Ministers of Religion
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Ministers of Religion perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faiths, and provide motivation, guidance and training in religious life for the people of congregations and parishes, and the wider community.
Specialisations: Aboriginal Ceremonial Celebrant, Chaplain, Imam, Monk, Priest, Rabbi, Salvation Army Officer.
Entry requirements for Ministers of Religion vary depending on the religion or denomination. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Tasks
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preparing and conducting services of public worship and acknowledgments of faith
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preparing and delivering sermons, homilies and special talks, and planning music for services
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participating in the social and welfare activities of communities, encouraging people to be aware of their responsibilities, and organising participation in community projects
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conducting classes of religious instruction, and supervising prayer and discussion groups, retreats and seminars
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conducting premarital and family counselling and referring people to professional service agencies where necessary
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performing marriages, funerals and special memorial services according to tradition and ecclesiastical and civil law
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visiting members of the community in their homes, hospitals and other institutions to provide advice and religious comfort
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keeping records as required by the church and civil law
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Creative
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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. 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.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 11,600 |
2012 | 16,000 |
2013 | 19,300 |
2014 | 17,000 |
2015 | 16,000 |
2016 | 20,700 |
2017 | 18,700 |
2018 | 16,200 |
2019 | 21,100 |
2020 | 18,400 |
2021 | 22,500 |
2026 | 22,800 |
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
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Around 70% of people employed as Ministers of Religion work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 4 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 48 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
More than half of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
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.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Ministers of Religion work in the Other services industry. They are also employed in industries like:
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 | Ministers of Religion | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 34.1 | 31.6 |
VIC | 22.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 20.4 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.5 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.2 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.1 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.8 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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Around 61% of Ministers of Religion live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Outer East
- Sydney - Inner South West
- Melbourne - South East
- Sydney - Parramatta
- Perth - 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 Ministers of Religion is 49 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 29% of the workforce. This is 19 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 | Ministers of Religion | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.2 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 2.6 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 14.0 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 21.1 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 24.9 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 12.8 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 12.0 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 12.2 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 49 | 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
Entry requirements for Ministers of Religion vary depending on the religion or denomination. 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 VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Ministers of Religion | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 29.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 40.1 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 16.9 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 5.6 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 5.3 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.7 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 2.1 | 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
Employers look for Ministers of Religion who are caring and empathetic and can work well in a team, with the ability to communicate with a diverse range of people.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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77%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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68%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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68%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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64%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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63%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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63%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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61%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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61%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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59%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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59%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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59%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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57%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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57%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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55%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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55%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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55%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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55%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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54%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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52%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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45%
Management of material resourcesProviding the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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94%
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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76%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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70%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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70%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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68%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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59%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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59%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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59%
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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58%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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57%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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52%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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50%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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49%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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44%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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44%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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38%
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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34%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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34%
Fine artsCompose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
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33%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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21%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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79%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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70%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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66%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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64%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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61%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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61%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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55%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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55%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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55%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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54%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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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%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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50%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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45%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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45%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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43%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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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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39%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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78%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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77%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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72%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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72%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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70%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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65%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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63%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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59%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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59%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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58%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
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57%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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57%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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56%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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56%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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54%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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53%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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51%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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49%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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41%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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35%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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67%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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67%
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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38%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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29%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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14%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
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95%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
90%
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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90%
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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76%
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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71%
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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48%
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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96%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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96%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
95%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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94%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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94%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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93%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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93%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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93%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
90%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
89%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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89%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
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88%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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85%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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77%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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75%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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71%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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66%
In an enclosed vehicle or equipmentWork in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
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66%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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65%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
64%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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, 21-2011.00 - Clergy.
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.