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Product Assemblers

ANZSCO ID 8322

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
24,400
Future Growth
0.7%
Weekly Earnings
$1,042
Full-Time Share
79%
Female Share
25%
Average age
44
About this data

Summary

Product Assemblers put together components and subassemblies that go into the production of metal products, electrical and electronic equipment, jewellery and precious metal articles, and joinery products.

Specialisations: Electrical and Electronic Assembler, Light Coil Winder, Vehicle Assembler.

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Product Assembler. Some workers have a certificate I or II in a related manufacturing field.

Tasks

  • locating, positioning and securing components on workbenches

  • punching and drilling mounting holes in parts and assembled products

  • assembling and securing components in sequence

  • assembling parts by nailing, screwing, gluing and dowelling, riveting, crimping, soldering and spot welding components

  • fitting hardware items, such as hinges, catches and knobs, to parts

  • attaching and fastening jewellery and jewellery parts to fabricate bracelets, necklaces, brooches and earrings

  • deburring and finishing items using files, grinding wheels and emery paper

  • may manually wind light electrical field coils

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
8322 Product Assemblers This occupation is Current selected
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • 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 in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

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
0.7%
(or 200 jobs)
From
26,100
in 2021
To
26,300
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 30,100
2012 34,400
2013 28,300
2014 27,200
2015 28,900
2016 24,900
2017 29,800
2018 26,200
2019 30,000
2020 28,600
2021 26,100
2026 26,300

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 82% of people employed as Product Assemblers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 16 percentage points above 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).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,042 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $928
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,222

    Median hourly earnings are $27, 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 Product Assemblers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,042 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
Manufacturing
72.7%
2
Construction
5.6%
3
Wholesale Trade
5.6%
4
Other Services
3.6%
5
Other industries
12.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

28.8% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

40.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

13.7% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

11.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

4.9% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.3% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Product Assemblers All Jobs Average
NSW 28.8 31.6
VIC 40.4 25.6
QLD 13.7 20.0
SA 11.0 7.0
WA 4.9 10.8
TAS 0.7 2.0
NT 0.1 1.0
ACT 0.3 1.9


  • Around 73% of Product Assemblers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria and South Australia have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    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
44
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
25%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Product Assemblers is 44 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 25% of the workforce. This is 23 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 Product Assemblers All Jobs Average
15-19 3.3 5.0
20-24 8.9 9.3
25-34 18.0 22.9
35-44 20.6 22.0
45-54 26.3 21.6
55-59 12.4 9.0
60-64 7.7 6.0
65 and Over 2.8 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

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Product Assembler. Some workers have a certificate I or II in a related manufacturing field.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore 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 Product Assemblers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 7.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 6.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 20.3 21.1
Year 12 27.4 18.1
Year 11 8.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 28.3 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 Production Assemblers who work well in a team, can communicate clearly and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 45%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 43%

    Operation monitoring

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

  • 41%

    Active listening

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

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Monitoring

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

  • 41%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 39%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 39%

    Time management

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

  • 39%

    Active learning

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

  • 37%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 37%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 36%

    Quality control analysis

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

  • 36%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 36%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 36%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 29%

    Troubleshooting

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

  • 21%

    Equipment maintenance

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

  • 21%

    Equipment selection

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

  • 21%

    Systems analysis

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

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 47%

    Mechanical

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

  • 39%

    Technical design

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

  • 38%

    Production and processing

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

  • 33%

    English language

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

  • 30%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 30%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 27%

    Education and training

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

  • 26%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 22%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 21%

    Administration and management

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

  • 18%

    Chemistry

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

  • 17%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 16%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 12%

    Transportation

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

  • 9%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 8%

    Clerical

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

  • 8%

    Medicine and dentistry

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

  • 8%

    Building and construction

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

  • 4%

    Telecommunications

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

  • 3%

    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..

  • 55%

    Near vision

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

  • 54%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 54%

    Visualization

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

  • 52%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 50%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 48%

    Colour discrimination

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

  • 46%

    Manual dexterity

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

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 45%

    Control precision

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

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 45%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 41%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 41%

    Multilimb coordination

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

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

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

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 37%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

Activities

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

  • 76%

    Handling and moving objects

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

  • 62%

    Controlling equipment or machines

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

  • 57%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 57%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 56%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 53%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 53%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 49%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 47%

    Coming up with systems and processes

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

  • 46%

    Doing physically active work

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

  • 46%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 45%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 44%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 44%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 43%

    Coordinating the work of a team

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

  • 43%

    Training and teaching others

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

  • 43%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 41%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 41%

    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.

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.

  • 43%

    Administrative

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

  • 29%

    Enterprising

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

  • 24%

    Analytical

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

  • 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.

  • 81%

    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.

  • 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.

  • 38%

    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.

  • 36%

    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.

  • 29%

    Achievement

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

  • 29%

    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:

  • 96%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 94%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 90%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 89%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

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

  • 82%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 80%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 76%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 76%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 74%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 74%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 73%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 73%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 72%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 70%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 69%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 68%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 68%

    Contact with people

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

  • 67%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 65%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 64%

    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, 51-2022.00 - Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers.

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