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The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) publishes job-related information on physical demands; environmental conditions; education, training, and experience; as well as cognitive and mental requirements. The job requirements reflect those necessary for workers to perform critical tasks in support of the critical job functions, and not the capabilities of individual workers. Strength estimates are physical demand requirements.
The ORS publishes five strength levels (sedentary, light, medium, heavy, and very heavy), which are based on the job requirements for performing physical demands within specific weight classes and the associated duration. (See Chart A.)
Sedentary | Light | Medium | Heavy | Very heavy | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Civilian workers |
27.4% | 33.4% | 28.4% | 9.4% | 1.3% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey |
Strength levels are calculated from the weight and duration associated with lifting, carrying, and in some cases, standing.[1]
A duration chart is used to calculate the amount of time spent lifting or carrying. There are four categories of time in relation to a job's workday schedule: seldom (up to 2 percent), occasional (2 percent to 1/3), frequent (1/3 to 2/3), and constant (2/3 or more). “Negligible weight” includes anything lifted or carried weighing less than one pound.
For example, if workers deliver items weighing between 26-50 pounds occasionally, then the job would be classified as a medium strength level. However, if they delivered slightly heavier items (51-100 pounds) or the duration of carrying or lifting 26-50 pounds increased to being performed frequently, then the job would be classified as a heavy strength level. (See Table 1.) Special cases for calculating strength are used when requirements are unable to be determined, and are recorded as “unknown”.[2] (See Table 2.)
Strength level | Duration of lifting or carrying | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Seldom | Occasionally | Frequently | Constantly | |
Light work |
11-25 pounds | 11-25 pounds | 1-10 pounds | Negligible weight |
Medium work |
26-50 pounds | 26-50 pounds | 11-25 pounds | 1-10 pounds |
Heavy work |
51-100 pounds | 51-100 pounds | 26-50 pounds | 11-25 pounds |
Very heavy work |
>100 pounds | >100 pounds | >50 pounds | >25 pounds |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey. |
Strength level | Description | |
---|---|---|
Unknown |
If it is unknown how often lifting or carrying occur or none of the conditions in table 1 are met and standing or sitting are unknown. The estimate is treated as item nonresponse. | |
Sedentary |
If none of the conditions in the strength level chart are met and standing or walking occurs less than or equal to 1/3 of the workday. | |
Light work |
If none of the conditions in the strength chart are met and does not meet the special conditions for unknown or sedentary. | |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey. |
Sedentary strength level
Strength is considered sedentary when none of the conditions in the strength chart are met and standing is less than or equal to 1/3 of the work schedule or workday (See Tables 1 and 2).
Occupations with critical tasks where workers typically spend the day sitting and occasionally lift items of little weight, like a pen or a few pieces of paper, require sedentary strength. (See Table 3.)
Occupation | Estimate | Standard Error |
---|---|---|
Financial and investment analysts |
99.2 | [1] |
Bill and account collectors |
98.4 | 1.0 |
Public safety telecommunicators |
95.7 | 1.1 |
Billing and posting clerks |
95.0 | 2.9 |
Budget analysts |
91.2 | 6.4 |
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
90.9 | 1.3 |
Purchasing managers |
89.2 | 4.4 |
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants |
89.0 | 2.6 |
Computer and information systems managers |
88.3 | 49.0 |
Human resources specialists |
88.2 | 2.1 |
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance |
87.7 | 3.4 |
Graphic designers |
75.9 | 9.6 |
Bus drivers, school |
69.7 | 10.8 |
Medical records specialists |
68.9 | 7.3 |
Social and community service managers |
64.9 | 9.8 |
[1] Standard error is less than 0.5. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey |
Light strength level
If the work level of an occupation does not meet the conditions for the other strength levels, including sedentary, and it is not unknown, a light strength level is required.[3] (See Tables 1 and 2.) Examples of occupations with light strength level requirements include:
Hosts and hostesses (96.8 percent light strength required) may do activities such as carrying menus and raising and lowering pagers for customers in a queue for 2/3 or more of the workday.
News analysts, reporters, and journalists (74.7 percent light strength required) may carry a laptop for 1/3 to 2/3 of the workday.
