Acupuncturists
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Acupuncturists treat disorders and illnesses by stimulating the body's defence mechanisms through inserting fine needles into the skin.
Tasks
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Assesses patients to determine the nature of the disorder, illness, problem or need by questioning, examining and observing
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Develops and implements treatment plans using acupuncture.
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Evaluates and documents patients' progress through treatment plans.
Characteristics
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University
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Practical
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Analytical
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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
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, Complementary Health Therapists, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 44% of people employed as Acupuncturists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 22 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 43 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 Acupuncturists work in the Health care and social assistance 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 | Acupuncturists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 39.8 | 31.6 |
VIC | 19.1 | 25.6 |
QLD | 27.6 | 20.0 |
SA | 5.4 | 7.0 |
WA | 5.5 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.0 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.3 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.4 | 1.9 |
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Around 72% of Acupuncturists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
New South Wales and Queensland 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 Acupuncturists is 47 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.
Females make up 53% of the workforce. This is 5 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 | Acupuncturists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 1.2 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 12.5 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 30.7 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 26.7 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 11.5 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 10.8 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 6.6 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 47 | 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 health science majoring in either Chinese medicine or acupuncture is usually needed to work as an Acupuncturist.
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 Health Industry VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Acupuncturists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 22.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 61.6 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 13.8 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.2 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 2.2 | 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 Complementary Health Therapists 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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55%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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55%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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54%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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52%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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52%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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52%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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50%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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50%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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50%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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48%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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46%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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45%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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41%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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41%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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41%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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39%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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37%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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37%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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32%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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30%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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78%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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73%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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73%
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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58%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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57%
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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56%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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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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50%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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49%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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42%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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42%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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39%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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38%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
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37%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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32%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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32%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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32%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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31%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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26%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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61%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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59%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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59%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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57%
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%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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54%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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52%
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%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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48%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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48%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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46%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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46%
Arm-hand steadinessKeep your hand or arm steady.
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41%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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41%
VisualizationImagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
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37%
Manual dexterityQuickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
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32%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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30%
Multilimb coordinationUse your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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72%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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72%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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71%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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67%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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66%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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66%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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66%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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64%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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61%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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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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55%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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54%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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52%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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51%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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50%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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47%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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45%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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41%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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41%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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37%
Doing physically active workUse your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
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%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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76%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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71%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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33%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without 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%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
Values
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71%
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%
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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64%
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%
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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96%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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95%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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93%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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89%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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89%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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88%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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88%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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88%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
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87%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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86%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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74%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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74%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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74%
Using your hands to handle, control, or feelSpend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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71%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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69%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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69%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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67%
Spend time standingSpend time standing at work.
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64%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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61%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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61%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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, 29-1199.01 - Acupuncturists.
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.