Work Context Index
Jobs where mistakes have the least serious consequences that pay above the U.S. median
Jobs where mistakes have the least serious consequences, restricted to occupations with a BLS median annual wage above $50,980, the 2025 median for all U.S. occupations. Every value is O*NET's own mean rating; the percentile is where that value sits among all 894 occupations, not among the restricted set.
In which jobs is the consequence of an error least serious that pay above the U.S. median wage?
Only 594 of the 894 occupations O*NET 30.3 rates have a BLS median annual wage above $50,980, the 2025 median for all U.S. occupations. Ranked by Consequence of Error, lowest first, 25 are listed: 11 also appear in the unrestricted ranking and 14 enter only under this restriction, led by Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (1.77 of 5), Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (1.78 of 5), Geographers (1.8 of 5). The strongest overall are Directors, Religious Activities and Education (1.44 of 5), Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary (1.44 of 5), Gem and Diamond Workers (1.49 of 5). Their median BLS wage is $78,760 (2025, 25 of 25 with a BLS line item), and 4 of the 25 with BLS education data typically need less than a bachelor's degree.
- Occupations compared
- 594 of 894 O*NET occupations qualify (a BLS median annual wage above $50,980, the 2025 median for all U.S. occupations); percentiles are still taken over all 894
- What O*NET asks incumbents
- Consequence of Error: "How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?"
- Scale
- 1 = Not serious at all; 3 = Serious; 5 = Extremely serious. Values are mean incumbent ratings.
- Wage and outlook source
- BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 (Employment in thousands). 5 of the 25 occupations listed have a dedicated RoleSprint page.
Source and method
O*NET 30.3 Database (Work Context), U.S. Department of Labor, and BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2. Verified 2026-09-05. Ratings are reproduced from O*NET as published mean incumbent responses on each question's own 1-to-5 scale. Percentile ranks, composite averages and the resulting order are RoleSprint's computation and are described on the methodology page. Wage, education and outlook fields are reproduced from BLS for the matching SOC code and left blank where BLS publishes no line item.
The 25 occupations
Ordered by mean rating for Consequence of Error, lowest first. Scale: 1 = Not serious at all; 5 = Extremely serious.
| # | Occupation | O*NET value | Rank | BLS wage and education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Directors, Religious Activities and Education O*NET-SOC 21-2021.00 | 1.44 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 99% of 894 occupations | $52,100 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · +3.3% 2025-35 |
| 2 | Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1022.00 | 1.44 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 99% of 894 occupations | $79,940 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · +1.7% 2025-35 |
| 3 | Gem and Diamond Workers O*NET-SOC 51-9071.06 | 1.49 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 99% of 894 occupations | $52,540 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -3.2% 2025-35 |
| 4 | Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1065.00 | 1.52 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 99% of 894 occupations | $98,070 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · +2.5% 2025-35 |
| 5 | Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers O*NET-SOC 27-3043.05 | 1.57 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 99% of 894 occupations | $76,910 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · -0.3% 2025-35 |
| 6 | English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1123.00 | 1.61 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 99% of 894 occupations | $78,760 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · 0% 2025-35 |
| 7 | Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1021.00 | 1.64 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 98% of 894 occupations | $96,980 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · +4.9% 2025-35 |
| 8 | Training and Development Managers O*NET-SOC 11-3131.00 | 1.68 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 98% of 894 occupations | $133,000 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · +6.4% 2025-35 |
| 9 | Instructional Coordinators O*NET-SOC 25-9031.00 | 1.71 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 98% of 894 occupations | $77,440 median (2025) Master's degree · +1.6% 2025-35 |
| 10 | Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters O*NET-SOC 51-2061.00 | 1.75 of 5 between "Not serious at all" and "Fairly serious" | Lower than 97% of 894 occupations | $62,620 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -6.1% 2025-35 |
| 11 | Sustainability Specialists O*NET-SOC 13-1199.05 | 1.77 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 97% of 894 occupations | $83,050 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · +3.9% 2025-35 |
| 12 | Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1121.00 | 1.77 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 97% of 894 occupations | $78,620 median (2025) Master's degree · +2.2% 2025-35 |
| 13 | Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1124.00 | 1.78 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 97% of 894 occupations | $79,350 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · +0.2% 2025-35 |
| 14 | Geographers O*NET-SOC 19-3092.00 | 1.80 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 97% of 894 occupations | $102,040 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · -2.1% 2025-35 |
| 15 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1011.00 | 1.82 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 97% of 894 occupations | $99,080 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · +5.9% 2025-35 |
| 16 | Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education O*NET-SOC 25-2022.00 | 1.85 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 96% of 894 occupations | $64,370 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · -0.4% 2025-35 |
| 17 | Writers and Authors O*NET-SOC 27-3043.00 | 1.85 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 96% of 894 occupations | $76,910 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · -0.3% 2025-35 |
| 18 | Fashion Designers O*NET-SOC 27-1022.00 | 1.85 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 96% of 894 occupations | $80,960 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · +0.1% 2025-35 |
| 19 | Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education O*NET-SOC 25-2021.00 | 1.86 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 96% of 894 occupations | $63,970 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · -0.4% 2025-35 |
| 20 | Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners O*NET-SOC 13-1121.00 | 1.87 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 95% of 894 occupations | $61,160 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · +5.8% 2025-35 |
| 21 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products O*NET-SOC 41-4012.00 | 1.88 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 95% of 894 occupations | $72,080 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · -0.9% 2025-35 |
| 22 | Transportation Planners O*NET-SOC 19-3099.01 | 1.89 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 95% of 894 occupations | $101,110 median (2025) Bachelor's degree · -0.2% 2025-35 |
| 23 | Sociologists O*NET-SOC 19-3041.00 | 1.89 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 95% of 894 occupations | $106,030 median (2025) Master's degree · +3.8% 2025-35 |
| 24 | Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary O*NET-SOC 25-1031.00 | 1.90 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 95% of 894 occupations | $96,870 median (2025) Doctoral or professional degree · +2.6% 2025-35 |
| 25 | Choreographers O*NET-SOC 27-2032.00 | 1.90 of 5 Fairly serious | Lower than 95% of 894 occupations | $55,310 median (2025) High school diploma or equivalent · +3.1% 2025-35 |
Values are mean ratings from O*NET 30.3; most come from surveys of people in the occupation, some from occupational experts, and some for newer occupations from O*NET analysts. Wage, education and outlook are from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 for the matching SOC code and are blank where BLS publishes no line item.
How this was measured
Consequence of Error (O*NET element 4.C.3.a.1). The question put to incumbents: “How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?”
- 1
Not serious at all
- 2
Fairly serious
- 3
Serious
- 4
Very serious
- 5
Extremely serious
894 of 894 occupations have a published, unsuppressed value for this element. The percentile beside each occupation is its position among them.
The full method, including how ties are broken and what the data cannot tell you, is on the methodology page.
The restriction applied
Only occupations with a BLS median annual wage above $50,980, the 2025 median for all U.S. occupations are listed: 594 of 894 qualify.
The unrestricted ranking is at Jobs where mistakes have the least serious consequences.
Combine this with other conditions
The explorer ranks all occupations on any set of measures you choose, with the same values and the same arithmetic as this page.
Open the explorer with this selectionThis page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. RoleSprint has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Wage, education and outlook figures are reproduced from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What to do next
These rankings describe occupations in general. The next question is whether a specific opening in one of them actually matches what you can show, and that is answered by comparing the posting with your resume.