Occupation | Estimate | Standard Error |
---|---|---|
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists |
97.1 | 3.0 |
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop |
96.8 | 1.3 |
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks |
80.8 | 8.8 |
Waiters and waitresses |
77.0 | 5.2 |
Maids and housekeeping cleaners |
76.0 | 3.7 |
Music directors and composers |
75.7 | 14.9 |
News analysts, reporters, and journalists |
74.7 | 3.7 |
Dental assistants |
72.6 | 6.5 |
Gambling cage workers |
68.8 | 11.6 |
Coaches and scouts |
66.6 | 11.7 |
Bartenders |
66.2 | 8.7 |
Occupational health and safety specialists |
59.7 | 7.9 |
Counter and rental clerks |
57.9 | 9.5 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey |
Medium strength level
For civilian workers, 28.4 percent of workers were required to work at a medium strength level. Examples of occupations with medium strength level requirements include:
Animal caretakers may lift 30 pound bags of grain to feed horses at the racetrack for up to 2 percent of the workday.
Chefs and head cooks may carry a 2 pound tray of cooking supplies to prepare dinner meals for 2/3 or more of the workday.
Occupation | Estimate | Standard error |
---|---|---|
Animal caretakers |
85.4 | 9.5 |
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
67.3 | 7.1 |
Chefs and head cooks |
65.7 | 8.6 |
Nursing assistants |
59.2 | 4.5 |
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses |
55.4 | 5.3 |
Preschool teachers, except special education |
52.5 | 10.0 |
Physical therapists |
52.1 | 10.7 |
Dishwashers |
48.9 | 4.8 |
Construction laborers |
48.6 | 6.5 |
Fast food and counter workers |
45.9 | 5.9 |
Personal care aides |
43.5 | 4.1 |
Bartenders |
31.6 | 8.4 |
Waiters and waitresses |
22.2 | 6.1 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey |
Heavy strength level
For civilian workers, 9.4 percent of workers were required to work at a heavy strength level. Examples of occupations with heavy strength level requirements include:
Construction laborers at a building site may wear a 30 pound tool belt from 1/3 to 2/3 of the workday.
Firefighters might lift a 15 pound hose for 2/3 or more of the workday.
Estimates ranged from 6.0 percent for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers to 59.2 percent of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers.
Occupation | Estimate | Standard Error |
---|---|---|
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers |
59.2 | 14.1 |
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
48.1 | 8.1 |
Construction laborers |
46.4 | 6.8 |
Highway maintenance workers |
44.4 | 11.1 |
Carpenters |
41.1 | 9.7 |
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
35.1 | 11.3 |
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks |
31.3 | 6.1 |
Nursing assistants |
30.9 | 5.5 |
Physical therapists |
23.4 | 7.4 |
Personal care aides |
17.5 | 3.2 |
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
14.8 | 6.5 |
Cooks, restaurant |
9.9 | 1.3 |
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers |
8.8 | 1.8 |
First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers |
6.0 | 0.7 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey |
Very heavy strength level
For civilian workers, 1.3 percent required a very heavy strength level, which indicates requirements beyond the conditions set for heavy work.
Very heavy work was required for 2.7 percent of workers in construction and extraction occupations. Lifting items that weigh 50 pounds or more, like bags of cement or sheets of plywood, for more than 1/3 of the workday would be considered very heavy work. A very heavy work strength level was required for 2.0 percent of healthcare support occupations. Lifting patients to and from their beds for 10 minutes during an 8-hour shift would fall within very heavy work. Very heavy work was required for 1.9 percent of transportation and material moving occupations and 0.5 percent of production occupations.
Additional resources:
Articles:
For additional information on occupational requirements see the ORS homepage or download the ORS complete dataset to explore the latest estimates.
[1] See the sitting and standing factsheet for more information on these requirements.
[2] In instances where field economists are unable to determine certain job requirements from the respondent, they record these data as "unknown" and strength level is derived through imputation. See the Handbook of Methods for more information.
[3] For more information on work levels, see National Compensation Survey: Guide for Evaluating Your Firm's Jobs and Pay and the Calculation section of the Handbook of Methods.