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Core competencies: 35 skills and 41 work activities, job by job

Reviewed Nov 10, 2026 O*NET® 31.0 skills and work activities (U.S. Department of Labor); counts computed by InterObservers How we verify

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The core competencies rated important in the most jobs start with Active Listening: in the O*NET® 31.0 Database (August 2026) from the Department of Labor (USDOL/ETA), it is rated important in 839 of 910 occupations, more than any other of the 35 skills.

Headline finding

13 of the 35 skills are rated important in at least half of the 910 occupations with skill ratings in the O*NET® 31.0 Database: Active Listening (839), Speaking (811), Critical Thinking (809), Monitoring (776), Reading Comprehension (739), Judgment and Decision Making (696), Time Management (674), Coordination (656), Complex Problem Solving (648), Writing (593), Active Learning (588), Social Perceptiveness (575) and Service Orientation (466).

What the O*NET data shows

  1. Social skills are rated important more often than technical skills. In the median O*NET occupation, 3 of the 6 Social Skills are rated important, against 0 of the 11 Technical Skills; 491 of 910 occupations have no technical skill rated important in the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
  2. In Job Zone Five, 8 skills are rated important in every occupation: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Writing and Active Learning, in all 149 of them in O*NET data. In Job Zone 1-2, the skill rated important most often in O*NET data is Active Listening, in 267 of 335 (79.7%) occupations.
  3. The gap by preparation level is widest for Learning Strategies: in O*NET data it is rated important in 138 of 149 (92.6%) occupations of Job Zone Five and 23 of 335 (6.9%) of Job Zone 1-2. Operation and Control goes the other way in O*NET data: 143 of 335 (42.7%) occupations in Job Zone 1-2, 1 of 149 (0.7%) in Job Zone Five.
  4. Work activities: Getting Information is rated important in 905 of 911 occupations, then Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (893) and Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (878), in the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Core competencies are the skills and work activities a job depends on most; that definition is InterObservers wording. Rated important here means 3.0 or more on the O*NET importance scale of 1 to 5, the importance cut-off of the O*NET core-task criterion (see the method). Data: O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), latest release as checked Nov 4, 2026; counts computed by InterObservers.

Core competencies for a job

Pick a job to see its top skills and work activities by O*NET importance rating (up to 8 skills and up to 8 work activities): the top items for that job, not every item the database rates. Items at 3.0 or more on the importance scale say “rated important”.

Searches the O*NET occupation titles and the job titles in the O*NET sample of reported titles, most U.S. jobs first.
These 22 main O*NET occupations (codes ending in .00) cover the 20 occupations with the most U.S. jobs in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, most jobs first. 6 more detailed O*NET occupations in the same BLS occupations are found by the search above.

Choose a job above to see its top skills and work activities.

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Core competencies of the most common jobs

The 3 occupations with the most U.S. jobs in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, shown the same way as the lookup above: the top items by O*NET importance rating, not every item. When BLS counts several O*NET occupations as one, the example shows the first of them.

Home Health and Personal Care Aides

BLS OEWS 31-1120, 4,305,810 jobs · shown: O*NET-SOC 31-1121.00 Home Health Aides, one of its 2 O*NET occupations (31-1121.00 Home Health Aides; 31-1122.00 Personal Care Aides) · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Top 8 skills

  1. Service OrientationSocial Skills · O*NET importance 4.00 of 5, rated important
  2. Active ListeningFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.88 of 5, rated important
  3. Social PerceptivenessSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.75 of 5, rated important
  4. Reading ComprehensionFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.12 of 5, rated important
  5. MonitoringWays of Working · O*NET importance 3.12 of 5, rated important
  6. Time ManagementResource Management Skills · O*NET importance 3.12 of 5, rated important
  7. SpeakingFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important
  8. Critical ThinkingWays of Working · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important

