentage points below 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 | Sports Umpires | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 81.4 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 11.3 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 3.0 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 1.8 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 1.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 0.4 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 0.4 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 0.6 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 17 | 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 high level of sporting knowledge and skill is needed to work as a Sports Umpire. Some workers also have formal qualifications. Courses in officiating are often available through the relevant sporting association.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Sport, Fitness and Recreation VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Sports Umpires | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 0.7 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 3.4 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 1.7 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 3.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 21.3 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 17.0 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 53.0 | 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 Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials who are reliable, caring, compassionate and empathetic, with the ability to provide good customer service.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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52%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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46%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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45%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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45%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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45%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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43%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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43%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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43%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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41%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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41%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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39%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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39%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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37%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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37%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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37%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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36%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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34%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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34%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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32%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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32%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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54%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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48%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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46%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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45%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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40%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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35%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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33%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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29%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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28%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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28%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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27%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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27%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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24%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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24%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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15%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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14%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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14%
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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13%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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11%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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10%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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55%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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55%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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54%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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54%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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52%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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50%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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50%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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50%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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50%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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48%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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46%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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45%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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45%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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45%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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43%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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43%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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39%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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39%
Trunk strengthUse your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
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36%
StaminaExercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
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34%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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70%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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68%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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66%
Doing physically active workUse your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
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65%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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65%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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63%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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62%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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60%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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60%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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59%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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56%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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56%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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53%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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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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50%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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50%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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48%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
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46%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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45%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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38%
Checking for errors or defectsInspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
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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86%
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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86%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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62%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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43%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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24%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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19%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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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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62%
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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57%
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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52%
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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52%
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.
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52%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
Demands
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94%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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87%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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85%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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83%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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82%
Spend time standingSpend time standing at work.
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81%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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81%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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80%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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78%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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78%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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77%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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76%
Walking and runningSpend time walking and running.
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73%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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71%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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71%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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71%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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71%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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70%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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70%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
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70%
Loud or uncomfortable soundsBe exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
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, 27-2023.00 - Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials.
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.