Vending Machine Attendants

ANZSCO ID 8997

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
4,400
Future Growth
5.6%
Weekly Earnings
$1,061
Full-Time Share
28%
Female Share
64%
Average age
37

Summary

Vending Machine Attendants stock and maintain vending and amusement machines and collect money from coin boxes.

Also known as: Vending Machine Refiller.

Specialisations: Poker Machine Attendant.

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Vending Machine Attendant. Some workers have a certificate III in electrical machine repair.

Tasks

  • loading, unloading and transporting stock and equipment

  • replenishing vending machines with stock

  • clearing money from machines, accounting for money collected, and checking monitoring systems

  • keeping stock records, and machine maintenance and repair records

  • may test vending machines' dispensing, coin-handling, electrical, refrigeration, carbonation and ice-making systems

  • may adjust and repair vending machines and replace defective mechanical and electrical parts using hand tools and soldering-irons

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium

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 moderately
  • is likely to reach 6,300 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
5.6%
(or 300 jobs)
From
5,900
in 2021
To
6,300
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 6,100
2012 6,100
2013 4,400
2014 6,100
2015 5,000
2016 3,400
2017 8,400
2018 5,900
2019 3,100
2020 4,700
2021 5,900
2026 6,300

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 39% of people employed as Vending Machine Attendants work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 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).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,061 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,020
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,155

    Median hourly earnings are $30, 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.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Vending Machine Attendants All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,061 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Accommodation and Food Services
78.0%
2
Retail Trade
6.8%
3
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
6.8%
4
Arts and Recreation Services
5.1%
5
Other industries
5.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

29.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

41.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

2.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.7% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.6% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Vending Machine Attendants All Jobs Average
NSW 29.1 31.6
VIC 41.1 25.6
QLD 17.2 20.0
SA 6.7 7.0
WA 2.8 10.8
TAS 2.0 2.0
NT 0.7 1.0
ACT 0.6 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
37
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
64%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Vending Machine Attendants 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 64% of the workforce. This is 16 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 Vending Machine Attendants All Jobs Average
15-19 4.5 5.0
20-24 17.5 9.3
25-34 23.3 22.9
35-44 17.2 22.0
45-54 18.3 21.6
55-59 8.8 9.0
60-64 6.4 6.0
65 and Over 4.1 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 usually required to work as a Vending Machine Attendant. Some workers have a certificate III in electrical machine repair.

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 Vending Machine Attendants All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 8.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 9.6 11.6
Certificate III/IV 18.1 21.1
Year 12 32.3 18.1
Year 11 9.1 4.8
Year 10 and below 19.9 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 Vending Machine Attendants who are reliable and work well as part of a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 46%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 45%

    Equipment maintenance

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

  • 45%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

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

  • 45%

    Troubleshooting

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

  • 43%

    Monitoring

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

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Active listening

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

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 41%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 41%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 39%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 39%

    Time management

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

  • 39%

    Quality control analysis

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

  • 37%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 37%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 36%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 36%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 34%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 64%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 57%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 52%

    English language

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

  • 46%

    Mechanical

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

  • 45%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 45%

    Administration and management

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

  • 39%

    Education and training

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

  • 36%

    Production and processing

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

  • 34%

    Food production

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

  • 33%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 33%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 31%

    Communications and media

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

  • 31%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 31%

    Transportation

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

  • 29%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 29%

    Clerical

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

  • 28%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 27%

    Psychology

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

  • 23%

    Economics and accounting

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

  • 22%

    Law and government

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 48%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 46%

    Control precision

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

  • 46%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Near vision

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

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

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

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

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

  • 43%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 41%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 41%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 41%

    Visualization

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

  • 41%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 39%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 39%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 39%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 39%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.


Activities

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

  • 89%

    Handling and moving objects

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

  • 84%

    Doing physically active work

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

  • 76%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 75%

    Assessing and evaluating things

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

  • 73%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 67%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 63%

    Working with the public

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

  • 63%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 60%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 59%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 58%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 56%

    Controlling equipment or machines

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

  • 55%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 55%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 50%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 50%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

  • 46%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 40%

    Training and teaching others

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

  • 39%

    Influencing people

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

  • 37%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use 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.

  • 100%

    Practical

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

  • 71%

    Administrative

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

  • 48%

    Analytical

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

  • 43%

    Enterprising

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

  • 14%

    Creative

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

  • 14%

    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.
  • 67%

    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.

  • 67%

    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.

  • 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.

  • 38%

    Achievement

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

  • 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:
  • 97%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 94%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

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

  • 93%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 91%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 88%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 87%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 87%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 87%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 83%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 82%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 82%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 80%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 80%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 78%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 76%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 76%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 75%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 74%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 74%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 74%

    Contact with people

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

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, 49-9091.00 - Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers.


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