How work changes with preparation: work context by O*NET job zone.
Median O*NET work-context ratings for occupations at each preparation level (O*NET 31.0 combines job zones 1 and 2 = little or some preparation; 5 = extensive preparation).
Median decision freedom rises from 3.91 in Job Zones 1–2 to 4.61 in Job Zone 5 (1–5 scale), while median outdoor work falls from 2.38 to 1.25. Across all 876 occupations rated.
4 rows
Data Computed by TryHired from O*NET and BLS data. Download the CSV.
| Preparation level | Occupations | Social contact | Pressure | Decision freedom | Sitting | Outdoors (weather) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job Zones 1–2 | 322 | 3.92 | 3.15 | 3.91 | 2.14 | 2.38 |
| Job Zone 3 | 195 | 4.12 | 3.24 | 4.14 | 3.06 | 2.16 |
| Job Zone 4 | 213 | 3.93 | 3.02 | 4.15 | 4.00 | 1.77 |
| Job Zone 5 | 146 | 3.97 | 2.97 | 4.61 | 3.80 | 1.25 |
How this page is built
This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Each cell is the median, across occupations in that O*NET job zone, of an O*NET 31.0 work-context rating (1–5). Social contact and pressure are the same averages used in TryHired's career-fit lists. Occupations are counted once each, whatever their employment. Ratings are occupation averages; they describe the work, not how any one person experiences it, and nothing here implies cause and effect. Changes made by TryHired: selected work-context, interest, work-style and knowledge ratings were combined as described above, joined to BLS wages and projections, and ranked. Questions: hello@tryhired.co.
- Detailed O*NET occupations that share one BLS occupation code show that occupation's BLS pay and projections.
- Whether a job suits you: ratings describe the occupation on average, not every employer, team or person.
- Personality, stress or happiness: O*NET measures work context, styles and interests; it does not diagnose introversion or rate how stressful anyone finds a job.
- National Center for O*NET Development, O*NET® 31.0 Database (August 2026 release; work context, work styles, interests, knowledge), CC BY 4.0.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, occupational projections 2025–35.
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