Top 8 work activities

  1. Assisting and Caring for OthersCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 4.81 of 5, rated important
  2. Getting InformationLooking for and Receiving Job-Related Information · O*NET importance 4.49 of 5, rated important
  3. Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 4.45 of 5, rated important
  4. Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsReasoning and Decision Making · O*NET importance 4.43 of 5, rated important
  5. Thinking CreativelyReasoning and Decision Making · O*NET importance 4.13 of 5, rated important
  6. Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkReasoning and Decision Making · O*NET importance 4.07 of 5, rated important
  7. Handling and Moving ObjectsPerforming Physical and Manual Work Activities · O*NET importance 4.05 of 5, rated important
  8. Developing and Building TeamsCoordinating, Developing, Managing, and Advising · O*NET importance 4.05 of 5, rated important

Retail Salespersons

BLS OEWS 41-2031, 3,897,860 jobs · O*NET-SOC 41-2031.00 · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Top 8 skills

  1. PersuasionSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.88 of 5, rated important
  2. Service OrientationSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.75 of 5, rated important
  3. Active ListeningFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.75 of 5, rated important
  4. SpeakingFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.75 of 5, rated important
  5. NegotiationSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.50 of 5, rated important
  6. Social PerceptivenessSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.50 of 5, rated important
  7. Critical ThinkingWays of Working · O*NET importance 3.12 of 5, rated important
  8. Reading ComprehensionFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important

Top 8 work activities

  1. Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 4.71 of 5, rated important
  2. Selling or Influencing OthersCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 4.40 of 5, rated important
  3. Getting InformationLooking for and Receiving Job-Related Information · O*NET importance 4.09 of 5, rated important
  4. Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 4.01 of 5, rated important
  5. Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsReasoning and Decision Making · O*NET importance 3.88 of 5, rated important
  6. Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 3.65 of 5, rated important
  7. Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying and Evaluating Job-Relevant Information · O*NET importance 3.60 of 5, rated important
  8. Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeReasoning and Decision Making · O*NET importance 3.55 of 5, rated important

Fast Food and Counter Workers

BLS OEWS 35-3023, 3,854,050 jobs · O*NET-SOC 35-3023.00 · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Top 8 skills

  1. CoordinationSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important
  2. Service OrientationSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important
  3. Active ListeningFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important
  4. Social PerceptivenessSocial Skills · O*NET importance 3.00 of 5, rated important
  5. MonitoringWays of Working · O*NET importance 2.88 of 5
  6. SpeakingFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 2.62 of 5
  7. Critical ThinkingWays of Working · O*NET importance 2.50 of 5
  8. Reading ComprehensionFoundational Areas · O*NET importance 2.38 of 5

Top 8 work activities

  1. Getting InformationLooking for and Receiving Job-Related Information · O*NET importance 3.49 of 5, rated important
  2. Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 3.45 of 5, rated important
  3. Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 3.37 of 5, rated important
  4. Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 3.33 of 5, rated important
  5. Assisting and Caring for OthersCommunicating and Interacting · O*NET importance 3.11 of 5, rated important
  6. Training and Teaching OthersCoordinating, Developing, Managing, and Advising · O*NET importance 2.87 of 5
  7. Coordinating the Work and Activities of OthersCoordinating, Developing, Managing, and Advising · O*NET importance 2.85 of 5
  8. Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming Physical and Manual Work Activities · O*NET importance 2.81 of 5

Soft skills examples from O*NET data

Soft skills are the people and communication skills that carry from one job to another; that definition is InterObservers wording. The O*NET skills list has no group called soft skills. Its closest group is Social Skills, and Active Listening, Speaking and Writing are the communication skills of its Foundational Areas group. Each is shown with its O*NET definition, quoted as published, and the number of occupations that rate it important.

