Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Obstetrician and Gynaecologists provide diagnostic, treatment and preventative medical and surgical services related to the care of women, foetuses and children during pregnancy and childbirth, and to disorders of the female genital, urinary, rectal and reproductive organs.
Specialisations: Gynaecological Oncologist, Reproductive Endocrinologist, Urogynaecologist.
Medical Practitioners need to undertake further training with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to become an Obstetrician or Gynaecologist.
Tasks
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Diagnoses and treats female patients for diseases of the reproductive system, using surgery if necessary.
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Examines patients periodically and provides advice or prescribes medication during pre-natal period.
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Delivers infants and cares for mother for prescribed period of time following childbirth.
Characteristics
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University
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Practical
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Analytical
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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
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 Medical Practitioners, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 86% of people employed as Obstetricians and Gynaecologists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 20 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 53 hours per week in their main job. This is 9 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 Obstetricians and Gynaecologists work in the Health care and social assistance 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 | Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 27.5 | 31.6 |
VIC | 29.7 | 25.6 |
QLD | 19.8 | 20.0 |
SA | 8.4 | 7.0 |
WA | 9.9 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.3 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.7 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.8 | 1.9 |
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Around 76% of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 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
- Adelaide - Central and Hills
- Melbourne - Inner East
- Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby
- Melbourne - Inner South.
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 Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.
Females make up 56% of the workforce. This is 8 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 | Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.2 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 21.5 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 27.4 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 26.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 6.9 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 8.4 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 45 | 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
Medical Practitioners need to undertake further training with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to become an Obstetrician or Gynaecologist.
Registration with the Medical Board of Australia is required.
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- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 50.9 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 48.6 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 0.2 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 0.2 | 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 Medical Practitioners 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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75%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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68%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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64%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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64%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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63%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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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%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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57%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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57%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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57%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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55%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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55%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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54%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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52%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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52%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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50%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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46%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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45%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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45%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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94%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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91%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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82%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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74%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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73%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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73%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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69%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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57%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
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57%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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56%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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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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51%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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48%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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46%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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46%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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44%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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43%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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42%
PhysicsThe physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
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38%
Engineering and technologyUse engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
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37%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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82%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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73%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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70%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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68%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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68%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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68%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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59%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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59%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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57%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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55%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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55%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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55%
Manual dexterityQuickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
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54%
Arm-hand steadinessKeep your hand or arm steady.
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52%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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46%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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45%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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45%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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45%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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43%
Control precisionQuickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
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37%
Colour discriminationNotice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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86%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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85%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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85%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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83%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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80%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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80%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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74%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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73%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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68%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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66%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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64%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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63%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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63%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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63%
Managing payments and ordersMonitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.
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62%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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62%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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59%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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59%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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58%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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55%
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.
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100%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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86%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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71%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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52%
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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29%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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29%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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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%
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%
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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86%
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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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.
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67%
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%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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100%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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99%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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98%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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96%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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95%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
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93%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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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.
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91%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
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91%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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89%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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87%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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87%
Wear common protective or safety equipmentWear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
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86%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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84%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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84%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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79%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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79%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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, 29-1064.00 - Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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.