Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere)

ANZSCO ID 234999

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
66%
Female Share
53%
Average age
37

Summary

Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) include jobs like Materials Scientist, Metrologist, Polymer Scientist, Respiratory Scientist, and Sleep Scientist.

Tasks

  • Conducts experiments to test pre-existing theories and come up with new theories.

  • Designs and tests experiment equipment.

  • Tests and processes minerals for their elements.

  • Writes up reports on experiments undertaken.

  • May supervise staff.

  • May write papers for scientific journals.


Outlook

Employment 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, Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 66% of people employed as Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 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

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
50.9%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
13.4%
3
Public Administration and Safety
10.3%
4
Education and Training
8.8%
5
Other industries
13.3%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

23.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

32.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

18.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

16.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

3.9% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) All Jobs Average
NSW 23.7 31.6
VIC 32.2 25.6
QLD 18.0 20.0
SA 5.4 7.0
WA 16.2 10.8
TAS 0.8 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 3.9 1.9


  • Around 81% of Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

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

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
37
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
53%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) is 37 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 53% of the workforce. This is 5 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)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 7.9 9.3
25-34 34.0 22.9
35-44 24.8 22.0
45-54 17.9 21.6
55-59 7.1 9.0
60-64 4.9 6.0
65 and Over 3.6 4.2
Median Age 37 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

This group includes jobs that might have different study pathways.

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  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Natural and Physical Science Professionals (not covered elsewhere) All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 38.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 46.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 7.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 3.8 21.1
Year 12 3.8 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 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 Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 71%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 68%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 63%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 59%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 57%

    Active listening

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

  • 57%

    Monitoring

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

  • 57%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 55%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 55%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 55%

    Active learning

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

  • 52%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 48%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Systems analysis

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

  • 46%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 45%

    Time management

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

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 86%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 83%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 83%

    Chemistry

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

  • 81%

    Physics

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

  • 67%

    English language

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

  • 66%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 65%

    Technical design

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

  • 63%

    Mechanical

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

  • 60%

    Administration and management

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

  • 58%

    Education and training

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

  • 54%

    Production and processing

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

  • 46%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 41%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 40%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 39%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 37%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 34%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 33%

    Clerical

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

  • 32%

    Building and construction

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

  • 29%

    Telecommunications

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 70%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 68%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 66%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 64%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 61%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 59%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 59%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 57%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 57%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Near vision

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

  • 54%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 52%

    Visualization

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

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 43%

    Colour discrimination

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


Activities

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

  • 86%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 84%

    Making sense of information and ideas

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

  • 84%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 83%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 82%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 81%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 81%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 76%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 76%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 75%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 73%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 72%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 72%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 71%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 70%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 65%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 65%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 64%

    Coming up with systems and processes

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

  • 63%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 60%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

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

  • 71%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 52%

    Enterprising

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

  • 48%

    Administrative

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

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Achievement

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

  • 76%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 74%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 57%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 88%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 85%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 84%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 84%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 84%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 82%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 77%

    Contact with people

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

  • 75%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 74%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 73%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 72%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 71%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 69%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 67%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 65%

    Responsible for outcomes

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

  • 64%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 62%

    Dangerous conditions

    Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 19-2032.00 - Materials Scientists.


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