Administration officer
Support the day-to-day operations of an office through scheduling, document management and customer service.
Salary
Cited figures only: median full-time weekly earnings for the ANZSCO unit group General Clerks (5311) from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia), and where available the QILT graduate starting salary for the matching study area.
| Figure | AUD | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time weekly earnings | $1305 | Your Career (2026-09-23) |
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation General Clerk (531111), the closest official match for administration officer, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- People employed
- 306,000
- Future demand
- Strong
- Work full-time
- 60%
- Average full-time hours
- 40 a week
- Women
- 84%
- Median age
- 42
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 28.9% |
| VIC | 25.1% |
| QLD | 21.1% |
| WA | 10.7% |
| SA | 6.1% |
| TAS | 2.1% |
| ACT | 4.5% |
| NT | 1.6% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 6.4% |
| Bachelor degree | 16.6% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 14.9% |
| Certificate I-IV | 18.7% |
| Year 12 | 21.7% |
| Below Year 12 | 15.9% |
What an 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
- 1Finish Year 10 at minimum; most employers prefer Year 12 completion
- 2Complete a Certificate III or IV in Business or Business Administration through TAFE or a registered training organisation
- 3Build practical office experience through traineeships, casual reception or part-time admin roles while studying
- 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 roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.
- Entry-level admin0-2 yearsTypical roles: Receptionist, Admin assistant, Records officer
- Experienced admin officer3-7 yearsTypical roles: Administration officer, Executive assistant, Practice administrator
- Senior administrator8+ yearsTypical 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
Ways in
Uni and TAFE routes for administration officer. 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.
Sources
ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.