Soft skillO*NET definitionO*NET groupRated important in (occupations)
Social Perceptiveness“Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.”Social Skills575 of 910 (63.2%)
Coordination“Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.”Social Skills656 of 910 (72.1%)
Persuasion“Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.”Social Skills337 of 910 (37.0%)
Negotiation“Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.”Social Skills261 of 910 (28.7%)
Instructing“Teaching others how to do something.”Social Skills394 of 910 (43.3%)
Service Orientation“Actively looking for ways to help people.”Social Skills466 of 910 (51.2%)
Active Listening“Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.”Foundational Areas839 of 910 (92.2%)
Speaking“Talking to others to convey information effectively.”Foundational Areas811 of 910 (89.1%)
Writing“Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.”Foundational Areas593 of 910 (65.2%)

All 35 skills, with their O*NET definitions

Every skill in the O*NET® 31.0 Database skills list (Essential Skills and Transferable Skills), by group, with the number of the 910 occupations with skill ratings where it is rated important (3.0 or more of 5).

Foundational Areas (Essential Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Reading Comprehension“Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.”739 of 910 (81.2%)3.62 of 5
Active Listening“Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.”839 of 910 (92.2%)3.75 of 5
Writing“Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.”593 of 910 (65.2%)3.12 of 5
Speaking“Talking to others to convey information effectively.”811 of 910 (89.1%)3.62 of 5
Mathematics“Using mathematics to solve problems.”237 of 910 (26.0%)2.50 of 5
Science“Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.”151 of 910 (16.6%)2.00 of 5

Ways of Working (Essential Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Critical Thinking“Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.”809 of 910 (88.9%)3.62 of 5
Active Learning“Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.”588 of 910 (64.6%)3.12 of 5
Learning Strategies“Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.”366 of 910 (40.2%)2.75 of 5
Monitoring“Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.”776 of 910 (85.3%)3.25 of 5

Social Skills (Transferable Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Social Perceptiveness“Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.”575 of 910 (63.2%)3.00 of 5
Coordination“Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.”656 of 910 (72.1%)3.00 of 5
Persuasion“Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.”337 of 910 (37.0%)2.75 of 5
Negotiation“Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.”261 of 910 (28.7%)2.62 of 5
Instructing“Teaching others how to do something.”394 of 910 (43.3%)2.88 of 5
Service Orientation“Actively looking for ways to help people.”466 of 910 (51.2%)3.00 of 5

Complex Problem Solving Skills (Transferable Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Complex Problem Solving“Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.”648 of 910 (71.2%)3.12 of 5

Technical Skills (Transferable Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Operations Analysis“Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.”90 of 910 (9.9%)2.00 of 5
Technology Design“Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.”20 of 910 (2.2%)1.75 of 5
Equipment Selection“Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.”41 of 910 (4.5%)2.12 of 5
Installation“Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.”25 of 910 (2.7%)2.00 of 5
Programming“Writing computer programs for various purposes.”31 of 910 (3.4%)1.75 of 5
Operations Monitoring“Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.”304 of 910 (33.4%)2.50 of 5
Operation and Control“Controlling operations of equipment or systems.”213 of 910 (23.4%)2.50 of 5
Equipment Maintenance“Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.”101 of 910 (11.1%)2.25 of 5
Troubleshooting“Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.”136 of 910 (14.9%)2.12 of 5
Repairing“Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.”95 of 910 (10.4%)2.25 of 5
Quality Control Analysis“Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.”234 of 910 (25.7%)2.50 of 5

Systems Skills (Transferable Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Judgment and Decision Making“Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.”696 of 910 (76.5%)3.12 of 5
Systems Analysis“Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.”378 of 910 (41.5%)2.75 of 5
Systems Evaluation“Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.”333 of 910 (36.6%)2.75 of 5

Resource Management Skills (Transferable Skills)

SkillO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Time Management“Managing one's own time and the time of others.”674 of 910 (74.1%)3.00 of 5
Management of Financial Resources“Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.”44 of 910 (4.8%)1.88 of 5
Management of Material Resources“Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.”31 of 910 (3.4%)2.00 of 5
Management of Personnel Resources“Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.”191 of 910 (21.0%)2.62 of 5

All 41 work activities, with their O*NET definitions

Every work activity in the O*NET® 31.0 Database, by group, with the number of the 911 occupations with work activity ratings where it is rated important (3.0 or more of 5).

