Procurement Managers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Procurement Managers manage the procurement and purchasing of materials, products and services for organisations.
Tasks
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Determines, implements and monitors purchasing strategies, policies and plans.
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Negotiates contracts with suppliers to meet quality, cost and delivery requirements.
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Uses recording systems to monitor and confirm procurement requirements.
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Oversees the recording of purchase transactions.
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Directs staff activities and monitors their performance.
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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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, Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 94% of people employed as Procurement Managers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 28 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 45 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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Procurement Managers work 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 | Procurement Managers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 33.9 | 31.6 |
VIC | 30.9 | 25.6 |
QLD | 15.2 | 20.0 |
SA | 5.9 | 7.0 |
WA | 9.8 | 10.8 |
TAS | 0.8 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.7 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.8 | 1.9 |
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Around 80% of Procurement Managers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Melbourne - Inner South
- Melbourne - South East
- Melbourne - West
- Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby.
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 Procurement Managers is 44 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 32% of the workforce. This is 16 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Procurement Managers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.1 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.9 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 17.1 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 32.1 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 31.4 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.4 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 5.4 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 2.6 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 44 | 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 business management, purchasing, warehousing and distribution, accounting or another related field is usually needed to work as a Procurement Manager. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.
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 Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Procurement Managers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 19.8 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 28.9 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 15.9 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 10.9 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 15.2 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 3.4 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 6.0 | 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 Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers who are reliable, organised and can communicate clearly. Employers also value leadership and planning skills.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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63%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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63%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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63%
Management of financial resourcesFiguring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.
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61%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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61%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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61%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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59%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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59%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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59%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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57%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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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%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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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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54%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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54%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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52%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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52%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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45%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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73%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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69%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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65%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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64%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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62%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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61%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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60%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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57%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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55%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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55%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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52%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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51%
Engineering and technologyUse engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
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50%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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50%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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50%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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48%
Technical designDesign techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
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43%
MechanicalMachines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
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43%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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36%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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25%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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63%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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63%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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59%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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59%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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55%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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55%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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54%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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54%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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52%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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50%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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50%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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50%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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50%
Working with numbersAdd, subtract, multiply, or divide.
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45%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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43%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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43%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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41%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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85%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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79%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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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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72%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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71%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
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70%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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69%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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69%
Managing payments and ordersMonitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.
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68%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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67%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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67%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
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67%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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65%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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63%
Influencing peopleConvincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
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61%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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60%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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58%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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58%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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51%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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50%
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%
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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76%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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38%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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38%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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29%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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19%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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76%
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%
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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67%
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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62%
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%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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57%
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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100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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97%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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92%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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88%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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87%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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87%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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85%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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85%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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84%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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82%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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80%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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80%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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77%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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76%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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73%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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70%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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69%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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66%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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62%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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, 11-3061.00 - Purchasing Managers.
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.