Photographic Developers and Printers

ANZSCO ID 7114

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
510
Future Growth
15.3%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
50%
Female Share
61%
Average age
37

Summary

Photographic Developers and Printers edit and adjust digital images, develop photographic film, and print photographic images from digital media, negatives and positives using computer software, fully automatic equipment and by separate processes.

Specialisations: Copy Camera Operator, Dark Room Attendant, Digital Photographic Printer, Film Process Operator, Minilab Operator, Photographic Enlarger Operator, Silver Recovery Operator, Slide Developer.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Photographic Developer and Printer. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in photography, graphic art or printing.

Tasks

  • cropping images and adjusting colour, brightness and contrast

  • preparing exposed film for different processing batches in dark rooms and dark chambers

  • adjusting settings and running automatic developing equipment

  • inspecting prints and adjusting settings on print-making equipment to produce required number, size and type of prints

  • scanning images onto electronic media

  • checking and replenishing chemicals and water supply for chemical and water baths required to produce negative and positive prints

  • monitoring and testing photographic processing and printing equipment, and maintaining operational standards

  • may prepare chemical solutions for different techniques and effects

  • may develop black and white images by separate processes and operate enlargers

  • may develop motion picture film

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow very strongly
  • is likely to reach 1,000 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
15.3%
(or 100 jobs)
From
800
in 2021
To
1,000
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 2,200
2012 1,700
2013 900
2014 200
2015 1,800
2016 2,000
2017 600
2018 600
2019 2,700
2020 1,500
2021 800
2026 1,000

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 53% of people employed as Photographic Developers and Printers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 13 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median hourly earnings are $25, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
32.0%
2
Retail Trade
24.0%
3
Health Care and Social Assistance
20.0%
4
Information Media and Telecommunications
8.0%
5
Other industries
12.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

28.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.6% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.6% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

15.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.9% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.9% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Photographic Developers and Printers All Jobs Average
NSW 28.6 31.6
VIC 23.1 25.6
QLD 21.6 20.0
SA 7.6 7.0
WA 15.2 10.8
TAS 1.9 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 1.9 1.9


  • Around 62% of Photographic Developers and Printers live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Western Australia has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    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

Age In Years
37
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
61%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Photographic Developers and Printers is 37 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 61% of the workforce. This is 13 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)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Photographic Developers and Printers All Jobs Average
15-19 6.6 5.0
20-24 17.2 9.3
25-34 21.9 22.9
35-44 18.8 22.0
45-54 17.7 21.6
55-59 9.5 9.0
60-64 5.1 6.0
65 and Over 3.3 4.2
Median Age 37 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

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Photographic Developer and Printer. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in photography, graphic art or printing.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

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.
Type of Qualification Photographic Developers and Printers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 4.2 10.1
Bachelor degree 15.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 13.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 16.3 21.1
Year 12 29.3 18.1
Year 11 6.6 4.8
Year 10 and below 15.2 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 Photographic Developers and Printers who have good attention to detail, are reliable and hardworking.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 42%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 42%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 40%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 40%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 39%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 38%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 37%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 37%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 37%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 37%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 36%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 36%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 35%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 35%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 34%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 33%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 33%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 29%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 54%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 47%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 46%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 46%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 44%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 43%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 39%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 38%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 38%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 35%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 29%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 28%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 26%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 19%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 19%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 18%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 17%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 16%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 14%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 14%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 51%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 51%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 49%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 46%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 46%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 42%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 40%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 39%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 38%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 35%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 34%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 61%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 58%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 55%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 54%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 53%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 51%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 50%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 45%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 44%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 42%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 42%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 42%

    Working with electronic equipment

    Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing electronic devices and equipment.

  • 41%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 41%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 41%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 39%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 39%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 39%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 35%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


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.

  • 90%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 62%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 29%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 52%

    Independence

    Work 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.

  • 52%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 48%

    Relationships

    Serve 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.

  • 43%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 43%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement 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.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 89%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 86%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 85%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 84%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 81%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 80%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 78%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 75%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 75%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 74%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 73%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 71%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 71%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 70%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 69%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 67%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 66%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 63%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 62%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 62%

    Dangerous conditions

    Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.

Occupational Information Network
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, 51-9151.00 - Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators.


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