Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers design and implement strategies and programs to meet community and individual needs and assist individuals, families and groups with social, emotional and financial difficulties to improve quality of life by educating and supporting them and working towards change in their social environment.
Tasks
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researching and analysing community issues, needs and problems
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developing, evaluating and maintaining community resources and programs
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evaluating data and writing reports such as submissions requesting funding for continuing programs and new projects
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identifying issues of local need, concerns and aspirations through community consultation
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organising local sporting, cultural and recreational events and activities such as community functions, hobby classes, community arts projects and sporting competitions
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providing support while exploring alternatives with clients who experience difficulties such as marital problems, unemployment, illness and drug abuse
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assessing risks and providing intensive short-term crisis counselling for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, disasters and other crises
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assisting to establish and administer neighbourhood houses, community groups, employment training programs and other services
Characteristics
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University
-
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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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
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 51,200 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.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 27,700 |
2012 | 23,000 |
2013 | 17,200 |
2014 | 22,800 |
2015 | 26,000 |
2016 | 25,900 |
2017 | 42,100 |
2018 | 29,100 |
2019 | 30,000 |
2020 | 36,400 |
2021 | 42,000 |
2026 | 51,200 |
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 63% of people employed as Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to 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).
More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
Median full-time earnings are $1,714 per week, this is higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,479
- 1 in 4 earn more than $1,940
Median hourly earnings are $47, this is more 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. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. 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)
Earnings | Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 1,714 | 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
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Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers work in industries like:
- Health care and social assistance
- Public administration and safety
- Education and training
- Other services.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 31.3 | 31.6 |
VIC | 25.2 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.4 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.2 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.6 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.5 | 2.0 |
NT | 2.0 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.8 | 1.9 |
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Around 49% of Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.
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 Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers is 42 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 78% of the workforce. This is 30 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)
Age Bracket | Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.8 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 5.3 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 25.4 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 24.2 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 23.3 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.4 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 7.0 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 3.7 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 42 | 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 formal qualification in community services work, sport and recreation, arts or another related field is usually needed to work as a Welfare, Recreation or Community Arts Worker. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) 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 Community Services and Sport, Fitness and Recreation VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 16.5 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 40.4 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 21.7 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 10.8 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 5.7 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 1.5 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 3.4 | 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 Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts Workers who can communicate and are mature and organised.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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63%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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57%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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57%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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55%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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54%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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54%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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48%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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46%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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46%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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45%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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45%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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45%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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43%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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43%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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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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34%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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74%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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71%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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70%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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59%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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55%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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54%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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52%
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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51%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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50%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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41%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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40%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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35%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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33%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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33%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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32%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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28%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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28%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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15%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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14%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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14%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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59%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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57%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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55%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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55%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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55%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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55%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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54%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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50%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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46%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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45%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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43%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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43%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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43%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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43%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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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.
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41%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
39%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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39%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
75%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
66%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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66%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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65%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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63%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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63%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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63%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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62%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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61%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
60%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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59%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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59%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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59%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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59%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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58%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
56%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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53%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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53%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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49%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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44%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
86%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
62%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
29%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
24%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
24%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
86%
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.
-
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.
-
57%
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.
-
52%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
50%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
48%
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.
Demands
-
99%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
98%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
97%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
91%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
87%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
86%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
86%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
84%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
83%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
83%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
81%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
81%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
80%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
80%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
80%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
73%
Loud or uncomfortable soundsBe exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
72%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
72%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
66%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
-
66%
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, 21-1093.00 - Social and Human Service Assistants.
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.