Podiatrists
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Podiatrists prevent, diagnose and treat disorders of the feet.
Specialisations: Podiatric Surgeon.
A bachelor degree in podiatry is needed to work as a Podiatrist.
Tasks
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examining patients' feet to determine the nature and extent of conditions, deformities and injuries
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examining and treating foot disabilities caused by diseases such as diabetes, peripheral vascular disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and other neuropathies
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prescribing and arranging the fabrication of footwear to correct foot abnormalities
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performing minor surgery to remove and improve abnormal conditions
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prescribing and fitting replaceable pads, palliative and functional supports and other devices for the protection and correction of foot abnormalities
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advising patients about continued treatment and foot care
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may provide rehabilitation services to the physically handicapped
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may refer patients to or have patients referred from Medical Practitioners
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. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow very strongly
- is likely to reach 8,500 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.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 4,500 |
2012 | 3,200 |
2013 | 4,700 |
2014 | 3,800 |
2015 | 4,400 |
2016 | 3,400 |
2017 | 4,500 |
2018 | 3,600 |
2019 | 8,100 |
2020 | 4,900 |
2021 | 6,400 |
2026 | 8,500 |
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 64% of people employed as Podiatrists 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).
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 Podiatrists work in the Health care and social assistance industry.
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 | Podiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 28.2 | 31.6 |
VIC | 31.1 | 25.6 |
QLD | 17.4 | 20.0 |
SA | 9.1 | 7.0 |
WA | 10.1 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.4 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.4 | 1.9 |
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Around 64% of Podiatrists 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
- Melbourne - North East
- 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 Podiatrists is 36 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 60% of the workforce. This is 12 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 | Podiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 8.8 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 38.3 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 25.4 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 17.9 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 5.4 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 2.5 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.7 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 36 | 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
A bachelor degree in podiatry is needed to work as a Podiatrist.
Registration with the Podiatry Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency is required.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Podiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 17.9 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 70.5 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 10.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.4 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 0.7 | 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 Podiatrists who are caring, compassionate, empathetic and work well in a team.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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77%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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68%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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66%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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61%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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61%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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59%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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57%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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57%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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55%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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54%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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54%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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54%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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54%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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52%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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52%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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50%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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48%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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46%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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45%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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45%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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82%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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75%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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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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66%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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62%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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59%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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56%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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56%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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55%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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54%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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54%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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50%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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46%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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43%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
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43%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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41%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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40%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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35%
PhysicsThe physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
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32%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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24%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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77%
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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71%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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71%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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71%
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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57%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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57%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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57%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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54%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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52%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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50%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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50%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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48%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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48%
VisualizationImagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
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45%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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45%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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43%
Arm-hand steadinessKeep your hand or arm steady.
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43%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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90%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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77%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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75%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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73%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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73%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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73%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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71%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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68%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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67%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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66%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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64%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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61%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
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61%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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59%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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59%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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55%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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55%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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53%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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51%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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47%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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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62%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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38%
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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86%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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86%
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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86%
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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81%
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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79%
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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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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98%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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96%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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95%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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94%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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94%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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93%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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92%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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91%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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90%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
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89%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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89%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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87%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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87%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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86%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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85%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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85%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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85%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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83%
Using your hands to handle, control, or feelSpend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
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82%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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79%
Wear common protective or safety equipmentWear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
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, 29-1081.00 - Podiatrists.
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.