• My Next Move
• Mi Próximo Paso
• My Next Move for Veterans
• O*NET OnLine
• Resource Center
• Code Connector
• O*NET Academy
• Data Collection Program
• U.S. Department of Labor
• Related Sites

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Delicious
• Digg
• Reddit
• StumbleUpon
• More sites...

Reference Manual

O*NET Web Services uses a RESTful web services API. Currently all resources are read-only and accessed with the GET method. Access is limited to registered developers through HTTP Basic authentication; you can obtain a username and password by signing up for the developer program. Before you sign up, you can try our interactive demo to see the API in action.

• Service list
  • About O*NET Web Services
  • My Next Move services
    • Search careers with key words
    • Browse careers by industry
    • O*NET Interest Profiler
      • Questions
      • Results
      • Job Zones
      • Matching careers
    • See all careers
    • Career overview
      • Knowledge
      • Skills
      • Abilities
      • Personality
      • Technology
      • Education
      • Job Outlook
      • Explore More
      • Full career report
  • My Next Move for Veterans services
    • Find careers like your military job
• Error handling

Service list

This response lists the top-level web service resources available. Each of the services are described below:

• About O*NET Web Services
• My Next Move services
• My Next Move for Veterans services

About O*NET Web Services

This response provides version information for the data returned through these services. Two elements are returned:

• The taxonomy element specifies the version of the O*NET-SOC taxonomy, which determines the set of O*NET-SOC codes and titles in use. The url attribute links to the O*NET Resource Center, where detailed information and taxonomy history may be found.
• The database element indicates the version of the O*NET database in use. The database includes information such as KSA, Job Zone, and Interest ratings, which are updated more frequently than the taxonomy. The url attribute links to the O*NET Resource Center, where the full O*NET Database may be downloaded in several formats.

The taxonomy and database will be updated regularly to match those in use at My Next Move and O*NET OnLine.

My Next Move services

This response lists the resources corresponding to My Next Move features. Each of the resources are described below:

• Search careers with key words
• Browse careers by industry
• O*NET Interest Profiler
• See all careers

Search careers with key words

This response searches for My Next Move careers using a word, phrase, or title. The closest matches are returned first; up to 20 results are returned.

If the service is called with a full or partial O*NET-SOC code, matching results are returned sorted by code. If more than 20 matches are found, the list will be paged; for information on navigating paged results, see the description of the See all careers service.

Browse careers by industry

This response lists each of the industries available to browse. The code element corresponds to a two-digit NAICS code. The href parameter indicates the URL of the specific industry resource. Each industry resource lists related careers, as described below.

This response lists careers where at least 10% of workers are employed in the selected industry. You can filter this list by passing a category parameter in the query string:

• all - include all categories (default)
• Most - most people (over 50%) in these careers work in this industry
• Some - some people (between 10% and 50%) in these careers work in this industry

By default, the list is sorted by category and then by career title. You can change this by passing a sort parameter in the query string:

• category - sort by category (default)
• name - sort by career title
• bright_outlook - return Bright Outlook careers first
• green - return Green careers first
• apprenticeship - return careers with Registered Apprenticeships first
• percent_employed - sort by percentage of workers employed in the industry

By default, up to 20 matching careers are returned. For information on navigating paged results, see the description of the See all careers service.

O*NET Interest Profiler

The O*NET Interest Profiler is a vocational assessment instrument that suggests careers based on work activity preferences. Four resources provide the functionality of the Interest Profiler:

1. Questions returns the list of questions asked in the assessment.
2. Results returns information about a user's interests, based on their Interest Profiler answers.
3. Job Zones returns informative text about the five O*NET Job Zones, which can be used to filter career results.
4. Matching careers returns My Next Move careers matching a user's interest results, Interest Profiler answers, or a single selected interest area.

Interest Profiler questions

The O*NET Interest Profiler contains 60 questions, each describing a work activity. The assessment taker should be offered five possible answers, describing how they would feel about doing each type of work:

1. Strongly Dislike
2. Dislike
3. Unsure
4. Like
5. Strongly Like

These options, and their corresponding values, are provided in the <answer_options> element. The application should record the value of each answer -- 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 -- and build a string of 60 characters containing all answers in order. This string will be used as the answers parameter for obtaining Interest Profiler results.

Each question pertains to one of six interest areas, given in the <area> element. By default, 12 questions are returned at a time. To navigate the full set of questions, use the link rel="next" and link rel="prev" elements, or provide start and end parameters to jump directly to the desired results.