Looking for and Receiving Job-Related Information (Information Input)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Getting Information“Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.”905 of 911 (99.3%)4.29 of 5
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings“Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.”797 of 911 (87.5%)3.67 of 5

Identifying and Evaluating Job-Relevant Information (Information Input)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events“Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.”878 of 911 (96.4%)3.90 of 5
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials“Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.”566 of 911 (62.1%)3.39 of 5
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information“Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.”516 of 911 (56.6%)3.08 of 5

Information and Data Processing (Mental Processes)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People“Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.”697 of 911 (76.5%)3.33 of 5
Processing Information“Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.”780 of 911 (85.6%)3.73 of 5
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards“Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.”775 of 911 (85.1%)3.62 of 5
Analyzing Data or Information“Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.”654 of 911 (71.8%)3.48 of 5

Reasoning and Decision Making (Mental Processes)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems“Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.”877 of 911 (96.3%)4.09 of 5
Thinking Creatively“Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.”674 of 911 (74.0%)3.41 of 5
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge“Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.”837 of 911 (91.9%)3.88 of 5
Developing Objectives and Strategies“Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.”540 of 911 (59.3%)3.15 of 5
Scheduling Work and Activities“Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.”607 of 911 (66.6%)3.26 of 5
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work“Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.”846 of 911 (92.9%)3.78 of 5

Performing Physical and Manual Work Activities (Work Output)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Performing General Physical Activities“Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.”468 of 911 (51.4%)3.09 of 5
Handling and Moving Objects“Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.”432 of 911 (47.4%)2.98 of 5
Controlling Machines and Processes“Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).”361 of 911 (39.6%)2.79 of 5
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment“Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.”269 of 911 (29.5%)2.51 of 5

Performing Complex and Technical Activities (Work Output)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Working with Computers“Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.”679 of 911 (74.5%)3.93 of 5
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment“Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.”145 of 911 (15.9%)2.23 of 5
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment“Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.”209 of 911 (22.9%)2.41 of 5
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment“Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.”127 of 911 (13.9%)2.19 of 5
Documenting/Recording Information“Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.”756 of 911 (83.0%)3.79 of 5

Communicating and Interacting (Interacting With Others)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others“Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.”652 of 911 (71.6%)3.38 of 5
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates“Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.”893 of 911 (98.0%)4.08 of 5
Communicating with People Outside the Organization“Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.”615 of 911 (67.5%)3.35 of 5
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships“Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.”816 of 911 (89.6%)3.71 of 5
Assisting and Caring for Others“Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.”344 of 911 (37.8%)2.76 of 5
Selling or Influencing Others“Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.”166 of 911 (18.2%)2.36 of 5
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others“Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.”467 of 911 (51.3%)3.01 of 5
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public“Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.”427 of 911 (46.9%)3.00 of 5

Coordinating, Developing, Managing, and Advising (Interacting With Others)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others“Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.”539 of 911 (59.2%)3.12 of 5
Developing and Building Teams“Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.”509 of 911 (55.9%)3.09 of 5
Training and Teaching Others“Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.”690 of 911 (75.7%)3.35 of 5
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates“Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.”417 of 911 (45.8%)2.91 of 5
Coaching and Developing Others“Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.”503 of 911 (55.2%)3.07 of 5
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others“Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.”443 of 911 (48.6%)2.97 of 5

Administering (Interacting With Others)

Work activityO*NET definitionRated important in (occupations)Median O*NET importance
Performing Administrative Activities“Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.”375 of 911 (41.2%)2.84 of 5
Staffing Organizational Units“Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.”96 of 911 (10.5%)2.18 of 5
Monitoring and Controlling Resources“Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.”223 of 911 (24.5%)2.60 of 5

How to use core competencies in a performance review

The steps in this section are InterObservers wording, not part of the O*NET database.

  1. Start from the job. Look up the job above and keep the competencies rated important for it, instead of a generic list.
  2. Write down examples first. For each competency, write down an example of work you saw, with a date or a result, before you rate it.
  3. Ask for the employee's view. The self evaluation template lists the O*NET skills and work activities of any job, so the employee can rate the same competencies.
  4. Rate the work, not the person. The O*NET ratings describe what a job needs, not how well someone does it. More review tools are on the Performance Desk.

