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Standard Occupational Classification System

{{Distinguish|Standard Occupational Classification (United Kingdom)}}

{{see also|National Occupational Classification}}

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System is a United States government system for classifying occupations. It is used by U.S. federal government agencies collecting occupational data, enabling comparison of occupations across data sets. It is designed to cover all occupations in which work is performed for pay or profit, reflecting the current occupational structure in the United States. The 2018 SOC includes 867 detailed occupations.[http://www.bls.gov/soc/ Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC)], U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Users of occupational data include human resources professionals, government program managers, industrial and labor relations practitioners, students considering career training, job seekers, vocational training schools, and employers wishing to set salary scales or locate a new plant.

An occupation is defined as a group of "jobs that are similar with respect to the work performed and the skills possessed by workers."[https://www.bls.gov/bls/glossary.htm Glossary], U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Therefore, different jobs with similar duties and job requirements would be in the same occupation. For example, a bank branch manager and a city treasurer would both be part of the Financial Manager occupation in the SOC.

The detailed occupations in the SOC can be combined into 459 broad occupations, 98 minor groups, and 23 major groups. The SOC codes have a hierarchical format, so for example the code "15-0000" refers to occupations in the "Computer and Mathematical Occupations" major group, and "15-1252" is a subset for the "Software Developers" detailed occupation.[https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/major_groups.htm 2018 SOC Major Groups] at bls.gov

The SOC does not categorize industries or employers. There are parallel category systems for industries used with SOC data, most commonly NAICS.

Other countries have national occupational classification systems and the International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations, has developed the International Standard

Classification of Occupations.[https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/classification-occupation/ International Standard Classification of Occupations], ILOSTAT

Job Titles and SOC Codes

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) maintains the Direct Match Title File (DMTF) that contains job titles that match detailed occupations in the SOC.[https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/home.htm#match Direct Match Title File], BLS For example, the following job titles all match to the occupation Bill and Account Collectors (SOC code of 43-3011): Collection Agent, Collections Clerk, Collections Representative, Debt Collector, Installment Agent, Installment Loan Collector, Insurance Collector, Payment Collector, Repossessor, and Billing Clerk.

In some cases a job title does not match one-for-one with an occupation. For example, the job title "painter" is not in the DMTF because it could be associated with a fine arts occupation or a maintenance occupation. In these and other cases, persons wishing to match a job with an occupation can examine the definitions of the detailed occupations. For example, the definition of the occupation of Painters, Construction and Maintenance (SOC code of 47-2141) is:

"Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency." On the other hand, the definition of the occupation of Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (SOC code of 27-1013) is: "Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques."

Interested parties can submit suggested additions to the job titles included in the DMTF.[https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/home.htm#match Direct Match Title File], BLS

Major Group Occupations

= List =

The detailed occupations in the SOC can be combined into 23 major groups.

= Employment and Earnings =

Across all occupations, BLS reports total employment to be 151,853,870 and the annual mean wage to be $65,470. Total employment and annual mean wage for each major group is in the following table.[https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates], BLS

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope=col | SOC

! scope=col | Major Group

! scope=col | Employment

! scope=col | Annual Mean Wage

scope=row |11-0000

! scope=row | Management Occupations

| align=right | 10,495,770

| align=right | $137,750

scope=row |13-0000

! scope=row | Business and Financial Operations Occupations

| align=right | 10,087,830

| align=right | $90,580

scope=row |15-0000

! scope=row | Computer and Mathematical Occupations

| align=right | 5,177,400

| align=right | $113,140

scope=row |17-0000

! scope=row | Architecture and Engineering Occupations

| align=right | 2,539,660

| align=right | $99,090

scope=row |19-0000

! scope=row | Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

| align=right | 1,389,430

| align=right | $87,870

scope=row |21-0000

! scope=row | Community and Social Service Occupations

| align=right | 2,418,130

| align=right | $58,980

scope=row |23-0000

! scope=row | Legal Occupations

| align=right | 1,240,630

| align=right | $133,820

scope=row |25-0000

! scope=row | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

| align=right | 8,744,560

| align=right | $66,400

scope=row |27-0000

! scope=row | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

| align=right | 2,106,490

| align=right | $75,520

scope=row |29-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

| align=right | 9,284,210

| align=right | $102,060

scope=row |31-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Support Occupations

