For release on 10:00 A.M. (EDT) Thursday, May 28, 2020 USDL-20-1102
Technical information: (202) 691-6199 orsinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ors
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 pressoffice@bls.gov
OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2019
Interaction with the general public was required for 75.3 percent of civilian workers in 2019, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. For workers in office and administrative support occupations, 86.5
percent were required to interact with the general public. Within this occupational group, 61.3 percent of
payroll and timekeeping clerks and 100 percent of bill and account collectors had this requirement.(See
table 1.)
This release features cognitive and mental job requirements in the U.S. economy. These requirements refer to
the ability to pause work, ability to telework, pace and control of workload, how often work is checked,
interpersonal skills, problem solving, supervision of others, whether a supervisor is on-site, verbal
interactions, interactions with the public, and working around crowds.
For workers in food preparation and serving related occupations, 85.1 percent were required to interact with
the general public. Within this occupational group, 28.1 percent of restaurant cooks and 100 percent of
bartenders had this requirement.
Interaction with the general public was not required for 24.7 percent of civilian workers. Interaction with
the general public was also not required for 77.9 percent of software developers and 83.5 percent of
industrial truck and tractor operators.
Working around crowds was required for 4.3 percent of civilian workers and 48.3 percent of workers in
protective service occupations. (See table 2.)
Within the protective services occupational group, 37.9 percent of correctional officers and jailers, 39.2
percent of security guards, 69.4 percent of firefighters, and 81.5 percent of police and sheriff’s patrol
officers were required to work around crowds.
One hundred percent of compliance officers, industrial engineers, web developers, healthcare social workers,
carpenters, and tellers were not required to work around crowds.
A varying work pace was required for 61.1 percent of civilian workers. (See table 3.)
A consistent, generally fast work pace was required for 47.2 percent of workers in production occupations.
Within this occupational group, 67.3 percent of team assemblers and 90.4 percent of packaging and filling
machine operators and tenders had a consistent, generally fast work pace requirement.
A consistent, generally slow work pace was required for 24.7 percent of workers in healthcare support
occupations and a consistent, generally fast, work pace was required for 21.9 percent.
Education, training, and experience - This requirement includes the minimum formal education, credentials,
on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average job performance. These requirements are
combined to calculate the specific vocational preparation (SVP), which refers to the amount of preparation
time required for a typical worker to learn the techniques, acquire the information, and develop the skill
needed for average performance.
Civilian workers
• A bachelor’s degree was required for 18.1 percent of workers. No minimum formal education was
required for 31.0 percent of workers and a high school diploma was required for 40.0 percent.
• On-the-job training was required for 80.1 percent of workers with a median of 14 days.
By occupation
• A high school diploma was required for 100 percent of phlebotomists. Prior work experience was not
required for 70.7 percent and credentials were required for 48.7 percent of phlebotomists.
Environmental conditions - These requirements include the various tangible or concrete hazards or
difficulties that are in the vicinity of where a job’s critical tasks are performed.
Civilian workers
• Exposure to the outdoors was required for 33.4 percent of workers, where 4.2 percent had constant
exposure and 14.5 percent had occasional exposure.
• A loud noise intensity level was present for 8.6 percent of workers, a quiet noise intensity level
was present for 14.2 percent, and a moderate noise intensity level was present for 76.9 percent.
By occupation
• All construction laborers (100 percent) were exposed to the outdoors, where 67.7 percent had
constant outdoor exposure. A loud noise intensity level was present for 28.4 percent of these
workers while a moderate noise intensity level was present for 71.2 percent.
Physical demands - These requirements include the physical activities workers are required to perform for
critical job tasks. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these requirements are published.
Civilian workers
• Keyboarding was required for 64.4 percent of workers and 30.6 percent were required to keyboard
occasionally.
• A median maximum weight of 20 pounds was lifted or carried by workers in support of critical
tasks. A sedentary strength level was required for 27.0 percent of workers, medium strength level
was required for 28.5 percent, and a light strength level was required for 33.8 percent.
By occupation
• Keyboarding was required for 99.9 percent of physical therapists and 82.4 percent were required to
keyboard occasionally. The median maximum weight lifted or carried was 50 pounds and a medium
strength level was required for 63.5 percent of physical therapists.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Beginning with this release the Occupational Requirements Survey estimates will no longer be published |
| at the 8-digit occupation detail. The 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system was used |
| to calculate these estimates. Further information is available at |
| www.bls.gov/ors/notices/2020/implementing-2018-soc.htm. |
|_________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Table 1. Percentage of civilian workers required to interact with the general public, 2019
| Occupation and occupational group |
Required |
Not
required |
Standard
error |
All workers |
75.3 |
24.7 |
0.7 |
Management occupations |
82.2 |
17.8 |
2.0 |
General and operations managers |
80.3 |
19.7 |
4.3 |
Financial managers |
70.1 |
29.9 |
5.6 |
Industrial production managers |
51.6 |
48.4 |
8.4 |
Human resources managers |
82.9 |
17.1 |
4.9 |
Architectural and engineering managers |
47.1 |
52.9 |
10.5 |
Medical and health services managers |
89.8 |
10.2 |
2.7 |
Business and financial operations occupations |
72.5 |
27.5 |
2.8 |
Training and development specialists |
57.8 |
42.2 |
8.0 |
Market research analysts and marketing specialists |
39.2 |
60.8 |
5.3 |
Accountants and auditors |
61.8 |
38.2 |
6.5 |
Budget analysts |
44.5 |
55.5 |
9.6 |
Financial and investment analysts |
31.2 |
68.8 |
9.1 |
Computer and mathematical occupations |
37.7 |
62.3 |
3.9 |
Computer systems analysts |
45.2 |
54.8 |
10.3 |
Computer network support specialists |
31.4 |
68.6 |
6.3 |
Computer user support specialists |
59.6 |
40.4 |
6.6 |
Network and computer systems administrators |
40.2 |
59.8 |
8.8 |
Architecture and engineering occupations |
44.6 |
55.4 |
4.8 |
Industrial engineers |
45.2 |
54.8 |
13.3 |
Mechanical engineers |
53.1 |
46.9 |
8.4 |
Life, physical, and social science occupations |
57.8 |
42.2 |
11.8 |
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations |
86.5 |
13.5 |
2.7 |
Graphic designers |
72.5 |
27.5 |
7.6 |
Food preparation and serving related occupations |
85.1 |
14.9 |
1.6 |
Cooks, institution and cafeteria |
66.9 |
33.1 |
4.2 |
Cooks, restaurant |
28.1 |
71.9 |
8.4 |
Food preparation workers |
69.6 |
30.4 |
8.7 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
60.7 |
39.3 |
6.6 |
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
52.5 |
47.5 |
8.5 |
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
44.2 |
55.8 |
10.3 |
Office and administrative support occupations |
86.5 |
13.5 |
1.9 |
First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers |
81.6 |
18.4 |
5.2 |
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
66.7 |
33.3 |
3.5 |
Production, planning, and expediting clerks |
74.5 |
25.5 |
7.4 |
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks |
49.5 |
50.5 |
6.3 |
Office clerks, general |
84.7 |
15.3 |
3.9 |
Construction and extraction occupations |
42.8 |
57.2 |
3.8 |
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers |
78.5 |
21.5 |
5.3 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
63.5 |
36.5 |
3.0 |
Maintenance and repair workers, general |
71.6 |
28.4 |
5.5 |
Production occupations |
10.2 |
89.8 |
2.1 |
Bakers |
50.1 |
49.9 |
10.5 |
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators |
47.9 |
52.1 |
8.8 |
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers |
15.2 |
84.8 |
4.1 |
Transportation and material moving occupations |
58.8 |
41.2 |
3.1 |
First-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators |
50.7 |
49.3 |
11.0 |
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers |
83.7 |
16.3 |
2.6 |
Industrial truck and tractor operators |
16.5 |
83.5 |
3.8 |
Packers and packagers, hand |
22.0 |
78.0 |
5.7 |
Stockers and order fillers |
70.1 |
29.9 |
7.2 |
|
Note: Due to rounding, sum of estimates may not equal 100 percent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey
|
Table 2. Percentage of civilian workers required to work around crowds, 2019
| Occupation and occupational group |
Required |
Not required |
Standard error |
All workers |
4.3 |
95.7 |
|
Educational instruction and library occupations |
6.5 |
93.5 |
0.7 |
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education |
16.2 |
83.8 |
4.1 |
Protective service occupations |
48.3 |
51.7 |
2.7 |
Firefighters |
69.4 |
30.6 |
5.9 |
Correctional officers and jailers |
37.9 |
62.1 |
8.7 |
Police and sheriff's patrol officers |
81.5 |
18.5 |
5.4 |
Security guards |
39.2 |
60.8 |
7.5 |
Food preparation and serving related occupations |
9.4 |
90.6 |
1.0 |
Waiters and waitresses |
29.1 |
70.9 |
4.8 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
3.7 |
96.3 |
0.9 |
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
7.6 |
92.4 |
1.8 |
Personal care and service occupations |
12.7 |
87.3 |
2.6 |
Office and administrative support occupations |
0.5 |
99.5 |
|
Transportation and material moving occupations |
3.1 |
96.9 |
0.6 |
|
Note: Due to rounding, sum of estimates may not equal 100 percent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey
|
Table 3. Percentage of civilian workers by work pace, 2019
| Occupation and occupational group |
Consistent, generally slow |
Consistent, general fast |
Varying |
| Estimate |
Standard
error |
Estimate |
Standard
error |
Estimate |
Standard
error |
All Workers |
11.0 |
0.5 |
27.9 |
0.8 |
61.1 |
0.7 |
Management occupations |
11.5 |
1.7 |
31.0 |
1.9 |
57.5 |
2.1 |
General and operations managers |
11.1 |
2.9 |
40.4 |
5.7 |
48.5 |
6.6 |
Human resources managers |
13.0 |
3.3 |
29.3 |
6.1 |
57.8 |
6.5 |
Business and financial operations occupations |
11.0 |
1.2 |
28.7 |
3.8 |
60.3 |
3.5 |
Human resources specialists |
8.3 |
2.2 |
27.9 |
7.3 |
63.8 |
7.8 |
Architecture and engineering occupations |
13.2 |
3.0 |
26.4 |
3.8 |
60.5 |
3.5 |
Life, physical, and social science occupations |
13.0 |
3.8 |
18.5 |
4.4 |
68.5 |
7.4 |
Community and social service occupations |
13.3 |
3.8 |
28.6 |
5.3 |
58.1 |
7.3 |
Educational instruction and library occupations |
16.5 |
2.1 |
23.5 |
2.1 |
60.0 |
2.8 |
Elementary school teachers, except special education |
15.1 |
4.2 |
21.6 |
3.6 |
63.2 |
5.2 |
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education |
12.0 |
2.4 |
28.8 |
7.3 |
59.2 |
6.2 |
Teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education |
13.4 |
3.3 |
29.2 |
5.4 |
57.4 |
5.8 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations |
7.0 |
1.5 |
35.4 |
3.6 |
57.6 |
3.3 |
Nuclear medicine technologists |
5.7 |
1.3 |
44.9 |
10.7 |
49.4 |
10.7 |
Healthcare support occupations |
24.7 |
4.6 |
21.9 |
3.2 |
53.3 |
4.3 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
25.0 |
6.6 |
26.2 |
4.9 |
48.9 |
4.6 |
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners |
33.3 |
9.7 |
17.8 |
4.5 |
48.9 |
9.3 |
Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
29.3 |
8.7 |
18.5 |
4.7 |
52.2 |
6.0 |
Personal care and service occupations |
13.9 |
3.3 |
19.7 |
3.2 |
66.4 |
4.2 |
Sales and related occupations |
5.9 |
1.5 |
14.5 |
1.3 |
79.5 |
1.4 |
Office and administrative support occupations |
12.3 |
1.2 |
28.3 |
1.7 |
59.4 |
2.4 |
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
19.9 |
4.3 |
20.0 |
3.5 |
60.2 |
4.3 |
Receptionists and information clerks |
12.4 |
3.6 |
17.7 |
