Survey Interviewers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Survey Interviewers interview people and record their responses to survey and market research questions on a range of topics.
Specialisations: Market Research Interviewer.
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Survey Interviewer. Although most workers have a university degree or a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in areas like business, management, marketing, psychology, accounting or clerical studies.
Tasks
-
contacting people face-to-face and via the telephone to conduct surveys
-
recording answers to survey questions manually and electronically
-
recording the distribution of questionnaires
-
collecting questionnaires and returning them to supervisors
-
scanning questionnaires to ensure that important questions have been answered
-
may interview people at random in crowds and on the street
-
may provide self-completion questionnaires
-
may encode responses and check their consistency
-
may work in a call centre
Characteristics
-
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
-
Informal or on-the-job
-
Administrative
-
Enterprising
-
Helping
-
Sedentary
-
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 moderately
- is likely to reach 2,400 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 | 5,600 |
2012 | 5,900 |
2013 | 4,600 |
2014 | 1,800 |
2015 | 2,700 |
2016 | 2,000 |
2017 | 3,900 |
2018 | 3,500 |
2019 | 2,000 |
2020 | 2,400 |
2021 | 2,300 |
2026 | 2,400 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 20% of people employed as Survey Interviewers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 46 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 42 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
-
Most Survey Interviewers work in the Professional, scientific and technical services industry. They are also employed in industries like:
- Public administration and safety
- Information media and telecommunications
- Administrative and support 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 | Survey Interviewers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 25.2 | 31.6 |
VIC | 39.2 | 25.6 |
QLD | 14.3 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.5 | 7.0 |
WA | 7.9 | 10.8 |
TAS | 3.7 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.9 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.3 | 1.9 |
-
Around 74% of Survey Interviewers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Melbourne - Inner East
- Melbourne - West
- Melbourne - Inner South
- Melbourne - South East.
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
-
The median age of Survey Interviewers is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 20 to 24 years.
Females make up 59% of the workforce. This is 11 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 | Survey Interviewers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 3.4 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 19.8 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 16.6 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 11.3 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 14.7 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.6 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 11.4 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 12.2 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 43 | 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 Survey Interviewer. Although most workers have a university degree or a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in areas like business, management, marketing, psychology, accounting or clerical studies.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Sport, Fitness and Recreation VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Survey Interviewers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 11.7 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 28.0 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 12.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 10.8 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 25.3 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 3.7 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 7.9 | 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 Survey Interviewers who have strong communication skills, interact well with others and who are reliable.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
57%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
54%
SpeakingTalking to others.
-
50%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
-
46%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
45%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
-
45%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
-
43%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
43%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
41%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
41%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
41%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
-
39%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
39%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
39%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
39%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
-
39%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
37%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
36%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
30%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
27%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
46%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
45%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
45%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
42%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
33%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
33%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
28%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
28%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
28%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
25%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
22%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
21%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
19%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
18%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
17%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
17%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
17%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
16%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
16%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
14%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
-
55%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
-
55%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
-
55%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
-
55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
-
54%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
-
50%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
45%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
45%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
43%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
43%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
41%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
-
41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
37%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
36%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
34%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
34%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
32%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
-
30%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
-
29%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
-
29%
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.
-
57%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
55%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
46%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
44%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
42%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
41%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
37%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
35%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
33%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
33%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
32%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
31%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
31%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
30%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
-
29%
Influencing peopleConvincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
-
29%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
27%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
24%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
-
23%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
22%
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.
-
86%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
76%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
67%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
19%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
19%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
19%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
81%
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.
-
52%
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%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
33%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
29%
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%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
98%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
95%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
94%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
88%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
85%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
85%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
84%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
84%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
-
83%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
79%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
77%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
75%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
71%
Using your hands to handle, control, or feelSpend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
67%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
65%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
64%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
63%
Loud or uncomfortable soundsBe exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
62%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
59%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 43-4111.00 - Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan.
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
-
Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.