| align=right | 7,063,530

| align=right | $38,220

scope=row |33-0000

! scope=row | Protective Service Occupations

| align=right | 3,504,330

| align=right | $57,710

scope=row |35-0000

! scope=row | Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

| align=right | 13,247,870

| align=right | $34,490

scope=row |37-0000

! scope=row | Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

| align=right | 4,429,070

| align=right | $38,320

scope=row |39-0000

! scope=row | Personal Care and Service Occupations

| align=right | 3,040,630

| align=right | $38,430

scope=row |41-0000

! scope=row | Sales and Related Occupations

| align=right | 13,380,660

| align=right | $53,280

scope=row |43-0000

! scope=row | Office and Administrative Support Occupations

| align=right | 18,533,450

| align=right | $47,940

scope=row |45-0000

! scope=row | Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

| align=right | 432,200

| align=right | $39,970

scope=row |47-0000

! scope=row | Construction and Extraction Occupations

| align=right | 6,225,630

| align=right | $61,500

scope=row |49-0000

! scope=row | Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

| align=right | 5,989,460

| align=right | $58,500

scope=row |51-0000

! scope=row | Production Occupations

| align=right | 8,770,170

| align=right | $47,620

scope=row |53-0000

! scope=row | Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

| align=right | 13,752,760

| align=right | $46,690

= Environmental Conditions =

Across all occupations, 6.9 percent of all workers are exposed to hazardous contaminants.

Across all occupations, about 67 percent of all workers are not exposed to the outdoors. However, among all workers, 4.1 percent are constantly exposed to the outdoors, 3.7 percent are frequently exposed to the outdoors, 15.1 percent are occasionally exposed to the outdoors, and 10.2 percent are seldomly exposed to the outdoors. Exposure to hazardous contaminants and exposure to the outdoors (seldom, occasional, frequent, or constant) for each major group are in the following table.[https://www.bls.gov/ors/data.htm Occupational Requirements Survey], BLS

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope=col | SOC

! scope=col | Major Group

! scope=col | Exposure to Hazardous Contaminants (%)

! scope=col | Exposure to Outdoors (%)

scope=row |11-0000

! scope=row | Management Occupations

| align=right | 1.9

| align=right | 23.8

scope=row |13-0000

! scope=row | Business and Financial Operations Occupations

| align=right | 0.7

| align=right | 9.1

scope=row |15-0000

! scope=row | Computer and Mathematical Occupations

| align=right | <0.5

| align=right | 1.6

scope=row |17-0000

! scope=row | Architecture and Engineering Occupations

| align=right | 6.3

| align=right | 31.8

scope=row |19-0000

! scope=row | Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

| align=right | 26.6

| align=right | 36.3

scope=row |21-0000

! scope=row | Community and Social Service Occupations

| align=right | 0.8

| align=right | 24.2

scope=row |23-0000

! scope=row | Legal Occupations

| align=right | <0.5

| align=right | 1.6

scope=row |25-0000

! scope=row | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

| align=right | 1.8

| align=right | 42.9

scope=row |27-0000

! scope=row | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

| align=right | 0.8

| align=right | 27.7

scope=row |29-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

| align=right | 6.8

| align=right | 7.3

scope=row |31-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Support Occupations

| align=right | 2.8

| align=right | 33.1

scope=row |33-0000

! scope=row | Protective Service Occupations

| align=right | 22.8

| align=right | 89.4

scope=row |35-0000

! scope=row | Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

| align=right | 1.3

| align=right | 33.5

scope=row |37-0000

! scope=row | Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

| align=right | 18.4

| align=right | 73.8

scope=row |39-0000

! scope=row | Personal Care and Service Occupations

| align=right | 9.2

| align=right | 51.5

scope=row |41-0000

! scope=row | Sales and Related Occupations

| align=right | 1.2

| align=right | 28.1

scope=row |43-0000

! scope=row | Office and Administrative Support Occupations

| align=right | <0.5

| align=right | 4.7

scope=row |45-0000

! scope=row | Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

| align=right | 8.9

| align=right | 82.5

scope=row |47-0000

! scope=row | Construction and Extraction Occupations

| align=right | 28.9

| align=right | 92.4

scope=row |49-0000

! scope=row | Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

| align=right | 31.7

| align=right | 79.4

scope=row |51-0000

! scope=row | Production Occupations

| align=right | 18.9

| align=right | 11.4

scope=row |53-0000

! scope=row | Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

| align=right | 5.6

| align=right | 57.6

= Minimum Education Requirements =

Minimum education is the minimum education required by a job, not the educational attainment of the worker. A worker may have attained more education than the minimum required by a job.

Among all workers, 30.0 percent are in jobs with no minimum education requirement, 40.1 percent are in jobs where a high school degree is the minimum requirement, 19.3 percent are in jobs where a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement, and 10.6 percent are in jobs with some other minimum requirement (for example, a graduate degree).

The percentages in the various minimum requirement categories for each major group in the SOC are shown in the following table.[https://www.bls.gov/ors/data.htm Occupational Requirements Survey], BLS

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope=col | SOC

! scope=col | Major Group

! scope=col | No Minimum Requirement (%)

! scope=col | High School (%)

! scope=col | Bachelor's (%)

! scope=col | Other (%)

scope=row |11-0000

! scope=row | Management Occupations

| align=right | 4.7

| align=right | 24.7

| align=right | 56.6

| align=right | 14.0

scope=row |13-0000

! scope=row | Business and Financial Operations Occupations

| align=right | 1.7

| align=right | 21.7

| align=right | 69.9

| align=right | 6.7

scope=row |15-0000

! scope=row | Computer and Mathematical Occupations

| align=right | 2.8

| align=right | 17.7

| align=right | 65.5

| align=right | 14.0

scope=row |17-0000

! scope=row | Architecture and Engineering Occupations

| align=right | 1.9

| align=right | 12.5

| align=right | 69.5

| align=right | 16.1

scope=row |19-0000

! scope=row | Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

| align=right | 2.1

| align=right | 18.7

| align=right | 52.0

| align=right | 27.2

scope=row |21-0000

! scope=row | Community and Social Service Occupations

| align=right | 1.6

| align=right | 16.5

| align=right | 40.9

| align=right | 41.0

scope=row |23-0000

! scope=row | Legal Occupations

| align=right | 0.6

| align=right | 19.4

| align=right | 10.9

| align=right | 69.1

scope=row |25-0000

! scope=row | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

| align=right | 1.5

| align=right | 17.2

| align=right | 59.4

| align=right | 21.9

scope=row |27-0000

! scope=row | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

| align=right | 19.8

| align=right | 27.7

| align=right | 42.9

| align=right | 9.6

scope=row |29-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

| align=right | 0.9

| align=right | 21.1

| align=right | 22.7

| align=right | 55.3

scope=row |31-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Support Occupations

| align=right | 26.8

| align=right | 63.4

| align=right | 0.7

| align=right | 9.1

scope=row |33-0000

! scope=row | Protective Service Occupations

| align=right | 9.4

| align=right | 82.3

| align=right | 3.1

| align=right | 5.2

scope=row |35-0000

! scope=row | Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

| align=right | 78.3

| align=right | 21.2

| align=right | <0.5

| align=right | <0.5

scope=row |37-0000

! scope=row | Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

| align=right | 68.7

| align=right | 30.0

| align=right | <0.5

| align=right | <0.5

scope=row |39-0000

! scope=row | Personal Care and Service Occupations

| align=right | 32.0

| align=right | 60.7

| align=right | 3.2

| align=right | 4.1

scope=row |41-0000

! scope=row | Sales and Related Occupations

| align=right | 50.7

| align=right | 39.6

| align=right | 7.9

| align=right | 1.8

scope=row |43-0000

! scope=row | Office and Administrative Support Occupations

| align=right | 13.1

| align=right | 75.6

| align=right | 5.7

| align=right | 5.6

scope=row |45-0000

! scope=row | Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

| align=right | 49.4

| align=right | 42.6

| align=right | 6.2

| align=right | 1.8

scope=row |47-0000

! scope=row | Construction and Extraction Occupations

| align=right | 49.6

| align=right | 47.1

| align=right | 0.8

| align=right | 2.5

scope=row |49-0000

! scope=row | Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

| align=right | 27.5

| align=right | 61.2

| align=right | 1.2

| align=right | 10.1

scope=row |51-0000

! scope=row | Production Occupations

| align=right | 39.2

| align=right | 55.5

| align=right | 1.5

| align=right | 3.8

scope=row |53-0000

! scope=row | Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

| align=right | 60.2

| align=right | 39.2

| align=right | <0.5

| align=right | <0.5

= Physical Requirements =

The maximum weight lifted or carried averaged 25.58 pounds for all workers. For all workers, the percentage of the workday a person is required to stand averaged 56.3 percent of the workday. The figures for each major group in the SOC are in the following table.[https://www.bls.gov/ors/data.htm Occupational Requirements Survey], BLS

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope=col | SOC

! scope=col | Major Group

! scope=col | Maximum Weight Lifted or Carried, Average (Pounds)

! scope=col | Percent of the Workday Required to Stand, Average (Percentage)

scope=row |11-0000

! scope=row | Management Occupations

| align=right | 9.30

| align=right | 27.4

scope=row |13-0000

! scope=row | Business and Financial Operations Occupations

| align=right | 5.55

| align=right | 13.2

scope=row |15-0000

! scope=row | Computer and Mathematical Occupations

| align=right | 7.87

| align=right | 11.1

scope=row |17-0000

! scope=row | Architecture and Engineering Occupations

| align=right | 13.11

| align=right | 26.4

scope=row |19-0000

! scope=row | Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

| align=right | 18.10

| align=right | 37.3

scope=row |21-0000

! scope=row | Community and Social Service Occupations

| align=right | 10.53

| align=right | 29.6

scope=row |23-0000

! scope=row | Legal Occupations

| align=right | 6.80

| align=right | 15.2

scope=row |25-0000

! scope=row | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

| align=right | 14.61

| align=right | 60.2

scope=row |27-0000

! scope=row | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

| align=right | 14.78

| align=right | 32.7

scope=row |29-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

| align=right | 33.06

| align=right | 63.3

scope=row |31-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Support Occupations

| align=right | 34.72

| align=right | 69.4

scope=row |33-0000

! scope=row | Protective Service Occupations

| align=right | 53.71

| align=right | 56.8

scope=row |35-0000

! scope=row | Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

| align=right | 26.34

| align=right | 97.2

scope=row |37-0000

! scope=row | Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

| align=right | 37.23

| align=right | 88.2

scope=row |39-0000

! scope=row | Personal Care and Service Occupations

| align=right | 23.70

| align=right | 75.7

scope=row |41-0000

! scope=row | Sales and Related Occupations

| align=right | 21.68

| align=right | 68.6

scope=row |43-0000

! scope=row | Office and Administrative Support Occupations

| align=right | 9.13

| align=right | 20.6

scope=row |45-0000

! scope=row | Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

| align=right | 35.40

| align=right | 77.5

scope=row |47-0000

! scope=row | Construction and Extraction Occupations

| align=right | 51.18

| align=right | 81.5

scope=row |49-0000

! scope=row | Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

| align=right | 53.93

| align=right | 79.6

scope=row |51-0000

! scope=row | Production Occupations

| align=right | 37.45

| align=right | 81.2

scope=row |53-0000

! scope=row | Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

| align=right | 43.74

| align=right | 65.2

= Pace of Work and Breaks =

Across all occupations, 38.9 percent of all workers are required to work at a consistent and generally fast pace, 52.9 percent are required to work at a pace that varies, and 8.2 percent at a consistent and generally slow pace.

