Customs Officers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Customs Officers administer and enforce customs and related legislation, and assist with customs control of overseas passengers, crew, aircraft, ships, cargo, mail and bond stores.
Also known as: Customs Inspector.
Specialisations: Customs Investigator.
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Customs Officer. Although some workers have a certificate III in government (border protection) or a related field.
Tasks
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Searches aircraft, ships, vehicles, premises and people, as well as checking documents and goods to detect illegal activities such as undocumented cargo, prohibited goods and illegal aliens.
Characteristics
- 599511 Customs Officers
- 599512 Immigration Officers
- 599513 Motor Vehicle Licence Examiners
- 599514 Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors
- 599515 Social Security Assessors
- 599516 Taxation Inspectors
- 599517 Train Examiners
- 599518 Transport Operations Inspectors
- 599521 Water Inspectors
- 599599 Other Inspectors and Regulatory Officers
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Practical
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Sedentary
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Light
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Medium
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, Inspectors and Regulatory Officers, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 81% of people employed as Customs Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 15 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 43 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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Most Customs Officers work in the Public administration and safety industry. They are also employed 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 | Customs Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 33.6 | 31.6 |
VIC | 21.8 | 25.6 |
QLD | 20.0 | 20.0 |
SA | 3.9 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.5 | 10.8 |
TAS | 0.9 | 2.0 |
NT | 2.8 | 1.0 |
ACT | 5.0 | 1.9 |
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Around 78% of Customs Officers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The Australian Capital Territory has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Sydney - Inner South West
- Sydney - Sutherland
- Australian Capital Territory
- Melbourne - West
- Melbourne - North West.
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 Customs Officers 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 44% of the workforce. This is 4 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 | Customs Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 3.0 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 19.1 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 30.9 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 31.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 8.9 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 4.6 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 2.1 | 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 essential to work as a Customs Officer. Although some workers have a certificate III in government (border protection) or a related field.
Registration or licencing may be required.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Local Government and Public Sector VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Customs Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 7.3 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 22.2 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 17.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 21.8 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 24.1 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 2.6 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 4.4 | 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 Inspectors and Regulatory Officers who have a good attention to detail, strong people skills and a good work ethic.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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57%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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55%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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55%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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54%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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50%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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48%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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46%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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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%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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43%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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43%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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43%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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43%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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41%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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39%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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34%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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32%
Operation monitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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69%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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65%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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64%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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59%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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59%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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58%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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53%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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50%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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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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46%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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43%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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41%
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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41%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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40%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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35%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
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32%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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32%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
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31%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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30%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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27%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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59%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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59%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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59%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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57%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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57%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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57%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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57%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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55%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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54%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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48%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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48%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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48%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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48%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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45%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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45%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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41%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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41%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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36%
Auditory attentionPay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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79%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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78%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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77%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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77%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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76%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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76%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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76%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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75%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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75%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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75%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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74%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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74%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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69%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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67%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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64%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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61%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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58%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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57%
Checking for errors or defectsInspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
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55%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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54%
Estimating amounts, costs and resourcesWorking 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.
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90%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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76%
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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67%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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33%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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29%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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14%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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81%
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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74%
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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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.
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52%
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.
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48%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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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
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100%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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97%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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96%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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95%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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94%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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93%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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93%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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92%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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91%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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91%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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87%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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86%
Loud or uncomfortable soundsBe exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
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84%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
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84%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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84%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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83%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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82%
Exposure to contaminantsBe exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
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80%
Outdoors, exposed to weatherWork outdoors, exposed to the weather.
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79%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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78%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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, 33-3021.05 - Immigration and Customs Inspectors.
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.