Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

ANZSCO ID 599514

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
78%
Female Share
34%
Average age
46

Summary

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors inspect and monitor plants, land and water for noxious plants and animal species, and organise for their control or eradication.

Also known as: Biosecurity Officer (Weeds and Pests).

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspector. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in science (agricultural, environmental or natural and physical), land management, horticulture or another related field.

Tasks

  • Identifies pest and weed problems and determines treatment and management.


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, Inspectors and Regulatory Officers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 78% of people employed as Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    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
Public Administration and Safety
69.9%
2
Administrative and Support Services
10.1%
3
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
7.9%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
3.2%
5
Other industries
5.3%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.0% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

15.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

30.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

3.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

3.3% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

2.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.5% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors All Jobs Average
NSW 33.0 31.6
VIC 15.1 25.6
QLD 30.4 20.0
SA 3.3 7.0
WA 10.2 10.8
TAS 3.3 2.0
NT 2.1 1.0
ACT 2.5 1.9


  • Around 51% of Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    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
46
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
34%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors is 46 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers fall into the 35 to 44 years and 45 to 54 years age ranges.

    Females make up 34% of the workforce. This is 14 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)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors All Jobs Average
15-19 0.8 5.0
20-24 2.3 9.3
25-34 13.8 22.9
35-44 29.8 22.0
45-54 29.8 21.6
55-59 12.1 9.0
60-64 7.8 6.0
65 and Over 3.7 4.2
Median Age 46 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 Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspector. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in science (agricultural, environmental or natural and physical), land management, horticulture or another related field.

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 Local Government and Public Sector VET training pathways.

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 Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 10.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 26.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 17.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 22.8 21.1
Year 12 11.8 18.1
Year 11 3.3 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 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.

  • 43%

    Active listening

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

  • 43%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 41%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 41%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 41%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Time management

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

  • 39%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 39%

    Monitoring

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

  • 36%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 34%

    Active learning

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

  • 34%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 32%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 32%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 32%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 32%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 30%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 25%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 56%

    Biology

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

  • 53%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 53%

    Production and processing

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

  • 51%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 51%

    Education and training

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

  • 48%

    Administration and management

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

  • 48%

    Chemistry

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

  • 44%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 41%

    Mechanical

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

  • 41%

    English language

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

  • 41%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 39%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 37%

    Physics

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

  • 36%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 32%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 31%

    Clerical

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

  • 29%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 28%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 25%

    Communications and media

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

  • 20%

    Telecommunications

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 46%

    Near vision

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

  • 46%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 43%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 43%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 41%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 41%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 41%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 37%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 37%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 37%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 36%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 34%

    Colour discrimination

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


Activities

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

  • 76%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 73%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 65%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 64%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 63%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 62%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 60%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 59%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 58%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 57%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 57%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 56%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 53%

    Scheduling work and activities

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

  • 53%

    Communicating with the public

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

  • 52%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 51%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 51%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 49%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 48%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 48%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.


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.

  • 95%

    Practical

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

  • 52%

    Administrative

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

  • 38%

    Analytical

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

  • 33%

    Enterprising

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

  • 14%

    Creative

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

  • 14%

    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%

    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.

  • 57%

    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.

  • 50%

    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.

  • 48%

    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.

  • 29%

    Achievement

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

  • 29%

    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.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 95%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 93%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 93%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 91%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 88%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 87%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 86%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 85%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 84%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 84%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 84%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 83%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 82%

    Dangerous conditions

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

  • 80%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 77%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 76%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 76%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 73%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 72%

    Contact with people

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

  • 72%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

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, 37-3012.00 - Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation.


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