Interest Profiler results

This response converts a set of Interest Profiler answers into a set of RIASEC scores. This may be used to identify a user's top interest areas. Six <result> elements are returned, with the numeric score and a description of each interest area. The format of the answers parameter is described above.

This response may also be called without the answers parameter. In that event, each interest area and description will be returned, without the score element present. This may be used to retrieve the text related to each interest area without needing a set of Interest Profiler answers; for example, an application may produce a score report based on paper-and-pencil Interest Profiler scores using the descriptions returned.

Interest Profiler Job Zones

This response contains information about each of the five O*NET Job Zones. As described below, a Job Zone may be used to refine the list of occupations matching a user's interest profile. This informational text may be presented to the user to help them select the correct Job Zone for their career exploration.

Interest Profiler matching careers

This response returns a list of careers matching the given Interest Profiler answers or interest scores; or occupations in a selected interest area. Exactly one of the following parameter sets must be provided when calling the resource:

• answers=[answer string] — occupations are matched based on the given Interest Profiler answers. The format of the answers parameter is described above.
• Realistic=[score] &Investigative=[score] &Artistic=[score] &Social=[score] &Enterprising=[score] &Conventional=[score] — careers are matched based on the given interest scores. These scores may be obtained from the Interest Profiler Results service, or from a source such as the paper-and-pencil Interest Profiler.
• area=[interest area] — careers most relevant to a single interest area are returned. This may be used to suggest careers outside the matches obtained using a full interest profile. The parameter value should be one of: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising or Conventional.

In addition, an optional parameter may be specified:

• job_zone=[1-5] — if specified, only careers in the given Job Zone will be returned. Note that for some interest profiles, matching careers may not be available in all five Job Zones.

When called using Interest Profiler answers or scores, each career will include a fit attribute, indicating the strength of the match:

• Best — the career's interest profile is a very strong match to the user's interest profile.
• Great — the career's interest profile is a strong match to the user's interest profile.
• Good — the career's interest profile is a less strong match to the user's interest profile.

See all careers

This response lists all careers available in My Next Move. By default, the list is sorted by career title; you can change this by passing a sort parameter in the query string:

• name - sort by career title (default)
• bright_outlook - return Bright Outlook careers first
• green - return Green careers first
• apprenticeship - return careers with Registered Apprenticeships first

The list is paged, returning 20 careers at a time by default. To navigate the full set of careers, use the link rel="next" and link rel="prev" elements, or provide start and end parameters to jump directly to the desired results.

Career overview

This response covers a single career in more detail. Not all elements are present, depending on the data available in the career. The following elements may be present:

• code - the O*NET-SOC code for the career. See the O*NET-SOC Taxonomy page for more information.
• title - the career name shown in My Next Move.
• tags - indicates whether the career is considered a Bright Outlook or Green occupation, and whether Registered Apprenticeships are available for this career.
• also_called - a sample of job titles reported during the O*NET data collection process. Job titles are not available for all careers.
• what_they_do - the O*NET-SOC description of the career.
• on_the_job - a sample of tasks performed by workers in the career.
• resources - links to each of the more detailed career web services, as explained below. Some resources are not available for all careers.

Knowledge

This response returns the key knowledge areas for a career. For careers with knowledge data collected by the O*NET program, one or more group elements will be returned.

Each group element contains exactly one title child, which is shown in colored bold text in My Next Move. The id attribute indicates the corresponding element ID within the O*NET Content Model. Subsequent element children are shown as list items within My Next Move, and also contain an id attribute indicating the corresponding Content Model element.

Skills

This response returns the key skills for a career. For careers with skills data collected by the O*NET program, one or more group elements will be returned.

Each group element contains exactly one title child, which is shown in colored bold text in My Next Move. The id attribute indicates the corresponding element ID within the O*NET Content Model. Subsequent element children are shown as list items within My Next Move, and also contain an id attribute indicating the corresponding Content Model element.

Abilities

This response returns the key abilities for a career. For careers with skills data collected by the O*NET program, one or more group elements will be returned.

Each group element contains exactly one title child, which is shown in colored bold text in My Next Move. The id attribute indicates the corresponding element ID within the O*NET Content Model. Subsequent element children are shown as list items within My Next Move, and also contain an id attribute indicating the corresponding Content Model element.

Personality

This response returns the top interest and key work styles for a career.

For careers with Interests ratings collected by the O*NET program, the top_interest element will contain the O*NET Content Model ID and title of the first interest high-point. A short description is also included. The Interest Profiler results service provides an expanded description of each interest area.

