Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.
Sample of reported job titles:
Campus Security Officer, Custom Protection Officer, Customer Service Security Officer, Hotel Security Officer, Loss Prevention Officer, Safety and Security Officer, Security Agent, Security Guard, Security Officer
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Tasks
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Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.
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Answer alarms and investigate disturbances.
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Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.
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Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.
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Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.
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Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency, such as fire or presence of unauthorized persons.
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Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.
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Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.
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Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.
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Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed.
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Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas.
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Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering.
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Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection.
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Monitor and adjust controls that regulate building systems, such as air conditioning, furnace, or boiler.
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Technology Skills
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Cloud-based data access and sharing software — Microsoft SharePoint
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Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook
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Network monitoring software — Wireshark
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Office suite software — Corel WordPerfect Office Suite; Microsoft Office software
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Spreadsheet software — IBM Lotus 1-2-3; Microsoft Excel
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Transaction security and virus protection software — McAfee; NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software
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Video conferencing software — FaceTime
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Word processing software — Microsoft Word
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
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Work Activities
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Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
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Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
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Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
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Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
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Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
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Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
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Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
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Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
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Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
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Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
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Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
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Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
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Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
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Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
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Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
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Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
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Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
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Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
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Detailed Work Activities
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Block physical access to restricted areas.
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Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
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Respond to emergencies to provide assistance.
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Monitor access or flow of people to prevent problems.
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Prevent unauthorized individuals from entering restricted areas.
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Write operational reports.
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Operate surveillance equipment to detect suspicious or illegal activities.
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Patrol properties to maintain safety.
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Request emergency personnel.
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Maintain public order or security.
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Provide first aid or rescue assistance in emergencies.
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Use weapons or physical force to maintain security.
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Warn individuals about rule violations or safety concerns.
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Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.
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Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
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Drive vehicles to transport individuals or equipment.
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Adjust building climate control systems.
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Work Context
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Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 78% responded “Every day.”
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Contact With Others — 60% responded “Constant contact with others.”
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Face-to-Face Discussions — 82% responded “Every day.”
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Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 47% responded “Extremely important.”
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Telephone — 67% responded “Every day.”
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Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 53% responded “Important results.”
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Work With Work Group or Team — 45% responded “Very important.”
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Freedom to Make Decisions — 45% responded “A lot of freedom.”
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Frequency of Decision Making — 63% responded “Every day.”
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Deal With External Customers — 52% responded “Very important.”
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Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 50% responded “Extremely important.”
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Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 47% responded “Very high responsibility.”
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Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — 21% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
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Physical Proximity — 69% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
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Structured versus Unstructured Work — 37% responded “A lot of freedom.”
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Letters and Memos — 38% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
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Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 33% responded “Every day.”
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Level of Competition — 53% responded “Highly competitive.”
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Coordinate or Lead Others — 27% responded “Important.”
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Frequency of Conflict Situations — 31% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
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Spend Time Walking and Running — 42% responded “More than half the time.”
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Duration of Typical Work Week — 28% responded “More than 40 hours.”
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Consequence of Error — 26% responded “Very serious.”
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Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 43% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
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Exposed to Contaminants — 26% responded “Never.”
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Very Hot or Cold Temperatures — 33% responded “Once a year or more but not every month.”
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Spend Time Standing — 42% responded “Less than half the time.”
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Time Pressure — 25% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
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Job Zone
- Title
- Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
- Related Experience
- Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
- Job Training
- Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
- Job Zone Examples
- These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
- SVP Range
- 3 months to 1 year of preparation (4.0 to < 6.0)
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Training & Credentials
- State training
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- Local training
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- Certifications
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- State licenses
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- Apprenticeships
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Have a career path or location in mind? Visit Apprenticeship.gov
external site to find apprenticeship opportunities near you.
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Skills
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Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
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Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
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Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
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Knowledge
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Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
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English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
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Abilities
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Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
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Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
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Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
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Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
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Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
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Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
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Interests
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Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
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Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
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Enterprising — Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
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Work Values
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Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
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Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
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Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
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Work Styles
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Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
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Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
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Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
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Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
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Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
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Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
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Wages & Employment Trends
- Median wages (2021)
- $15.13 hourly, $31,470 annual
- State wages
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- Local wages
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- Employment (2021)
- 1,077,700 employees
- Projected growth (2021-2031)
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Slower than average (2% to 3%)
- Projected job openings (2021-2031)
- 154,500
- State trends
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- Top industries (2021)
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 wage data
external site and 2021-2031 employment projections
external site.
“Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2021-2031). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Job Openings on the Web
- State job openings
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- Local job openings
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