What is O*NET?

O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, is the nation's new primary source of occupational information.

O*NET provides a dynamic framework for exploring the world of work:

• information about what skills are in demand
• information to help workers with proven skills transfer to new careers
• national labor market information on employment levels, occupational outlook, and wages

O*NET gives Americans the tools needed to participate fully and actively in a rapidly changing world of work.

O*NET is a comprehensive database system that collects, organizes, describes and disseminates data on occupation characteristics and worker attributes. O*NET uses advanced technology to define the key elements of an occupation: descriptions of the worker and requirements of the work. Currently, there are over 1,100 occupations listed in O*NET; each is electronically linked through O*NET to the eight major existing job classification systems.

Designed, developed and tested by scientific and technical experts under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET is a collaborative effort to move beyond the 60-year-old structure of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT).