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Standard Occupational Classification System

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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.[1]

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."[2] 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.[3]

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.[4]

Job Titles and SOC Codes

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) maintains the Direct Match Title File (DMTF) that contains job titles that match detailed occupations in the SOC.[5] 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.[6]

Major Group Occupations

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List

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

Employment and Earnings

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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.[7]

SOC Major Group Employment Annual Mean Wage
11-0000 Management Occupations 10,495,770 $137,750
13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations 10,087,830 $90,580
15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations 5,177,400 $113,140
17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations 2,539,660 $99,090
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations 1,389,430 $87,870
21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations 2,418,130 $58,980
23-0000 Legal Occupations 1,240,630 $133,820
25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations 8,744,560 $66,400
27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations 2,106,490 $75,520
29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 9,284,210 $102,060
31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations 7,063,530 $38,220
33-0000 Protective Service Occupations 3,504,330 $57,710
35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations 13,247,870 $34,490
37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations 4,429,070 $38,320
39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations 3,040,630 $38,430
41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations 13,380,660 $53,280
43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations 18,533,450 $47,940
45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations 432,200 $39,970
47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations 6,225,630 $61,500
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations 5,989,460 $58,500
51-0000 Production Occupations 8,770,170 $47,620
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations 13,752,760 $46,690

Environmental Conditions

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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.[8]

SOC Major Group Exposure to Hazardous Contaminants (%) Exposure to Outdoors (%)
11-0000 Management Occupations 1.9 23.8
13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations 0.7 9.1
15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations <0.5 1.6
17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations 6.3 31.8
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations 26.6 36.3
21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations 0.8 24.2
23-0000 Legal Occupations <0.5 1.6
25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations 1.8 42.9
27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations 0.8 27.7
29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 6.8 7.3
31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations 2.8 33.1
33-0000 Protective Service Occupations 22.8 89.4
35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations 1.3 33.5
37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations 18.4 73.8
39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations 9.2 51.5
41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations 1.2 28.1
43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations <0.5 4.7
45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations 8.9 82.5
47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations 28.9 92.4
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations 31.7 79.4
51-0000 Production Occupations 18.9 11.4
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations 5.6 57.6

Minimum Education Requirements

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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.[9]

SOC Major Group No Minimum Requirement (%) High School (%) Bachelor's (%) Other (%)
11-0000 Management Occupations 4.7 24.7 56.6 14.0
13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations 1.7 21.7 69.9 6.7
15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations 2.8 17.7 65.5 14.0
17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations 1.9 12.5 69.5 16.1
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations 2.1 18.7 52.0 27.2
21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations 1.6 16.5 40.9 41.0
23-0000 Legal Occupations 0.6 19.4 10.9 69.1
25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations 1.5 17.2 59.4 21.9
27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations 19.8 27.7 42.9 9.6
29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 0.9 21.1 22.7 55.3
31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations 26.8 63.4 0.7 9.1
33-0000 Protective Service Occupations 9.4 82.3 3.1 5.2
35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations 78.3 21.2 <0.5 <0.5
37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations 68.7 30.0 <0.5 <0.5
39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations 32.0 60.7 3.2 4.1
41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations 50.7 39.6 7.9 1.8
43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations 13.1 75.6 5.7 5.6
45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations 49.4 42.6 6.2 1.8
47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations 49.6 47.1 0.8 2.5
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations 27.5 61.2 1.2 10.1
51-0000 Production Occupations 39.2 55.5 1.5 3.8
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations 60.2 39.2 <0.5 <0.5

Physical Requirements

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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.[10]

SOC Major Group Maximum Weight Lifted or Carried, Average (Pounds) Percent of the Workday Required to Stand, Average (Percentage)
11-0000 Management Occupations 9.30 27.4
13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations 5.55 13.2
15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations 7.87 11.1
17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations 13.11 26.4
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations 18.10 37.3
21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations 10.53 29.6
23-0000 Legal Occupations 6.80 15.2
25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations 14.61 60.2
27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations 14.78 32.7
29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 33.06 63.3
31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations 34.72 69.4
33-0000 Protective Service Occupations 53.71 56.8
35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations 26.34 97.2
37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations 37.23 88.2
39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations 23.70 75.7
41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations 21.68 68.6
43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations 9.13 20.6
45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations 35.40 77.5
47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations 51.18 81.5
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations 53.93 79.6
51-0000 Production Occupations 37.45 81.2
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations 43.74 65.2

Pace of Work and Breaks

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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.[11]

SOC Major Group Fast Work Pace (%) Ability to Pause Work (%)
11-0000 Management Occupations 41.3 97.5
13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations 39.3 97.0
15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations 40.9 96.0
17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations 36.9 95.1
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations 34.3 82.6
21-0000 Community and Social Service Occupations 38.0 80.3
23-0000 Legal Occupations 52.3 95.3
25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations 37.0 38.9
27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations 39.4 74.3
29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 48.2 40.9
31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations 38.3 37.6
33-0000 Protective Service Occupations 18.3 13.2
35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations 31.0 22.6
37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations 41.8 73.7
39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations 33.6 35.0
41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations 24.2 45.5
43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations 37.2 70.8
45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations 41.6 67.3
47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations 46.1 61.5
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations 32.7 71.8
51-0000 Production Occupations 55.8 42.5
53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations 48.7 31.4

History

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The SOC was established in 1977, and revised by a committee representing specialists from across U.S. government agencies in the 1990s.[12] 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.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  2. ^ Glossary, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  3. ^ 2018 SOC Major Groups at bls.gov
  4. ^ International Standard Classification of Occupations, ILOSTAT
  5. ^ Direct Match Title File, BLS
  6. ^ Direct Match Title File, BLS
  7. ^ May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, BLS
  8. ^ Occupational Requirements Survey, BLS
  9. ^ Occupational Requirements Survey, BLS
  10. ^ Occupational Requirements Survey, BLS
  11. ^ Occupational Requirements Survey, BLS
  12. ^ Revising the Standard Occupational Classification System, June 1999, pages iii, 1.
  13. ^ "Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System".
  • U.S. Department of Labor (2000). Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual (2000 ed.). Washington, D.C.
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