Strength levels

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.

The ORS publishes five strength levels (sedentary, light, medium, heavy, and very heavy), which are part of the published 

physical demands, and are calculated from the weight and duration associated with lifting, carrying, and in some cases, 

standing.1

Duration levels are used to calculate the amount of time spent lifting or carrying. There are four duration levels 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).

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. 

“Negligible weight” includes anything lifted or carried weighing less than one pound. (See Table 1.)

Table 1. Determining strength level based on lifting or carrying duration or percentage of the workday spent standing
Occupational Requirements Survey ●www.bls.gov/ors ●orsinfo@bls.gov ●202.691.6199

Sedentary strength level

Strength is considered sedentary when none of the conditions in the strength chart are met and standing is required less 

than or equal to 1/3 of the work schedule or workday.

For civilian workers, 29.3 percent of workers were required to work at a sedentary strength level. 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 2.)

Table 2. Percentage of civilian workers with a sedentary strength level by occupation, 2023

Occupation Estimate Standard error

Aerospace engineers >99.5 [1]

Software quality assurance analysts and testers >99.5 [1]

Word processors and typists >99.5 [1]

Architectural and civil drafters 99.5 <0.5

Software developers 99.0 <0.5

Financial and investment analysts 98.5 <0.5

Web and digital interface designers 98.1 0.8

Bill and account collectors 97.6 1.1

Proofreaders and copy markers 96.6 3.2

Public safety telecommunicators 96.6 1.3

Budget analysts 96.5 2.6

Computer programmers 96.5 1.1

Insurance sales agents 96.4 2.0

[1] The standard error is not available for this estimate.

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, a light 

strength level is required. For civilian workers, 32.9 percent of workers were required to work at a light strength level. 

Examples of occupations with light strength level requirements include:

• Hosts and hostesses 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.

• Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks might spend more than 1/3 of their workday standing.

Table 3. Percentage of civilian workers with a light strength level by occupation, 2023

Occupation Estimate Standard error

Barbers 99.1 0.9

Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists 98.5 1.3

Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education 95.3 0.9

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education 91.2 0.9

Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop 89.9 3.6

Physics teachers, postsecondary 87.7 3.5

Gambling managers 87.4 6.1

Opticians, dispensing 86.9 8.1

Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks 82.5 5.4

Teachers and instructors, all other 81.3 6.7

Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors 81.1 10.4

Chemists 79.2 6.1

Waiters and waitresses 78.3 2.1

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey
Occupational Requirements Survey ●www.bls.gov/ors ●orsinfo@bls.gov ●202.691.6199

Medium strength level

For civilian workers, 28.6 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.

• Packers and packagers, such as a grocery store bagger, could be lifting or carrying groceries weighing more than 

1 pound for 2/3 or more of the workday.

Table 4. Percentage of civilian workers with a medium strength level by occupation, 2023

Occupation Estimate Standard error

Foundry mold and coremakers 91.2 4.6

Animal caretakers 88.4 4.8

Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers 86.1 9.8

Production workers, all other 84.5 8.3

Tapers 83.3 8.7

Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 82.5 6.9

Couriers and messengers 82.4 10.4

Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 81.7 7.0

Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders 80.3 8.5

Veterinary technologists and technicians 79.5 4.7

Helpers–production workers 76.5 4.7

Roofers 74.7 7.2

Magnetic resonance imaging technologists 74.5 10.4

Packers and packagers, hand 71.2 3.6

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Heavy strength level

For civilian workers, 8.2 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.

• Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists might occasionally lift truck parts weighing over 50 

pounds.

Table 5. Percentage of civilian workers with a heavy strength level by occupation, 2023

Occupation Estimate Standard error

Light truck drivers 64.2 4.4

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers 52.5 6.7

Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics 49.9 14.5

Occupational therapy aides <45 [1]

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists 43.3 6.9

Electrical power-line installers and repairers 43.3 9.9

Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door 41.8 10.0

Podiatrists <35 [1]

Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping <35 [1]

Construction laborers 34.8 4.3

Highway maintenance workers 33.7 7.1

Industrial machinery mechanics 31.2 4.4

[1] The standard error is not available for this estimate.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey
Occupational Requirements Survey ●www.bls.gov/ors ●orsinfo@bls.gov ●202.691.6199

Very heavy strength level

For civilian workers, 1.0 percent required a very heavy strength level, which indicates requirements beyond the 

conditions set for heavy work. Examples of occupational groups with heavy strength level requirements include:

• Laborers in construction and extraction occupations may lift items that weigh 50 pounds or more, like bags of 

cement or sheets of plywood, for more than 1/3 of the workday.

• Workers in healthcare support occupations may lift patients to and from their beds for 10 minutes during an 8-

hour shift.

Table 6. Percentage of civilian workers with a very heavy strength level by occupational group, 2023

Occupation Estimate Standard error

Construction and extraction occupations 1.8 <0.5

Transportation and material moving occupations 1.8 <0.5

Healthcare support occupations 1.3 <0.5

Personal care and service occupations 0.9 <0.5

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations 0.6 <0.5

Community and social service occupations 0.5 <0.5

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Additional resources:

• Latest news release

• Archived ORS news releases

• Handbook of Methods

• Collection manuals

• Factsheets

Articles:

• All The Economics Daily (TED) articles on ORS

• Minds at work: what’s required according to the Occupational Requirements Survey (PDF)

• A look at teachers’ job requirements, employer costs, and benefits (PDF)

• Occupational Requirements Survey: Third wave testing report (PDF)

• Occupational Requirements Survey: results from a job observation pilot test

• The Occupational Requirements Survey: estimates from preproduction testing

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.