September 16, 2008
DOL Home > OALJ Home > Dictionary of Occupational Titles
United States Department of Labor Office of
Administrative Law Judges Law Library
DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL TITLES (4th Ed., Rev. 1991) --
PARTS
PARTS OF THE OCCUPATIONAL DEFINITION
Work is organized in a variety of ways. As a result of technological,
economic, and sociological influences, nearly every job in the economy is
performed slightly differently from any other job. Every job is also similar
to a number of other jobs.
In order to look at the millions of jobs in the U.S. economy in an organized
way, the DOT groups jobs into "occupations" based on their similarities and
defines the structure and content of all listed occupations. Occupational
definitions are the result of comprehensive studies of how similar jobs are
performed in establishments across the nation and are composites of data
collected from diverse sources. The term "occupation," as used in the DOT,
refers to this collective description of a number of individual jobs performed,
with minor variations, in many establishments.
There are seven basic parts to an occupational definition. They present data
about a job in a systematic fashion. The parts are listed below in the order
in which they appear in every definition:
1) The Occupational Code Number
2) The Occupational Title
3) The Industry Designation
4) Alternate Titles (if any)
5) The Body of the Definition
a) Lead Statement
b) Task Element Statements
c) "May" Items
d) Glossary words
e) Unbracketed Reference Title
f) Bracketed Title
6) Undefined Related Titles (if any)
7) Definition Trailer
The seven basic parts of a definition are preceded in the following example
definition by their identifying number and/or letter and ) symbol as used in
the list above. An explanation of each part, preceded by the same identifiers,
follows the example.
EXAMPLE DEFINITION
1) 652.382-010 2) CLOTH PRINTER 3) (any industry) 4) alternate titles: printer;
printing-machine operator
5) 5a) Sets up and operates machine to print designs on materials, such as
cloth, fiberglass, plastic sheeting, coated felt, or oilcloth: 5b) Turns
handwheel to set pressure on 5d) $T3printing rollers,$T1 according to
specifications. 5b) Turns screws to align register marks on printing rollers
with register marks on machine, using allen wrench. 5b) Sharpens doctor blade,
using file and oilstone, and verifies evenness of blade, using straightedge.
5b) Aligns doctor blade against printing roller, using handtools. 5b) Dips
color from tubs into color boxes to supply printing rollers. 5b) Scans cloth
leaving machine for printing defects, such as smudges, variations in color
shades, and designs that are out of register (alignment). 5b) Realigns printing
rollers and adjusts position of blanket or back gray cloth to absorb excess
color from printing rollers. 5b) Records yardage of cloth printed. 5b)
Coordinates printing activities with activities of workers who feed and doff
machine and aid in setting up and cleaning machine. 5c) May notify
5e) COLORIST (profess. & kin.) 022.161-014 when color shade varies from
specifications. 5c) May mix own colors. 5c) May mount printing rollers on
machine for change of pattern 5f) [PRINTING-ROLLER HANDLER (textile)
652.385-010]. 5c) May position knives specified distance from edge of plastic
material to trim excess material from edges. When printing samples of new
patterns and novelty designs, is designated 6) Novelty-Printing-Machine
Operator (textile) or 6) Proofing-Machine Operator (print. & pub.). 5c) May set
up and operate cloth printing machine utilizing caustic soda paste instead of
color paste to print designs on cloth which shrink to form plisse and be
designated 5c) Plisse-Machine Operator (textile).
7) GOE: 06.02.09 STRENGTH: M GED: R4 M1 L3 SVP: 7 DLU: 77
1) The Occupational Code Number
The first item in an occupational definition is the 9-digit occupational code
(in the preceding example, 652.382-010). In the DOT occupational
classification system, each set of three digits in the 9-digit code number has
a specific purpose or meaning. Together, they provide a unique identification
code for a particular occupation which differentiates it from all others.
