Annual employment growth

Community and Personal Service Workers provide a wide range of services, including in the areas of aged and disability care, health and social welfare, child care, hospitality, policing, tourism and sports. Employment is largely concentrated in two industries, with 40% employed in Health Care and Social Assistance and 18% in Accommodation and Food Services.

Workers are mainly female (69%) and part-time employment is common (55%), although there are differences by subgroup. For example, Protective Service Workers (which includes Police, Fire and Emergency Workers and Security Officers and Guards) is largely a male workforce (77%) and has a relatively low level of part-time employment (13%).

Are qualifications needed?

Entry pathways are varied, reflecting the diverse range of services provided by workers in this group. Around 47% of workers have a certificate III or higher vocational qualification, 25% do not hold a post-school qualification and 23% have a bachelor degree or higher.

Health and Welfare Support Workers (which includes Ambulance Officers and Paramedics and Dental Hygienists, Technicians and Therapists) is the most highly educated subgroup, with nearly 90% holding post-school qualifications.

Top employing occupations

Are there job opportunities?

Some occupations in this group provide good entry level employment opportunities. For example, young workers (aged 15 to 24 years) account for 52% of Hospitality Workers and post-school study is often not needed for these jobs.

For jobs within the heath care sector, check online recruitment websites as they are regularly used by employers. It is important that you also remember to check the websites of big employers, as many will only advertise jobs on their own websites.

Community and Personal Service Worker occupations are the least likely to be in shortage according to analysis by the National Skills Commission. In the 2021 Skills Priority List, 8% of assessed occupations in this group are in shortage (the lowest proportion of all assessed occupation groups). Despite this, Enrolled Nurse, Child Care Worker and Aged or Disabled Carer are in shortage and have strong projected future demand.

Will there be future opportunities?

Jobs in this group typically require skills that are less likely to be automated (such as interpersonal and communication skills). With most of the workers in this occupation employed in Health Care and Social Assistance, future demand is expected to be driven by population growth, an ageing population and the continued expansion of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Employment by occupation subgroup, Community and Personal Service Workers

Sources: ABS, Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations; ABS, Characteristics of Employment; ABS, Education and Work; ABS, Labour Force (seasonally adjusted and annual averages of original data); National Skills Commission, Employers' Recruitment Insights; National Skills Commission, Employment Projections; National Skills Commission, Skills Priority List, 2021.