Other Machine Operators

ANZSCO ID 7119

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
16,500
Future Growth
-18.7%
Weekly Earnings
$1,227
Full-Time Share
69%
Female Share
38%
Average age
44

Summary

Other Machine Operators includes a range of occupations such as Chemical Production Machine Operators, Motion Picture Projectionists, Sand Blasters and Sterilisation Technicians.

Tasks

  • operates machines to produce chemical goods such as soaps, detergents, pharmaceuticals, toiletries and explosives

  • operates film projection and related sound reproduction equipment

  • operates sandblasting machines to clean and grind metal products and other hard surfaces

  • cleans, sterilises and packages surgical instruments and other hospital equipment, soft goods and linen in a sterilisation service facility

Characteristics

Job Type
Machinery Operators And Drivers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment 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:

  • is expected to decline
  • is likely to reach 8,600 by 2026.
  • 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.

Projected Change
-18.7%
(or -2,000 jobs)
From
10,500
in 2021
To
8,600
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 12,200
2012 11,400
2013 13,400
2014 9,200
2015 8,800
2016 11,700
2017 11,600
2018 18,800
2019 18,500
2020 11,500
2021 10,500
2026 8,600

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

  • Around 68% of people employed as Other Machine Operators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,227 per week, this is much lower than weekly earnings for all jobs ($1,593).

    Median hourly earnings are $31, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Other Machine Operators All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,227 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
29.7%
2
Health Care and Social Assistance
26.6%
3
Construction
13.3%
4
Arts and Recreation Services
12.0%
5
Other industries
18.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

30.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

28.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.3% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.3% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Other Machine Operators All Jobs Average
NSW 30.4 31.6
VIC 28.5 25.6
QLD 19.4 20.0
SA 7.4 7.0
WA 10.3 10.8
TAS 2.0 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 1.3 1.9


  • Around 61% of Other Machine Operators live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    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
44
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
38%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Other Machine Operators is 44 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 38% of the workforce. This is 10 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 Other Machine Operators All Jobs Average
15-19 3.8 5.0
20-24 9.0 9.3
25-34 18.9 22.9
35-44 20.5 22.0
45-54 25.9 21.6
55-59 11.5 9.0
60-64 7.2 6.0
65 and Over 3.1 4.2
Median Age 44 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 an Other Machine Operator, although some workers have undertaken training.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Chemical, Hydrocarbons & Refining 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 Other Machine Operators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 10.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 8.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 29.7 21.1
Year 12 21.0 18.1
Year 11 6.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 20.5 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 Machine Operators who are hardworking, can work well with others and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 55%

    Operation monitoring

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

  • 48%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 45%

    Monitoring

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

  • 45%

    Active listening

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

  • 45%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 45%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 41%

    Active learning

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

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 41%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 41%

    Time management

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

  • 39%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 37%

    Equipment maintenance

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

  • 37%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 37%

    Systems analysis

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

  • 36%

    Learning strategies

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


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 72%

    Production and processing

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

  • 68%

    Chemistry

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

  • 64%

    Mechanical

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

  • 63%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 58%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 56%

    Administration and management

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

  • 56%

    Education and training

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

  • 55%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 50%

    English language

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

  • 50%

    Clerical

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

  • 45%

    Law and government

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

  • 44%

    Technical design

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

  • 43%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 42%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 41%

    Transportation

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

  • 41%

    Physics

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

  • 35%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 28%

    Telecommunications

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

  • 27%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 20%

    Communications and media

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 55%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 52%

    Near vision

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

  • 52%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 50%

    Control precision

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

  • 50%

    Multilimb coordination

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

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 50%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 48%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 45%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 45%

    Flexibility of closure

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

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 45%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

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

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.


Activities

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

  • 72%

    Handling and moving objects

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

  • 71%

    Controlling equipment or machines

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

  • 68%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 67%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 63%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 63%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 62%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 62%

    Doing physically active work

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

  • 56%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 56%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 55%

    Collecting and organising information

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

  • 53%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 52%

    Making sense of information and ideas

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

  • 48%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 47%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 47%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 46%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 45%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

  • 44%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

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

  • 40%

    Working with computers

    Using 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.

  • 100%

    Practical

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

  • 48%

    Administrative

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

  • 29%

    Analytical

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

  • 29%

    Enterprising

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

  • 19%

    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.
  • 86%

    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.

  • 62%

    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.

  • 62%

    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.

  • 52%

    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%

    Achievement

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

  • 33%

    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:
  • 100%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 91%

    Dangerous conditions

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

  • 89%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 88%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 88%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 87%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

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

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 85%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 84%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 83%

    Contact with people

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

  • 83%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 82%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 81%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 80%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 80%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 80%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 79%

    Responsible for outcomes

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

  • 77%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

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, 51-9011.00 - Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders.


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