The first three digits identify a particular occupational group. All
occupations are clustered into one of nine broad "categories" (first digit),
such as professional, technical and managerial, or clerical and sales
occupations. These categories break down into 83 occupationally specific
"divisions" (the first two digits), such as occupations in architecture and
engineering within the professional category, or stenography, typing, and
related occupations in the clerical and sales category. Divisions, in turn,
are divided into small, homogeneous "groups" (the first three digits)-564
such groups are identified in the DOT. The nine primary occupational
categories are listed below:
0/1 Professional, Technical, and Managerial Occupations
2 Clerical and Sales Occupations
3 Service Occupations
4 Agricultural, Fishery, Forestry, and Related Occupations
5 Processing Occupations
6 Machine Trades Occupations
7 Benchwork Occupations
8 Structural Work Occupations
9 Miscellaneous Occupations
In the example, the first digit (6) indicates that this particular occupation
is found in the category, "Machine Trades Occupations." (For a listing of
all occupational categories, divisions, and groups see page xxix.)
The second digit refers to a division within the category. The divisions
within the "Machine Trades Occupations" category are as follows:
60 Metal Machining Occupations
61 Metalworking Occupations, n.e.c.
62/63 Mechanics and Machinery Repairers
64 Paperworking Occupations
65 Printing Occupations
66 Wood Machining Occupations
67 Occupations in Machining Stone, Clay, Glass, and Related Materials
68 Textile Occupations
69 Machine Trades Occupations, n.e.c.
Some divisions or groups end in the designation "n.e.c." (not elsewhere
classified). This indicates that the occupations do not logically fit into
precisely defined divisions or groups, or that they could fit into two or more
of them equally well.
In the example, the second digit (5) locates the occupation in the "Printing
Occupations" division.
The third digit defines the occupational group within the division. The
groups within the "Printing Occupations" division are as follows:
650 Typesetters and Composers
651 Printing Press Occupations
652 Printing Machine Occupations
653 Bookbinding-Machine Operators and Related Occupations
654 Typecasters and Related Occupations
659 Printing Occupations, n.e.c.
In the example, the third digit (2) locates the occupation in the "Printing
Machine Occupations" group.
The middle three digits of the DOT occupational code are the Worker Functions
ratings of the tasks performed in the occupation. Every job requires a worker
to function to some degree in relation to data, people, and things. A separate
digit expresses the worker's relationship to each of these three groups:
As a general rule, Worker Functions involving more complex responsibility and
judgment are assigned lower numbers in these three lists while functions which
are less complicated have higher numbers. For example, "synthesizing" and
"coordinating" data are more complex tasks than "copying" data;
"instructing" people involves a broader responsibility than "taking
instructions-helping"; and "operating" things is a more complicated task
than "handling" things.
The Worker Functions code in the example (382) relates to the middle three
digits of the DOT occupational code and has a different meaning and no
connection with group code 652 (first three digits).
The Worker Functions code (382) may be found in any occupational group. It
signifies that the worker is "compiling" (3) in relation to data; "taking
instructions-helping" (8) in relation to people; and "operating-
controlling" (2) in relation to things. The Worker Functions code indicates
the broadest level of responsibility or judgment required in relation to data,
people, or things. It is assumed that, if the job requires it, the worker can
generally perform any higher numbered function listed in each of the three
categories. (See Appendix B for a more detailed discussion of Worker Functions
codes.)
The last three digits of the occupational code number serve to differentiate a
particular occupation from all others. A number of occupations may have the
same first six digits, but no two can have the same nine digits. If a 6-digit
code is applicable to only one occupational title, the final three digits
assigned are always 010 (as in the example). If there is more than one
occupation with the same first six digits, the final three digits are usually
assigned in alphabetical order of titles in multiples of four (010, 014, 018,
022, etc.). If another printing machine occupation had the same six digits as
CLOTH PRINTER (any industry) 652.382-010, and began with the letter "D," it
would be assigned the occupational code 652.382-014. In order to minimize the
number of changes made to the existing occupational classification structure,
"new" occupations added to the DOT since the publication of the Fourth
Edition have simply been added sequentially following the previous last entry
for each of the 6-digit codes. The full nine digits thus provide each
occupation with a unique code suitable for computerized operations.
