Judges
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Judges preside over civil and criminal proceedings in courts of law.
Specialisations: District Court Judge, Family Court Justice, High Court Justice, Supreme Court Judge.
Judges are usually appointed by a State or Federal Governor or Attorney-General. People who have a law degree and have been licensed to practise law for a minimum of eight years are eligible for consideration.
Tasks
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Researches statutes and previous court decisions relevant to cases.
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Conducts trials and hearings.
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Hears and evaluates arguments and evidence in civil and criminal summary matters.
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Decides penalties and sentences within statutory limits, such as fines, bonds and detention, awarding damages in civil matters, and issuing court orders.
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Exercises arbitral powers if resolution is not achieved or seems improbable through conciliation.
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Advises government of legal, constitutional and parliamentary matters and drafts bills and attends committee meetings during consideration of bills.
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Advises agents on legal and technical matters.
Characteristics
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University
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
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, Judicial and Other Legal Professionals, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 91% of people employed as Judges work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 25 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 52 hours per week in their main job. This is 8 hours more than 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 Judges work in the Public administration and safety industry.
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 | Judges | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 33.8 | 31.6 |
VIC | 25.8 | 25.6 |
QLD | 15.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 8.2 | 7.0 |
WA | 9.7 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.3 | 2.0 |
NT | 3.2 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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Around 89% of Judges live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
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
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The median age of Judges is 60 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 60 to 64 years.
Females make up 32% of the workforce. This is 16 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 | Judges | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 1.1 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 3.8 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 3.5 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 17.5 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 20.5 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 30.7 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 22.6 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 60 | 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
Judges are usually appointed by a State or Federal Governor or Attorney-General. People who have a law degree and have been licensed to practise law for a minimum of eight years are eligible for consideration.
Registration or licencing may be required.
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- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Judges | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 29.1 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 61.3 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 3.8 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 2.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 2.2 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.5 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 1.1 | 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
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Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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84%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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80%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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77%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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73%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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73%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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71%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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70%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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68%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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59%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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59%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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59%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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59%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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54%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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48%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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48%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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48%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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46%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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45%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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43%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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85%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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76%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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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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66%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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57%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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56%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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54%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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53%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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52%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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51%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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50%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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50%
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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49%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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39%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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35%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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34%
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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31%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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30%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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27%
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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19%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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75%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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75%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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73%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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71%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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71%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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71%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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66%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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63%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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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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55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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54%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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54%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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48%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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48%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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48%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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45%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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43%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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43%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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37%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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37%
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.
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89%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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86%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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85%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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85%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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85%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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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%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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74%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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69%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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68%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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67%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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67%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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65%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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62%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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58%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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56%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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56%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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53%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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48%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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48%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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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100%
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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81%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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57%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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52%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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29%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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19%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
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100%
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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95%
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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90%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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90%
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.
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90%
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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62%
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.
Demands
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100%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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100%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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99%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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99%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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97%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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97%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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95%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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95%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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95%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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92%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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91%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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90%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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90%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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89%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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84%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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78%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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78%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
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76%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
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75%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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71%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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, 23-1023.00 - Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
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.