In Korea, visiting nursing services in pubic health centers have been in place since 1991. The purpose of this study is to compare the job characteristics, job motivation and job performance between visiting nurses and other public health nurses. 196 subjects were sent mailed questionnaires from Aug. to Sep., 1997. The response rate was 65.3%. Data were analyzed by a SPSSWIN program with a t-test, $X^2-test$, ANCOVA. The results were as follows : 1. The level of job ability in visiting nurses was higher than that of other public health nurses, but it was an insignificant difference(t=1.5975, p=.2078). Among job characteristics, skill variety was significantly higher in other public health nurses(t=8.2121, p=.0046); autonomy and feedback were significantly higher in visiting nurses(t=8.1877, p=.0047/t=7.7026, p=.0085). 2. There was no significant difference in the level of job motivation(t=.6485, p=.4216) and in job performance between the two groups (t=2.7393, p=.0995). In job performance, general nursing and organizational jobs were significantly higher in other public health nurses (t=4.8486, p=.1288/t=9.4237, p=.0024). 3. It was reconfirmed that there was, a significant difference in the level of skill variety, autonomy and feedback in analyzing age and career as covariates. 4. Significant positive relationship was found in job characteristics and job motivation(r=.5488, p=.0000). No significant relationship was found in job characteristics and job performance(r=.0486, p=.498). Through these results, it was supported that there were differences in some of the job characteristics and job performance between visiting nurses and other public health nurses. Therefore, it is requested to redesign job standards, training programs and management styles focusing on the job characteristics of visiting nurses.