2) The Occupational Title
Immediately following the occupational code in every definition is the
occupational base title. The base title is always in upper-case boldface
letters. It is the most common type of title found in the DOT, and is the
title by which the occupation is known in the majority of establishments in
which it was found. In the example, CLOTH PRINTER (any industry) 652.382-010
is a base title.
a) Master Titles
Some titles are classified as master titles. These titles are designed to
eliminate unnecessary repetition of tasks common to a large number of
occupations. Master titles define the common job tasks having a wide variety
of job variables and wide variety of titles. An example is the title
"SUPERVISOR (any industry)". Each individual supervisory occupation has its
own separate definition in the DOT describing its unique duties, but at the end
of the definition the reader is referred to the master definition; in this case
by a sentence reading: "Performs other duties as described under SUPERVISOR
(any industry) Master Title". By referring to this master definition, the
user will learn about the typical supervisory duties which are commonly
performed.
b) Term Titles
Another type of DOT title is a term title. These include occupations with the
same title but few common duties. An example of a term definition is:
CONSULTING ENGINEER (profess. & kin.): A term applied to workers who consult
with and advise clients on specialized engineering matters in a particular
field of endeavor, such as chemical engineering, civil engineering, or
mechanical engineering.
Since neither master nor term definitions are occupations, they are not coded
in the Occupational Group Arrangement but are found in separate sections of the
DOT (see Contents).
There are other major types of titles used in the DOT, including alternate
titles and undefined related titles. These are discussed later in this
section.
3) Industry Designation
The industry designation is in parentheses immediately following the
occupational base title. It often differentiates between two or more
occupations with identical titles but different duties. Because of this, it is
an integral and inseparable part of any occupational title. An industry
designation often tells one or more things about an occupation such as:
location of the occupation (hotel & rest.; machine shop)
types of duties associated with the occupation (education; forging)
products manufactured (optical goods; textile)
processes used (electroplating; petrol. refin.)
raw materials used (nonfer. metal; stonework)
While a definition usually receives the designation of the industry or
industries in which it occurs, certain occupations occur in a large number of
industries. When this happens, the industry assigned is a cross-industry
designation. For example, clerical occupations are found in almost every
industry. To show the broad, cross-industry nature of clerical occupations,
"clerical" is an industry designation in itself. Among other cross-industry
designations are: "profess. & kin.", "machine shop", and
"woodworking".
Occupations which characteristically occur in nearly all industries, or which
occur in a number of industries, but not in most industries and which are not
considered to have any particular industrial attachment, are assigned the
designation of "any industry." The job title in the example is assigned this
designation. It should always be identified as CLOTH PRINTER (any industry)
652.382-010.
In compiling information for the DOT, analysts were not able to study each
occupation in all industries where it occurs. The industry designation,
therefore, shows in what industries the occupation was studied but does not
mean that it may not be found in others. Therefore, industry designations are
to be regarded as indicative of industrial location, but not necessarily
restrictive.
4) Alternate Titles
An alternate title is a synonym for the base title. It is not as commonly
used as the base title. Alternate titles are shown in lower-case letters
immediately after the base title and its industrial designation. In the
example, two alternate titles are given: "printer" and "printing-machine
operator". Alternate titles may not be used by public employment service
offices in assigning occupational classifications. Alternate titles are
cross-referenced to their base titles in the Alphabetical Index of Occupational
Titles. A particular occupation may have a large number of alternate titles or
none at all. Alternate titles carry the code numbers and industry designations
of the base title.
5) The Body of the Definition
The body of the definition usually consists of two or three main parts: a lead
statement, a number of task element statements, and a third part known as a
"may" item.
a) The Lead Statement
The first sentence following the industry designation and alternate titles (if
any) is the lead statement. It is followed by a colon (:). The lead statement
summarizes the entire occupation. It offers essential information such as:
worker actions
objective or purpose of the worker actions
machines, tools, equipment, or work aids used by the worker
In the example, the sentence "Sets up and operates machine to print designs
on materials, such as cloth, fiberglass, plastics sheeting, coated felt, or
oilcloth:" is the lead statement. From it, the user can obtain an overview of
the occupation.
b) Task Element Statements
Task element statements indicate the specific tasks the worker performs to
accomplish the overall job purpose described in the lead statement. The
sentences in the example beginning with "Turns handwheel . . . ", "Turns
screws . . . ", "Sharpens doctor . . . ", "Aligns doctor . . . ",
"Dips
color . . . ", etc. are all task element statements. They indicate how the
worker actually carries out the job duties.
c) "May" Items
Many definitions contain one or more sentences beginning with the word
"May". They describe duties required of workers in this occupation in some
establishments but not in others. The word "May" does not indicate that a
worker will sometimes perform this task but rather that some workers in
different establishments generally perform one of the varied tasks listed. In
the example, the three sentences beginning "May notify. . .", "May mount. .
