Overview
All Handypersons
-
$1,068 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
57,600 workers Employment Size
-
Entry level Skill level rating
-
54% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
43 hours Average full-time
-
52 years Average age
-
4% female Gender Share
Handypersons clean, paint, repair and maintain buildings, grounds and facilities.
Specialisations: Hotel Yardperson.
You can work as a Handyperson without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as carpentry, joinery or metal, electrical and engineering trades.
Tasks
- repairing broken windows, screens, doors, fences, barbecues, picnic tables, shelves, cupboards and other items
- replacing defective items such as light bulbs
- repairing and painting interior and exterior surfaces such as walls, ceilings and fences
- clearing rubbish and leaves from driveways and grounds
- mowing lawns and cultivating gardens
- adjusting doors and windows
- replacing tap washers
- putting up handrails and grab rails
Prospects
There were 57,600 Handypersons in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew very strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow strongly over the next five years
- is likely to reach 63,000 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. 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 Snapshot
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Handypersons work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Construction; Administrative and Support Services; and Accommodation and Food Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,068 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Around half work full-time (54%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 43 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 52 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (69%).
- Gender: 4% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, 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.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
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.
Pathways
You can work as a Handyperson without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as carpentry, joinery or metal, electrical and engineering trades.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Handypersons who work well in a team, are well presented and reliable.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Balance
Keep your balance or stay upright.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Whole body coordination
Move your arms, legs, and body together.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Dynamic strength
Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Stamina
Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

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, 47-3014.00 - Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.
Work Environment
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.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles
Spend time climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles.
-
Work at heights
Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

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, 47-3014.00 - Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.
All Handypersons
-
$1,068 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
-
57,600 workers Employment Size
-
Entry level Skill level rating
-
54% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
43 hours Average full-time
-
52 years Average age
-
4% female Gender Share
Handypersons clean, paint, repair and maintain buildings, grounds and facilities.
Specialisations: Hotel Yardperson.
You can work as a Handyperson without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as carpentry, joinery or metal, electrical and engineering trades.
Tasks
- repairing broken windows, screens, doors, fences, barbecues, picnic tables, shelves, cupboards and other items
- replacing defective items such as light bulbs
- repairing and painting interior and exterior surfaces such as walls, ceilings and fences
- clearing rubbish and leaves from driveways and grounds
- mowing lawns and cultivating gardens
- adjusting doors and windows
- replacing tap washers
- putting up handrails and grab rails
There were 57,600 Handypersons in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew very strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow strongly over the next five years
- is likely to reach 63,000 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. 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 Snapshot
- Size: This is a very large occupation.
- Location: Handypersons work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Construction; Administrative and Support Services; and Accommodation and Food Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,068 per week (below the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Around half work full-time (54%, less than the average of 66%), showing there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 43 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 52 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (69%).
- Gender: 4% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, 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.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
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.
You can work as a Handyperson without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as carpentry, joinery or metal, electrical and engineering trades.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.
Employers look for Handypersons who work well in a team, are well presented and reliable.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Foreign language
Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Equipment selection
Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Balance
Keep your balance or stay upright.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Whole body coordination
Move your arms, legs, and body together.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Dynamic strength
Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Stamina
Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Working with mechanical equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Making sense of information and ideas
Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

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, 47-3014.00 - Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.
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.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Bending or twisting your body
Spend time bending or twisting your body.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles
Spend time climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles.
-
Work at heights
Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

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, 47-3014.00 - Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.