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ANZSCO 5311Skill level 4Business and finance

Administration officer

Support the day-to-day operations of an office through scheduling, document management and customer service.

Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1250Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

How far does this stretch in each city?

What a administration officer actually does

Admin officers are the glue of an office. A typical day starts with sorting shared inboxes, triaging requests, and updating the team calendar. From there it shifts to scheduling meetings, formatting documents, raising purchase orders, processing supplier invoices, and answering phone or reception duties depending on the size of the team. Most roles are Monday-to-Friday 38 hours a week. Government and corporate admin tends to be stable hours; healthcare, legal and trades-based offices can have a busier reception load with more walk-ins and calls. About half the day is on the keyboard in Outlook, Word, Excel and the team's record system; the rest is spent on conversations with staff, clients and suppliers. Generally on-site at the office, with some hybrid days in larger employers.

Typical tasks

  • Manage shared inboxes and calendars.
  • Process invoices and basic finance tasks.
  • Maintain records and filing systems.

Skills you'll use

  • Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel to a confident level
  • Calendar and meeting coordination across multiple people
  • Filing, recordkeeping and document control
  • Customer service over phone, email and front desk
  • Basic finance tasks: invoices, receipts, expense claims
  • Discretion when handling confidential information
  • Clear written and spoken English

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10 at minimum; most employers prefer Year 12 completion
  2. 2Complete a Certificate III or IV in Business or Business Administration through TAFE or a registered training organisation
  3. 3Build practical office experience through traineeships, casual reception or part-time admin roles while studying
  4. 4Apply for entry-level admin, reception or office support roles; a Diploma of Business can fast-track a step up later

Where you can work

  • GP clinics, dental practices and allied health practices
  • Law firms and conveyancing offices
  • Construction and trades businesses
  • Real estate agencies and property managers
  • State and federal government agencies
  • Universities, schools and TAFE colleges
  • Manufacturing and logistics offices

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Entry-level admin
    0-2 years
    Typical roles: Receptionist, Admin assistant, Records officer
    Salary band: $50,000 - $60,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Experienced admin officer
    3-7 years
    Typical roles: Administration officer, Executive assistant, Practice administrator
    Salary band: $65,000 - $80,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior administrator
    8+ years
    Typical roles: Senior executive assistant, Office coordinator, Team leader, administration

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You like keeping things organised and find satisfaction in tidy systems
  • You're patient with people who are stressed or in a hurry
  • You can juggle several small tasks at once without dropping any
  • You're comfortable spending most of the day on a computer and phone
  • You can keep confidential information confidential

This might not suit you if

  • You want a role with a lot of outdoor or hands-on physical work
  • You find repetitive tasks unbearable
  • You want to be the one making big strategic decisions early on
  • You dislike answering phones or being interrupted

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for administration officer. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.