About 56.2 percent of workers have the ability to “pause work and take short, unscheduled breaks throughout the workday.”

Pace of work and the ability to pause work for each major group are in the following table.[https://www.bls.gov/ors/data.htm Occupational Requirements Survey], BLS

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope=col | SOC

! scope=col | Major Group

! scope=col | Fast Work Pace (%)

! scope=col | Ability to Pause Work (%)

scope=row |11-0000

! scope=row | Management Occupations

| align=right | 41.3

| align=right | 97.5

scope=row |13-0000

! scope=row | Business and Financial Operations Occupations

| align=right | 39.3

| align=right | 97.0

scope=row |15-0000

! scope=row | Computer and Mathematical Occupations

| align=right | 40.9

| align=right | 96.0

scope=row |17-0000

! scope=row | Architecture and Engineering Occupations

| align=right | 36.9

| align=right | 95.1

scope=row |19-0000

! scope=row | Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

| align=right | 34.3

| align=right | 82.6

scope=row |21-0000

! scope=row | Community and Social Service Occupations

| align=right | 38.0

| align=right | 80.3

scope=row |23-0000

! scope=row | Legal Occupations

| align=right | 52.3

| align=right | 95.3

scope=row |25-0000

! scope=row | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

| align=right | 37.0

| align=right | 38.9

scope=row |27-0000

! scope=row | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

| align=right | 39.4

| align=right | 74.3

scope=row |29-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

| align=right | 48.2

| align=right | 40.9

scope=row |31-0000

! scope=row | Healthcare Support Occupations

| align=right | 38.3

| align=right | 37.6

scope=row |33-0000

! scope=row | Protective Service Occupations

| align=right | 18.3

| align=right | 13.2

scope=row |35-0000

! scope=row | Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

| align=right | 31.0

| align=right | 22.6

scope=row |37-0000

! scope=row | Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

| align=right | 41.8

| align=right | 73.7

scope=row |39-0000

! scope=row | Personal Care and Service Occupations

| align=right | 33.6

| align=right | 35.0

scope=row |41-0000

! scope=row | Sales and Related Occupations

| align=right | 24.2

| align=right | 45.5

scope=row |43-0000

! scope=row | Office and Administrative Support Occupations

| align=right | 37.2

| align=right | 70.8

scope=row |45-0000

! scope=row | Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

| align=right | 41.6

| align=right | 67.3

scope=row |47-0000

! scope=row | Construction and Extraction Occupations

| align=right | 46.1

| align=right | 61.5

scope=row |49-0000

! scope=row | Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

| align=right | 32.7

| align=right | 71.8

scope=row |51-0000

! scope=row | Production Occupations

| align=right | 55.8

| align=right | 42.5

scope=row |53-0000

! scope=row | Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

| align=right | 48.7

| align=right | 31.4

History

The SOC was established in 1977, and revised by a committee representing specialists from across U.S. government agencies in the 1990s.[http://www.bls.gov/soc/socrpt929.pdf Revising the Standard Occupational Classification System], June 1999, pages iii, 1. SOC codes were updated again in 2010, and on November 28, 2017, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a Federal Register notice detailing the final decisions for the 2018 SOC.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/home.htm|title = Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System}}

See also

References

{{reflist|30em}}

  • U.S. Department of Labor (2000). Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual (2000 ed.). Washington, D.C.

External links

  • [http://www.bls.gov/soc/ The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System]

Category:Occupations

Category:Employment classifications