AustralianCourses
Career pathway

Secretaries

ANZSCO 5212

Employed

29,500

Part-time share

44%

Female share

94%

Median weekly earnings

$1,626

Median age

46 yrs

Employment outlook

Declining

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia · ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

About this career

Secretaries perform secretarial, clerical and other administrative tasks in support of Managers, Legal Professionals and other professionals.

What they typically do

  • Liaising with other staff to arrange meetings, and to gain and provide information
  • Preparing reports, briefing notes and correspondence, and proofreading work for typographical and grammatical errors
  • Maintaining appointment diaries and making travel arrangements
  • Processing incoming and outgoing mail, filing correspondence and maintaining records
  • Answering telephone calls, responding to inquiries and redirecting callers
  • Taking and transcribing dictation of letters and other documents
  • Greeting visitors, ascertaining nature of business and directing visitors to appropriate persons
  • May implement management decisions and maintain records of meetings
  • May handle bookkeeping and petty cash functions

States and territories

Share of workers by location

NSW
41.9%
QLD
17.5%
VIC
14.7%
WA
12.4%
SA
8.7%
TAS
1.8%
ACT
1.6%
NT
1.4%

Qualification pathways

These accredited qualifications can lead to a career as a Secretaries.