Product Examiners

ANZSCO ID 839311

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,900
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
84%
Female Share
41%
Average age
45

Summary

Product Examiners examine products to ensure conformity to specifications and standards of presentation and quality.

Also known as: Quality Assurance Assessor or Quality Control Assessor.

Specialisations: Film Examiner, Metal Products Viewer, Textile Examiner, Tyre Finisher and Examiner, Vehicle Assembly Inspector.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Product Examiner. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in a related field, such as manufacturing, engineering trades, sciences or technology.

Tasks

  • Studies product specifications and takes measurement to determine conformity to specifications.

  • Examines and marks output for visible defects such as cracks, holes and breakages.

  • Makes minor repairs and adjustments to products.

  • Compiles quality assurance reports, maintains documentation and reports findings.

  • Examines products for defects and grades product.

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Product Quality Controllers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 84% of people employed as Product Examiners work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 18 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
49.1%
2
Wholesale Trade
6.3%
3
Retail Trade
5.3%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
5.1%
5
Other industries
27.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

27.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

35.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

15.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

10.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.7% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.9% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Product Examiners All Jobs Average
NSW 27.1 31.6
VIC 35.2 25.6
QLD 15.0 20.0
SA 10.3 7.0
WA 9.5 10.8
TAS 1.2 2.0
NT 0.7 1.0
ACT 0.9 1.9


  • Around 72% of Product Examiners live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria and South Australia have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    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
45
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
41%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Product Examiners is 45 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 41% of the workforce. This is 7 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 Product Examiners All Jobs Average
15-19 0.9 5.0
20-24 4.6 9.3
25-34 20.5 22.9
35-44 23.2 22.0
45-54 26.0 21.6
55-59 12.2 9.0
60-64 8.6 6.0
65 and Over 4.0 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

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Product Examiner. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in a related field, such as manufacturing, engineering trades, sciences or technology.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore 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 Product Examiners All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 7.8 10.1
Bachelor degree 19.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 12.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 22.9 21.1
Year 12 18.1 18.1
Year 11 4.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 13.8 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 Product Quality Controllers who pay attention to detail, can communicate clearly and work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 48%

    Critical thinking

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

  • 45%

    Active listening

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

  • 45%

    Quality control analysis

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

  • 45%

    Monitoring

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

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

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

  • 45%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

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

  • 41%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 37%

    Complex problem solving

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

  • 37%

    Time management

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

  • 36%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 36%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 32%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 32%

    Active learning

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

  • 32%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 30%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 29%

    Systems analysis

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

  • 27%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 49%

    Production and processing

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

  • 47%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 42%

    English language

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

  • 39%

    Education and training

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

  • 38%

    Computers and electronics

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

  • 33%

    Customer and personal service

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

  • 32%

    Mechanical

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

  • 31%

    Clerical

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

  • 31%

    Technical design

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

  • 26%

    Engineering and technology

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

  • 24%

    Administration and management

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

  • 24%

    Public safety and security

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

  • 24%

    Chemistry

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

  • 18%

    Physics

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

  • 14%

    Transportation

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

  • 13%

    Communications and media

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

  • 13%

    Personnel and human resources

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

  • 12%

    Sales and marketing

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

  • 12%

    Psychology

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

  • 11%

    Law and government

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


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 55%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Near vision

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

  • 50%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 45%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 45%

    Flexibility of closure

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

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

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

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

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

  • 43%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

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

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

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

  • 41%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 39%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 39%

    Colour discrimination

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

  • 39%

    Manual dexterity

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

  • 39%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 37%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.


Activities

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

  • 65%

    Handling and moving objects

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

  • 54%

    Looking for changes over time

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

  • 53%

    Assessing and evaluating things

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

  • 53%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

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

  • 53%

    Checking for errors or defects

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

  • 53%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 52%

    Communicating within a team

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

  • 50%

    Doing physically active work

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

  • 49%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

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

  • 49%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 49%

    Collecting and organising information

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

  • 49%

    Planning and prioritising work

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

  • 49%

    Making decisions and solving problems

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

  • 45%

    Checking compliance with standards

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

  • 44%

    Documenting or recording information

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

  • 44%

    Controlling equipment or machines

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

  • 40%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 39%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

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

  • 37%

    Making sense of information and ideas

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

  • 36%

    Training and teaching others

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


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Administrative

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

  • 90%

    Practical

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

  • 52%

    Analytical

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

  • 38%

    Enterprising

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

  • 24%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Creative

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


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 62%

    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.

  • 43%

    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.

  • 40%

    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.

  • 33%

    Achievement

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

  • 33%

    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.

  • 24%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

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

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

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

  • 92%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 88%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

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

  • 86%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 86%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

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

  • 84%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 83%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 81%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

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

  • 81%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 78%

    Repeating same tasks

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

  • 77%

    Unstructured work

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

  • 75%

    Responsible for outcomes

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

  • 75%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 72%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 71%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 71%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 69%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

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

  • 68%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

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, 51-9061.00 - Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.


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