Technical Sales Representatives
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Technical Sales Representatives represent companies in selling a range of industrial, medical and pharmaceutical goods and services to industrial, business, professional and other establishments.
Tasks
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compiling lists of prospective client businesses using directories and other sources
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acquiring and updating knowledge of employers' and competitors' goods and services, and market conditions
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visiting regular and prospective client businesses to establish and act on selling opportunities
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assessing customers' needs and recommending and explaining goods and services to them
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monitoring customers' changing needs and competitor activity, and reporting these developments to sales management
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quoting and negotiating prices and credit terms, and completing contracts and recording orders
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arranging delivery of goods, installation of equipment and the provision of services
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reporting to sales management on sales made and the marketability of goods and services
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following up with clients to ensure satisfaction with goods and services purchased, and resolving any problems arising
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preparing sales reports and maintaining and submitting records of business expenses incurred
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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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 in this occupation is likely to remain stable.
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 | 36,200 |
2012 | 36,300 |
2013 | 28,400 |
2014 | 27,500 |
2015 | 24,200 |
2016 | 30,800 |
2017 | 29,300 |
2018 | 34,000 |
2019 | 33,700 |
2020 | 28,700 |
2021 | 30,900 |
2026 | 30,100 |
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 91% of people employed as Technical Sales Representatives work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 25 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.
More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
Median full-time earnings are $2,151 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,664
- 1 in 4 earn more than $2,750
Median hourly earnings are $57, this is more 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. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. 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 | Technical Sales Representatives | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 2,151 | 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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Technical Sales Representatives work in industries like:
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 | Technical Sales Representatives | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 31.7 | 31.6 |
VIC | 25.8 | 25.6 |
QLD | 21.2 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.6 | 7.0 |
WA | 12.3 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.4 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.4 | 1.0 |
ACT | 0.5 | 1.9 |
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Around 68% of Technical Sales Representatives live in capital cities, compared with 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
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The median age of Technical Sales Representatives is 44 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 28% of the workforce. This is 20 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 | Technical Sales Representatives | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.3 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 3.1 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 20.3 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 28.8 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 27.5 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.3 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 3.7 | 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
Technical experience in a relevant field is usually needed to work as a Technical Sales Representative. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) or university qualification in fields like business sales, nursing, science or engineering.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Retail Services VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Technical Sales Representatives | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 8.6 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 25.5 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 13.1 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 21.7 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 18.0 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 4.5 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 8.5 | 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 Technical Sales Representatives who have strong communication skills and the ability to communicate with diverse audiences.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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59%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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59%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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57%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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57%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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54%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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54%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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54%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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52%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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48%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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48%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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45%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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45%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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45%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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43%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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43%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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43%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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41%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
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37%
Management of financial resourcesFiguring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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68%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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65%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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54%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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53%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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52%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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51%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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48%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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47%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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39%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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38%
Engineering and technologyUse engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
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36%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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33%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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30%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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29%
ChemistryChemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
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29%
Technical designDesign techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
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28%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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27%
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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26%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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26%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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23%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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66%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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64%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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59%
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 comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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55%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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55%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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52%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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52%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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52%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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52%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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46%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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46%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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45%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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45%
Working with numbersAdd, subtract, multiply, or divide.
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43%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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41%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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39%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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39%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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39%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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75%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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67%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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60%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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56%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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55%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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55%
Influencing peopleConvincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
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52%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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50%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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47%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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45%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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42%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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42%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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41%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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41%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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39%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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39%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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37%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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36%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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35%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
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35%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use 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.
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100%
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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76%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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48%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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48%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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38%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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24%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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71%
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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67%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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67%
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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62%
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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57%
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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52%
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%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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94%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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94%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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91%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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91%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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87%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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85%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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85%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
81%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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79%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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76%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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76%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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75%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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75%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
73%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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73%
In an enclosed vehicle or equipmentWork in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
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71%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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70%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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67%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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, 41-4011.00 - Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.
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.