Intelligence Officers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Intelligence Officers collect and analyse information and data to produce intelligence for organisations to support planning, operations and human resource functions.
Specialisations: Criminal Intelligence Analyst, Defence Intelligence Analyst.
A bachelor degree in intelligence operations or a relevant field is usually needed to work as an Intelligence Officer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Tasks
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Determines organisational and client intelligence requirements.
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Organises, collects, collates and analyses data, and develops intelligence information such as electronic surveillance.
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Compiles and disseminates intelligence information using briefings, maps, charts, reports and other methods.
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Ascertains the accuracy of data collected and reliability of sources.
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Conducts threat and risk assessments and developing responses.
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Analytical
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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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, Intelligence and Policy Analysts, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 85% of people employed as Intelligence Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
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 Intelligence Officers work in the Public administration and safety industry. They are also employed in industries like:
- Financial and insurance services
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Education and training.
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 | Intelligence Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 24.6 | 31.6 |
VIC | 23.2 | 25.6 |
QLD | 15.7 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.0 | 7.0 |
WA | 8.4 | 10.8 |
TAS | 0.7 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.7 | 1.0 |
ACT | 18.6 | 1.9 |
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Around 80% of Intelligence Officers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The Australian Capital Territory has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
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 Intelligence Officers is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 50% of the workforce. This is similar to the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Intelligence Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.1 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 4.3 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 32.1 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 31.7 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 19.5 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 6.9 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 3.6 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.7 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 38 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A bachelor degree in intelligence operations or a relevant field is usually needed to work as an Intelligence 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 Public Sector VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Intelligence Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 24.8 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 38.8 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 13.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 9.3 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 10.2 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 1.5 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 1.8 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Intelligence and Policy Analysts who have strong attention to detail, can communicate clearly with a wide variety of people and can work well in a team.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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66%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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63%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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61%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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59%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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55%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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52%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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50%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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50%
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%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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43%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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43%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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43%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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41%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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41%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
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41%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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39%
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%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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37%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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71%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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70%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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69%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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68%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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65%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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63%
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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63%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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62%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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60%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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58%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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56%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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56%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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53%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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52%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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45%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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45%
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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42%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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41%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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39%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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37%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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66%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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66%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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64%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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64%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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64%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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64%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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63%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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63%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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61%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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55%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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55%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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54%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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54%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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54%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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52%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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50%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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46%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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45%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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45%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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41%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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89%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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82%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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82%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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82%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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82%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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82%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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80%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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79%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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76%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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73%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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73%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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73%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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72%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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67%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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67%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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66%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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66%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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65%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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63%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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60%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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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90%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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67%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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67%
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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43%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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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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33%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
Values
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86%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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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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71%
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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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%
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%
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.
Demands
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100%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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97%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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93%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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92%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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88%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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88%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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84%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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84%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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84%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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80%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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80%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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79%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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74%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact 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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70%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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65%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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65%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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64%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
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61%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
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, 33-3021.06 - Intelligence Analysts.
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.