AustralianCourses
Career pathway

Secretary (General)

ANZSCO 521211

Employed

22,700

Part-time share

61%

Female share

95%

Median age

55 yrs

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

Salary and some workforce figures are suppressed for this occupation because Jobs and Skills Australia / the ABS do not publish estimates for small populations (typically fewer than 50 employed people) or because the figures have been perturbed for privacy. They are shown as unavailable rather than zero.

About this career

Secretaries (General) perform secretarial, clerical and other administrative tasks in support of Managers and Professionals.

What they typically do

  • Liaises with other staff to arrange meetings, and to gain and provide information.
  • Prepares reports, briefing notes and correspondence, and proofreads work for typographical and grammatical errors.
  • Maintains appointment diaries and makes travel arrangements.
  • Processes incoming and outgoing mail, files correspondence and maintains records.
  • Answers telephone calls, responds to inquiries and redirects callers.
  • Takes and transcribes dictation of letters and other documents.
  • Greets visitors, ascertains nature of business and directs visitors to appropriate personal.
  • 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
40.1%
VIC
19.8%
QLD
18.9%
WA
10.7%
SA
6.7%
TAS
1.8%
ACT
1.6%
NT
0.5%

Qualification pathways

These accredited qualifications can lead to a career as a Secretary (General).