The O*NET Program is the nation's primary source of occupational information. Valid data are essential to understanding the rapidly changing nature of work and how it impacts the workforce and U.S. economy. From this information, applications are developed to facilitate the development and maintenance of a skilled workforce.
Central to the project is the O*NET database, containing hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors on almost 1,000 occupations covering the entire U.S. economy. The database, which is available to the public at no cost, is continually updated from input by a broad range of workers in each occupation.
O*NET information is used by millions of individuals every year, including those taking advantage of O*NET OnLine, My Next Move, and other publicly and privately developed applications. The data have proven vital in helping people find the training and jobs they need, and employers the skilled workers necessary to be competitive in the marketplace.
The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is developed under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) through a grant to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Content Model: Anatomy of an occupation
Every occupation requires a different mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and is performed using a variety of activities and tasks.
These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described by the O*NET Content Model.
Explore the interactive Content Model to see the range of occupational descriptors in the O*NET database.
O*NET-SOC Taxonomy: A spectrum of occupations
While the Content Model defines the information structure for a single occupation, the O*NET-SOC taxonomy defines the set of occupations across the world of work. Based on the Standard Occupational Classification
external site, the O*NET-SOC taxonomy currently includes 923 occupations which currently have, or are scheduled to have, data collected from job incumbents or occupation experts. To keep up with the changing occupational landscape, the taxonomy is periodically revised; the last revision was in 2019.
Data Collection: Real-world information
The O*NET-SOC taxonomy defines the occupations, and the Content Model outlines which information is collected; the Data Collection program brings these frameworks to life with results from the working public.
For more about the data collection, view sample questionnaires based on the O*NET surveys, or visit RTI's O*NET site
external site for information from the survey conductors.
Get started on a new career
My Next Move, My Next Move for Veterans and Mi Próximo Paso (targeted for Spanish-speaking career explorers) helps new job seekers, students, and other career explorers investigate over 900 occupations. These interactive web-based tools have easy ways to search careers:
Explore O*NET data from your browser
O*NET OnLine is a comprehensive web application for exploring the O*NET database, offering:
Using the O*NET Career Exploration Tools, students and workers may explore a range of career directions, based on their interests and work values. Learn more about the Tools:
O*NET-SOC classification made easy
Designed specifically for job coding professionals, O*NET Code Connector makes it easy to match job orders to an occupation in the O*NET-SOC system. With a powerful keyword search and a concise, "at-a-glance" overview of occupations, this web application makes interactive job coding fast and simple.
O*NET information is relevant to many different audiences. Below you'll find some suggestions for different types of visitors:
Counselors: Connect people to appropriate occupations with resources like the Career Exploration Tools and O*NET OnLine. For self-directed career exploration, My Next Move is a great starting point. Mi Próximo Paso offers career exploration for Spanish speakers. My Next Move for Veterans supports veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce.
Students: Discover occupations you might enjoy, by taking the Interest Profiler assessment online or from your phone. If you've already got an occupation in mind, learn more about it from My Next Move.
Human Resources: Visit Resources for Business to discover data, tools and implementation examples for job analysis, developing apprenticeship opportunities, or helping your employees with their career goals. Or, visit O*NET OnLine to dive into the details about occupations now!
Researchers: Our Reports and Documents section contains over 100 papers on the development and evolution of the O*NET database and tools. For detailed study, download the database itself to directly view the data, as well as statistical metadata describing the quality of the information.
Developers: Incorporate O*NET information into your application through O*NET Web Services. Find graphics and URLs for linking directly to O*NET sites. See related Crosswalk files for connecting other systems to the O*NET-SOC taxonomy.
If you have questions about using O*NET, feel free to contact O*NET Customer Service (onet@onetcenter.org).
The National Center for O*NET Development (Center) provides core staff with acknowledged expertise in the areas of occupational analysis and assessment research and development. Under the direction of USDOL/ETA, and in its leadership role, the Center manages projects and contracts and provides technical support and customer service to O*NET users.
The Center leads a partnership of public and private-sector organizations that carry out the work of USDOL/ETA's O*NET project. In addition to the Center, the partnership currently includes the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), and MCNC.
RTI International (RTI) is a leading-edge research organization that conducts applied and theoretical research for national and international governmental, industrial, and public service organizations. RTI designs, implements, and supervises the survey data collection designed to populate the O*NET database and provides guidance on continuous improvement efforts.
The Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) is a non-profit research and development organization that applies the latest advances in science and technology to the human performance needs of public and private organizations. HumRRO provides technical expertise on the O*NET Content Model and in the areas of data collection, job analysis, assessment, and training. In addition, HumRRO conducts research to support O*NET initiatives, such as taxonomy development and technology skills.
MCNC promotes technological development and enterprise in North Carolina through the innovative use of electronic and information technologies in government and industry. MCNC houses the O*NET database and provides Internet access and dissemination and strategic advice on technology.
