Health Promotion Officers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Health Promotion Officers assist health and community groups to improve the health of individuals and the community by raising awareness of healthy lifestyles, disease and disability, and other health-related issues.
Also known as: Health Educator.
Specialisations: Asthma Educator, Childbirth Educator, Diabetes Educator.
A bachelor degree in health promotion or public health is usually needed to work as a Health Promotion Officer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Tasks
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Develops communication objectives in relation to health issues.
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Identifies the audience most at need or risk and establishes the most appropriate method to reach that audience.
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Prepares publicity and or presentations on health issues.
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Sets up displays on health issues.
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Gives presentations to community groups on health issues to increase public awareness.
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Writes material to assist in the promotion of health issues.
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Undertakes research to make sure that data is correct and current.
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May work in conjunction with other organisations or government departments.
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Enterprising
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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, Other Health Diagnostic & Promotion Professionals, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 57% of people employed as Health Promotion Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 9 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 42 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 Health Promotion Officers 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 | Health Promotion Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 30.8 | 31.6 |
VIC | 31.2 | 25.6 |
QLD | 14.5 | 20.0 |
SA | 5.9 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.3 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.1 | 2.0 |
NT | 2.4 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.9 | 1.9 |
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Around 41% of Health Promotion Officers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.
Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Melbourne - Outer East
- Melbourne - Inner East
- Melbourne - Inner South
- Melbourne - North 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 Health Promotion Officers is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 83% of the workforce. This is 35 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 | Health Promotion Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.3 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 2.7 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 21.7 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 24.1 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 27.3 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 12.3 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 7.7 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 3.8 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 45 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A bachelor degree in health promotion or public health is usually needed to work as a Health Promotion Officer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
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 | Health Promotion Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 36.3 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 38.8 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 12.7 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 6.3 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 3.4 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.8 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 1.7 | 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 Other Health Diagnostic & Promotion Professionals 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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59%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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57%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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57%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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57%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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57%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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55%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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54%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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52%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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48%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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48%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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48%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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46%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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46%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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46%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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46%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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46%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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45%
Operations analysisUnderstanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
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43%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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41%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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80%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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73%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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73%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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64%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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62%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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58%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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58%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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57%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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51%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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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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46%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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43%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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35%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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35%
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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32%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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30%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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29%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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29%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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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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13%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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61%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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59%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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59%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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57%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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57%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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57%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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55%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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54%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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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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48%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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48%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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46%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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45%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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43%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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41%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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36%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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30%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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30%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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85%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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75%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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75%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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74%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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72%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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69%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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68%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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65%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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64%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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63%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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62%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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62%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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57%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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56%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
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54%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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53%
Influencing peopleConvincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
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52%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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50%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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50%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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42%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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100%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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62%
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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48%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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48%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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38%
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
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100%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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76%
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%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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67%
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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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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100%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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97%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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96%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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95%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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93%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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93%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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93%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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92%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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92%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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89%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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89%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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81%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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80%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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79%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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79%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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78%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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64%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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64%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
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60%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 21-1091.00 - Health Educators.
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.