For careers with work styles data collected by the O*NET program, the work_styles element will contain one or more element elements. The id attribute indicates the corresponding element ID within the O*NET Content Model.

Technology

This response returns selected examples of the software used in a career. For occupations with technology examples collected by the O*NET Tools and Technology project, one or more category elements will be returned.

Each category element includes a unspsc attribute, which indicates the UNSPSC commodity under which the examples are grouped. The element contains exactly one title child, which corresponds to the UNSPSC commodity title. Zero or more example elements follow, indicating more specific products or types of software used by workers in the occupation.

Education

This response returns education and apprenticeship data for the requested career.

The job_zone element is present when the career has been classified into one of five Job Zones, based on the education, experience, and training needed to perform the work. The element content is a number between 1 and 5. The Interest Profiler Job Zones resource provides information about each Job Zone.

The education_usually_needed element provides the most commonly reported level(s) of education required for jobs in the career. One or more category elements are returned:

• some high school
• high school diploma
• some college
• associate's degree
• bachelor's degree
• master's degree
• doctoral/professional degree

The apprenticeships element lists the title and RAPIDS code for each related apprenticeship program registered with the Office of Apprenticeship .

Job Outlook

This response returns information related to job opportunities and employment for the career.

The outlook element indicates whether job opportunities are likely in the future. One of three category values is returned:

• Bright - the career meets one or more Bright Outlook criteria
• Average - the career does not meet Bright Outlook criteria, but is projected to have at least a 10% increase in employment over 2010-2020
• Below Average - the career does not meet Bright or Average criteria.

The bright_outlook element is present if the career meets Bright Outlook criteria. One or more category elements are returned to indicate the criteria matched:

• Grow Rapidly - the career will grow rapidly in the next few years
• Openings - the career will have large numbers of openings
• New & Emerging - this is a new and emerging career

The salary element provides annual median wages, from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics wage estimates. The soc_code attribute indicates the SOC code for which the estimate was published.

The green element is present when the career has been identified as part of the green economy. One of three category values is returned:

• Increased Demand - the green economy will increase the demand for this type of work
• Changed Work - the green economy will change the work and skills needed on the job
• New & Emerging - the career represents a new type of work created by the green economy

Explore More

This response returns a list of related careers and industries that may be of interest to career explorers or workers looking to transition to another career.

The careers element contains careers with similar characteristics to the requested career, as provided by the O*NET Related Occupations program.

The industries element contains industries that employ at least 10% of workers in the requested occupation. Industry employment data is reported by BLS Employment Projections . If industry data is available, the soc_code attribute indicates the SOC code under which industry employment was published.

Full career report

This response returns information from all of the career-specific services described above, including the overview. Clients interested in a variety of career data may use this call to retrieve information in fewer requests.

My Next Move for Veterans services

This response lists the resources corresponding to My Next Move for Veterans features. Many of these resources behave the same way as their My Next Move counterparts, described above:

• Search careers with key words
• Browse careers by industry
• See all careers

The only difference in these features, and in the Career overview services, is the addition of a military_jobs element in career listings. This indicates whether the career is linked to military classifications in five branches. Examples are displayed below, in the description of the Veterans specific resource:

• Find careers like your military job

Find careers like your military job

This response returns My Next Move careers similary to a military code or title. Closest matches are returned first.

An optional parameter, branch, can be added to limit searches to a single service branch. The branch codes are:

• all - all branches (default)
• air_force - Air Force (AFSC)
• army - Army (MOS)
• coast_guard - Coast Guard (Ratings)
• marine_corps - Marine Corps (MOS)
• navy - Navy (Ratings)

Error handling

Error conditions in the web services API are indicated with HTTP status codes. When a client calls a service incorrectly, an error response may be returned, along with a 422 status code. This can happen when:

• A required parameter (such as the keyword parameter in the Search careers service) is not provided, or a parameter was not formatted correctly.
• Information is requested for a non-existent or obsolete O*NET-SOC code.
• No data is available for a particular career or parameter. For example, no Knowledge data is available for Legislators.

As with any web service, clients should also be prepared to handle other HTTP errors, such as 404 or 500. Only errors with a 422 code will contain an XML error response.

Back to top

• My Next Move
• Mi Próximo Paso
• My Next Move for Veterans
• O*NET OnLine
• Resource Center
• Code Connector
• O*NET Academy
• Data Collection Program
• U.S. Department of Labor
• Related Sites