Psychiatrists
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Psychiatrists diagnose, assess, treat and prevent human mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Psychiatric Registrars training as Psychiatrists are included here.
Specialisations: Adolescent Psychiatrist, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Child Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist, Geriatric Psychiatrist, Medical Psychotherapist.
Medical Practitioners need to undertake further training with the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to become a Psychiatrist.
Tasks
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assessing patients' mental and physical status to determine the nature and extent of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders
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assessing patients' medical, psychiatric and psychological histories
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examining patients to determine general physical condition
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ordering laboratory tests, imaging, neuropsychological tests and other diagnostic procedures
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examining the results of tests and examinations to determine the most appropriate forms of treatment
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prescribing and administering medication, psychotherapy, and other physical treatments and rehabilitation programs
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arranging admission to hospitals and providing in-patient treatment
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consulting, supervising and working with other Medical Practitioners and Health Professionals
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determining whether patients require involuntary treatment in accordance with relevant mental health acts
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assisting courts and other statutory bodies in managing patients in legal and forensic settings
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teaching medical students and registrars, and assessing their progress by administering tests
Characteristics
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University
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Analytical
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Creative
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Helping
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Sedentary
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 moderately
- is likely to reach 5,900 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 | 2,600 |
2012 | 2,200 |
2013 | 2,700 |
2014 | 4,700 |
2015 | 5,100 |
2016 | 1,700 |
2017 | 5,400 |
2018 | 4,700 |
2019 | 3,400 |
2020 | 2,400 |
2021 | 5,600 |
2026 | 5,900 |
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 71% of people employed as Psychiatrists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 5 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Median full-time earnings are $3,387 per week, this is much higher than weekly earnings for all jobs ($1,593).
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)
Earnings | Psychiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 3,387 | 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
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Most Psychiatrists 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 | Psychiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 29.1 | 31.6 |
VIC | 29.9 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.9 | 7.0 |
WA | 9.6 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.2 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.6 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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Around 80% of Psychiatrists 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
- Brisbane Inner City.
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 Psychiatrists is 47 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 44% of the workforce. This is 4 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)
Age Bracket | Psychiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.3 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 14.4 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 27.9 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 23.7 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.7 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 9.1 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 14.0 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 47 | 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 & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to become a Psychiatrist.
Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation 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 | Psychiatrists | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 64.8 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 34.0 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 0.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.1 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 0.5 | 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 Psychiatrists 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%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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71%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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71%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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66%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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63%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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63%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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63%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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61%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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61%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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59%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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59%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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59%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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57%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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57%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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57%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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55%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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55%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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52%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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50%
Operations analysisUnderstanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
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48%
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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96%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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94%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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83%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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72%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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71%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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70%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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65%
BiologyPlant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
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64%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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59%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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53%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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53%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
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49%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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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%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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42%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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39%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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36%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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29%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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27%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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22%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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73%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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70%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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70%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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68%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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68%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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66%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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66%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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59%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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59%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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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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55%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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52%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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46%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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43%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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43%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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41%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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87%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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84%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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84%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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83%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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83%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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81%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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74%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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72%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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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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70%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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70%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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69%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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67%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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67%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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67%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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63%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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62%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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61%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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61%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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54%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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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81%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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62%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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38%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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29%
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%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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.
-
90%
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.
-
88%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
62%
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%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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98%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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97%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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97%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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96%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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89%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
88%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
88%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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88%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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86%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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86%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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83%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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82%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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81%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
78%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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78%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
78%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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76%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
-
76%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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, 29-1066.00 - Psychiatrists.
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.