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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Occupational Requirements Survey > Publications > Factsheets

Personal care and service occupations

Worker bringing elderly patient a meal This occupational group includes animal care and service workers, entertainment attendants, funeral service workers, personal appearance workers, baggage portages, bellhops, and concierges, tour and travel guides, childcare workers, personal care aides, recreation and fitness workers, and residential advisors.

For terms and definitions in this profile, see definitions of major terms.

Cognitive and mental requirements

The qualifications that workers need to use judgment, make decisions, interact with others, and adapt to changes in jobs.

In 2025, external verbal interactions were required constantly (every few minutes) for 65.6 percent of personal care and service workers. External verbal interactions were required more than once per hour (but not constantly) for 27.8 percent.

Table 1. Percentage of personal care and service workers with cognitive and mental requirements, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Work schedule varies	53.7	46.3
Ability to pause work (and take brief unscheduled breaks)	26.1	73.9
Working around crowds	5.9	94.1
Telework routinely allowed	0.6	99.4
Supervising others	9.6	90.4
Supervisor present in immediate work area	59.1	40.9
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Education, training, and experience requirements

The minimum level of formal education required, credentials necessary, on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average performance in jobs. The time associated with these requirements is combined to calculate the specific vocational preparation level needed for the job.

In 2025, prior work experience was required for 33.3 percent of personal care and service workers and on-the-job training was required for 82.1 percent.

No minimum education was required for 48.2 percent of personal care and service workers and a high school diploma was required for 47.2 percent.

Environmental conditions

The various hazards or difficulties that are in the area where workers perform their critical tasks.

In 2025, a quiet noise exposure was present for 3.6 percent of personal care and service workers. Another 85.6 percent were exposed to moderate noise, 10.8 percent were exposed to loud noise, and less than 0.5 percent to very loud noise. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by 1.7 percent of workers to mitigate noise exposure and was not used by 98.3 percent.

Physical demands

The physical activities required to perform tasks in jobs. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these activities are published.

In 2025, speaking was required for greater than 99.5 percent of personal care and service workers and was not required for less than 0.5 percent. For less than 5 percent of workers, speaking was seldom required, for 46.6 percent speaking was occasionally required, for 49.5 percent speaking was frequently required, and for 2.1 percent speaking was required constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 71.0 percent of personal care and service workers and was not required for 29.0 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 10.6 percent of personal care and service workers. On average, workers spent 29.1 percent of the workday sitting and 70.9 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of personal care and service workers with physical demands, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Ability to choose to sit or stand for tasks	10.6	89.4
Driving	10.6	89.4
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	15.2	84.8
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey