Shelf Fillers

ANZSCO ID 8912

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
72,700
Future Growth
8%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
20%
Female Share
39%
Average age
25

Summary

Shelf Fillers fill up shelves and display areas in stores and supermarkets.

Also known as: Night Filler.

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Shelf Filler.

Tasks

  • placing goods neatly in bins and on racks, and stacking bulky goods on floors

  • filling shelves with goods ensuring goods with the earliest use-by dates are at the front of shelves

  • noting what has been sold and collecting goods needed from the stockroom using a trolley

  • maintaining shelf order by removing stock belonging to a different location

  • may help customers find goods they need

  • may price goods

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Very Heavy

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 strongly
  • is likely to reach 80,500 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
8%
(or 6,000 jobs)
From
74,500
in 2021
To
80,500
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 54,700
2012 63,900
2013 71,700
2014 56,700
2015 61,000
2016 57,400
2017 67,000
2018 64,600
2019 60,800
2020 80,100
2021 74,500
2026 80,500

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 20% of people employed as Shelf Fillers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 46 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 40 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours less than 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

1
Retail Trade
96.5%
2
Wholesale Trade
1.8%
3
Accommodation and Food Services
0.7%
4
Manufacturing
0.3%
5
Other industries
0.6%
  • Most Shelf Fillers work in the Retail trade industry.

    Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.


Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

28.3% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

22.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.6% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

9.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

13.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Shelf Fillers All Jobs Average
NSW 28.3 31.6
VIC 22.3 25.6
QLD 21.6 20.0
SA 9.4 7.0
WA 13.7 10.8
TAS 2.4 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
25
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
39%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Shelf Fillers is 25 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 15 to 19 years.

    Females make up 39% of the workforce. This is 9 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)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Shelf Fillers All Jobs Average
15-19 23.9 5.0
20-24 23.6 9.3
25-34 19.2 22.9
35-44 13.2 22.0
45-54 11.6 21.6
55-59 4.4 9.0
60-64 2.8 6.0
65 and Over 1.3 4.2
Median Age 25 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 usually required to work as a Shelf Filler.

Visit

  • 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)

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 Shelf Fillers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.0 10.1
Bachelor degree 7.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 6.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 11.5 21.1
Year 12 39.2 18.1
Year 11 10.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 22.5 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 Shelf Fillers who are reliable, hardworking and motivated.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 43%

    Active listening

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

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 37%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 36%

    Active learning

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

  • 36%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 36%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 34%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 32%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 32%

    Monitoring

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

  • 32%

    Time management

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

  • 32%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 30%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 30%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 30%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 29%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 27%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 23%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 23%

    Management of personnel resources

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

  • 16%

    Quality control analysis

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


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 39%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 31%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 26%

    English language

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

  • 24%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 23%

    Administration and management

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

  • 23%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 19%

    Education and training

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

  • 18%

    Clerical

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

  • 15%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 14%

    Mechanical

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

  • 13%

    Economics and accounting

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

  • 12%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 12%

    Chemistry

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

  • 11%

    Production and processing

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

  • 9%

    Food production

    Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.

  • 9%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 8%

    Law and government

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

  • 7%

    Communications and media

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

  • 6%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 5%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 50%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 46%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 45%

    Near vision

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

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 43%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 41%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 39%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 37%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 37%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 36%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 36%

    Visualization

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

  • 34%

    Manual dexterity

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

  • 30%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 30%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 29%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.


Activities

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

  • 71%

    Handling and moving objects

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

  • 67%

    Working with the public

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

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 53%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 52%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 52%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 45%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 44%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 43%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 43%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 40%

    Controlling equipment or machines

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

  • 40%

    Collecting and organising information

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

  • 40%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 39%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 37%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 36%

    Assessing and evaluating things

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

  • 36%

    Leading and encouraging a team

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

  • 35%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 32%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 30%

    Working with computers

    Using 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.

  • 86%

    Administrative

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

  • 76%

    Practical

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

  • 67%

    Enterprising

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

  • 38%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 19%

    Analytical

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

  • 19%

    Creative

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


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 76%

    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.

  • 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.

  • 33%

    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.

  • 31%

    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.

  • 24%

    Achievement

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

  • 24%

    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:
  • 97%

    Contact with people

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

  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 92%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 91%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 90%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 87%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 82%

    Repeating same tasks

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

  • 80%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 79%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

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

  • 78%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 77%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 76%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 74%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 74%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 66%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 65%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

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, 43-5081.01 - Stock Clerks, Sales Floor.


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