Method, period and caveats

  • Source. The O*NET® 31.0 Database of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: the Essential Skills, Transferable Skills and Work Activities files for the importance ratings and the Content Model Reference file for the names and definitions, quoted as published. Data status: O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), latest release as checked Nov 4, 2026.
  • Period. Skill ratings dated June 2010 to August 2026, work activity ratings dated December 2004 to August 2026, as published in the August 2026 release.
  • Occupations (n). 910 of the 923 O*NET occupations with job data have skill ratings and 911 have work activity ratings; the 13 occupations without skill ratings and the 12 without work activity ratings are not counted. The 910 O*NET occupations with skill ratings by job zone, the base of the job zone findings: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed (335), Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed (203), Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed (223) and Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed (149).
  • Rated important. 3.0 or more on the O*NET importance scale of 1 to 5. The cut-off is the importance part of the O*NET core-task criterion: tasks that are critical to the occupation. The criteria for these tasks are (a) relevance ≥ 67% and (b) a mean importance rating of ≥ 3.0. (O*NET Data Dictionary, Task Statements). InterObservers applies the same cut-off to O*NET skills and work activities; the database itself does not mark them important or not.
  • Exclusions. The same rules as the InterObservers performance review data: a rating flagged “Recommend Suppress” for importance is not counted (3 work activity ratings), and an item flagged “Not Relevant” for an occupation counts as not important there (298 essential skill, 3,217 transferable skill and 1,127 work activity ratings). The median importance of an item is over the occupations that rate it.
  • Who rated. The raters, as the O*NET files label them: Analyst (910 occupations) for skill importance; Incumbent (654 occupations), Occupational Expert (248 occupations) and Analyst - Transition (9 occupations) for work activity importance.
  • Caveats. The ratings describe occupations, not people: they say how important an item is to a job, not how well a person does it, and they are not a validated assessment of an employee. Counts and shares are computed by InterObservers from the published ratings.
  • The lookup. It shows the top skills and work activities of a job (up to 8 skills and up to 8 work activities), ranked by importance, then level, then element ID, from the files of the InterObservers performance review data: the top items, not every item.

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. InterObservers has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET database license · CC BY 4.0 license text

Download the data

core-competencies.csvEvery skill and work activity on this page: O*NET definition, group, occupations rated important overall and by job zone, median importance (CSV). Counts computed by InterObservers from the O*NET ratings.

For developers: Performance data API documentation. Free to reuse with the O*NET credit line under the method and a link to this page.

Questions people ask

What are core competencies?

In InterObservers wording, core competencies are the skills and work activities a job depends on most. The O*NET® 31.0 Database rates occupations on the same 35 skills and 41 work activities, so the competencies rated important for a job are a good starting list; the lookup on this page shows them for any job.

What are examples of soft skills?

The Social Skills of the O*NET® 31.0 Database are Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Persuasion, Negotiation, Instructing and Service Orientation. In InterObservers wording, the communication skills Active Listening, Speaking and Writing count as soft skills too. See the soft skills examples with their definitions.

What are the most important core competencies?

Across the 910 occupations with skill ratings in the O*NET® 31.0 Database, the skills rated important most often are Active Listening (839), Speaking (811) and Critical Thinking (809). The most important ones for a given job depend on the job: use the lookup by job.

How do I find the core competencies for my job?

Search for your job in the lookup or pick it from the list of common jobs. It shows the top skills and work activities of that occupation by O*NET importance rating (up to 8 skills and up to 8 work activities): the top items, not every item.

How do I use core competencies in a performance review?

Rate observed work against the competencies that matter for the job, with an example for each. The self evaluation template lets the employee rate the same O*NET skills and work activities first. The ratings in the O*NET database describe jobs, not people.

Sources (5)

Where this goes next

TemplateSelf evaluation template for any jobReviews, ratings and plansThe Performance DeskTemplateJob description template with O*NET tasks

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