5.0 |
69.9 |
5.9 |
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive |
12.5 |
2.7 |
17.9 |
4.2 |
69.5 |
3.4 |
Office clerks, general |
19.4 |
5.7 |
27.7 |
4.6 |
52.8 |
5.1 |
Construction and extraction occupations |
10.3 |
2.8 |
36.1 |
3.9 |
53.7 |
4.7 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
9.1 |
1.5 |
23.8 |
3.7 |
67.2 |
3.7 |
Production occupations |
10.2 |
1.9 |
47.2 |
3.5 |
42.7 |
3.3 |
Transportation and material moving occupations |
8.0 |
1.8 |
41.5 |
4.3 |
50.5 |
3.9 |
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers |
17.2 |
2.5 |
28.1 |
5.2 |
54.7 |
5.1 |
|
Note: Due to rounding, sum of estimates may not equal 100 percent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey
|
Technical Note
The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) provides job-related information about the physical demands;
environmental conditions; education, training, and experience; as well as cognitive and mental requirements
in the U.S. economy. Additional job requirement estimates are available at
www.bls.gov/web/ors/ors-complete-dataset.xlsx and www.bls.gov/ors/data.htm. For information on estimation
concepts and methods see the Handbook of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/ors/home.htm and
www.bls.gov/ors/questions-and-answers.htm.
Sample size: The ORS is a nationally representative establishment-based survey. Estimates are produced from
a probability sample of 10,000 establishments. There were 6,900 private industry and state and local
government responding establishments that provided approximately 33,300 occupational observations. The 2019
estimates represent 141,915,000 civilian workers.
These estimates are from one of five sample groups and are considered preliminary. Data from all five sample
groups collected between September 2018 and July 2023 will be aggregated to produce the final estimates with
an expected reference year of 2023.
Standard errors: To assist users in ascertaining the reliability of ORS estimates, standard errors are made
available with the release. Standard errors provide users a measure of the precision of an estimate to
ensure that it is within an acceptable range for their intended purpose. Collected and imputed data are
included in the standard error calculation. For further information and how to use the standard errors see
www.bls.gov/ors/se.htm.
Major terms: Additional terminology and concepts are explained in the collection manual at
www.bls.gov/ors/information-for-survey-participants/pdf/occupational-requirements-survey-collection-manual-
082018.pdf and the Handbook of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/ors/home.htm.
Critical job function - This is the main purpose and the primary pay factor for the job. It consists of
critical tasks that are integral to the job.
Critical tasks - Activities workers must perform to carry out their critical job function(s).
Crowds - Working around crowds is present when the following five conditions are met: (1) many unfamiliar
people are present considering the space available, (2) movement is restricted, (3) any given arrangement of
the crowd is temporary, (4) a certain level of disorganization is present, and (5) workers are not separated
from unfamiliar people by counters, dividers, or other objects.
General public - Includes interacting with individuals other than coworkers to perform critical tasks.
Strength levels - Reflect the amount of weight workers are required to lift or carry, how often, and whether
standing or walking is required to perform critical tasks in the workday. The strength levels indicate
whether physical requirements are considered as sedentary, light work, medium work, heavy work, and very
heavy work.
United States Department of Labor