.", "May position. . .", are "May" items. Do not confuse
"May" items
with the "May be designated. . ." sentence which introduces undefined related
titles.
The definition also contains a number of additional information elements designed to
assist the user. Among these elements are:
Italicized words: Any word in a definition shown in italics is defined in the
"Glossary ". Italicized words are technical or special uses of words not ordinarily
found in a dictionary. In the example, the words "printing rollers" are italicized.
Their precise meaning can be found in the "Glossary".
[Editor's Note: These words are not italicized in this Web version of the DOT. Please
consult a hard bound volume.]
Bracketed titles: A bracketed title indicates that the worker in the base title
occupation
performs some duties of the bracketed occupation as a part of the worker's
regular duties. In the example, the CLOTH PRINTER (any industry) 652.382-010
"May mount printing rollers. . ." Since this task is usually performed by a
PRINTING-ROLLER HANDLER (textile) 652.385-010, this occupation is bracketed. To
learn more about this particular aspect of the occupation, the user can read
the definition of the bracketed occupational title.
Unbracketed titles: Unbracketed titles are used for occupations that have a frequent
working relationship with the occupation defined. In the example, the CLOTH PRINTER
(any industry) 652.382-010 has a close working relationship with a COLORIST
(profess. & kin.) 022.161-014. This unbracketed title is therefore included in
the definition.
Roman numerals: Several somewhat different occupations with the same job title
may be found in the same industry. In this event, a Roman numeral follows each title. For
example, there are two titles in the DOT listed as ASSEMBLER (ordnance). In
order to distinguish between them, a Roman numeral is assigned to each one:
ASSEMBLER (ordnance) I 736.381-010 and ASSEMBLER (ordnance) II 736.684-014.
There is no connection in the sequence of these numbers with the level of
complexity of these occupations or the frequency with which they occur in the
U.S. economy.
Statement of significant variables: Another element found in some definitions is a
statement of significant variables. It appears near the end of a definition and indicates possible
variations that can occur in jobs. This eliminates the need to include a large
number of almost identical definitions in the DOT. The statement begins with
"Important variations include. . .". There is no statement of significant
variables in the definition of CLOTH PRINTER (any industry) 652.382-010.
6) Undefined Related Titles
Undefined related titles, when applicable, appear at the end of the
occupational definition, with initial capital letters, preceded by a phrase,
such as "May be designated according to. . .". In the example, three
undefined related titles are given: Novelty-Printing-Machine-Operator
(textile), Proofing-Machine Operator (print. & pub.), and Plisse-Machine
Operator (textile). This type of title indicates a variation or specialization
of the base occupation. It resembles the base enough to accompany it, but
differs from it enough to require an explanatory phrase and its own unique
title. An undefined related title has the same code as its base title.
Undefined related titles found in occupational definitions are listed in the
Alphabetical Index of Occupational Titles in initial capital letters. The
entry includes the industry designation and the 9-digit code of the
corresponding base title. In addition, undefined related titles appear in
alphabetical order with their nine-digit code under their appropriate industry
in the list of Occupational Titles Arranged by Industry Designation.
7) Definition Trailer
Selected characteristics and auxiliary profile data are contained in a
"trailer" appended to each definition. The trailer contains the following
selected occupational analysis characteristics: GOE Code; Strength rating; R,
M, and L of GED; and SVP. (Refer to Appendix C for a detailed explanation of
these characteristics.)
The Date of Last Update (DLU), the last item in the trailer, is the date of
the most recent material gathered in support of that occupation. The date
"1977" indicates that the job has not been studied since the publication of
the Fourth Edition DOT in 1977 (See Appendix A.) This entry
allows the reader to identify the currency of each definition. It will also provide easy
identification of definitions "new" to the DOT or alert the reader to
previously published and recently updated definitions.