Parent occupation groups

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Group A

Senior management in large business organisation, government administration and defence, and qualified professionals

Elected officials (mayor parliamentarian, alderperson, trade union secretary, board member)

Senior executives/general managers/department heads in industry, commerce, media or other large organisation

  • Public sector manager (public service manager (section head or above), regional director, hospital/health services education)
  • Other administrator (school principal, faculty head/dean, library/museum/gallery director, research facility director)
  • Defence forces (Commissioned Officer)

Qualified professionals generally have degree or higher qualifications and experience in applying this knowledge to design, develop or operate complex systems; identify, treat and advise on problems; and teach others

  • Health (GP or specialist, registered nurse, dentist, pharmacist, optometrist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, vet, psychologist, therapy professionals, dietician, radiographer, podiatrist)
  • Education (primary/secondary school teacher, university lecturer, professor, VET, special education)
  • Law (lawyer, judge, barrister, coroner, solicitor, legal officer)
  • Engineering (architect, surveyor, chemical/civil/mechanical/mining engineer)
  • ICT (computer systems manager, designer, software and applications programmers)
  • Science (all scientists)
  • Business (management consultant, business analyst, accountant, auditor, policy analyst, actuary, valuer, economist)
  • Social (social/welfare/community worker, counsellor, minister of religion, urban/rural planner, librarian, archivist, interpreter/translator)
  • Air/sea transport (aircraft/ship’s captain/officer/pilot, flight officer, flying instructor, air traffic controller)

Group B

Other business managers/professionals and associate professionals.

Other business managers/professionals

  • Farm/business owner/manager: crop and/or livestock farmer/farm manager, stock and station agent, building/construction, manufacturing, mining, wholesale, import/export, transport business manager)
  • Specialist manager: works manager, engineering/production manager, sales/marketing manager, purchasing manager, supply/shipping manager, customer service manager, property manager, real estate manager, advertising, public relations manager, human resource manager, call or contact centre manager, human resource professionals
  • Finance (bank manager, finance/investment/insurance brokers/advisors, credit/loans officer, accountant)
  • Retail sales/services manager (shop, post office, petrol station, café/restaurant, club, hotel/motel/caravan park, cinema, theatre, travel/betting agency, sports centre, car rental, car/fleet/station manager, other hospitality, retail services managers)
  • Arts/media (musician, actor, dancer, painter, potter, sculptor, journalist, writer/author, media presenter, photographer, designer, illustrator, proof reader, graphic designer, web designer)
  • Sportsperson (coach, trainer, sports official, sportsperson)

Associate professionals generally have diploma/technical qualifications and support managers and professional

  • Medical, science, architectural, building, surveying, engineering, computing, ICT support technician
  • Health (enrolled nurse, community health worker, paramedic/ambulance officer, massage therapist, welfare/parole officer, youth worker, dental hygienist/technician)
  • Legal (police officer, prison officer, government inspector, examiner or assessor, occupational/environmental health officer, security advisor, private investigator, debt collector, law clerk, court officer bailiff)
  • Business/administration (recruitment/employment/industrial relations/training officer, marketing/advertising specialist, market research analyst, technical sales representative, retail buyer, office manager, project manager/administrator, mail supervisor, other managing supervisors, management and organisation analysts, contract, program)
  • Defence Forces (senior non-Commissioned Officers [NCO])
  • Other (library assistant, museum/gallery technician, research assistant, proof reader)

Group C

Tradespeople and advanced/intermediate clerical, office, sales, carer and service staff. 

Tradespeople generally have completed a 4-year trade certificate, usually by apprenticeship. All tradespeople are included in this group. (metal fitters and machinists, motor mechanics, structural steel/welding trades workers, carpenters and joiners, plumbers, painters, electricians, chefs/cooks, hairdressers)

Advanced/intermediate clerical, office, sales, carer and service staff

  • Recording clerk (bookkeeper, bank/post office clerk, statistical/actuarial clerk, account/claims/audit clerk, payroll clerk, recording/registry/filing clerk, betting clerk, stores/inventory clerk, purchasing/supply logistics/order clerk, freight/transport/shipping clerk, bond clerk, customs agent, customer services clerk, admissions clerk)
  • Inquiry/admissions clerk (customer inquiry/complaints/service clerk, hospital admissions clerk)
  • Office (secretary, personal assistant, desktop publishing operator, switchboard operator)
  • Sales (sales representative (goods and service), auctioneer, insurance agent/assessor/loss adjuster, market researcher, real estate sales agent)
  • Carer (aged/disability/refuge/childcare/welfare support worker, nanny, nursing support)
  • Service (parking inspector, postal worker, courier, travel agent, tour guide, flight attendant, fitness instructor/supervisor, inspectors and regulatory officers)

Group D

Machine operators, sales/office/service/hospitality staff, assistants, labourers and related workers.

Machine operators

  • Driver or mobile plant operators (car/taxi/bus/coach/tram/truck/train driver, driving instructor, courier/deliverer, forklift driver, garbage collector, bulldozer/loader/grader/excavator/earthmoving plant operators, farm/horticulture/forestry machinery operators)
  • Production/processing machine operator (engineering, chemical, petrol, gas, water sewerage, cement, plastics, rubber, textile, footwear, wood/paper/glass/clay/stone/concrete production/processing machine operators)
  • Other machine operator (photographic developer/printer, industrial spray painter, boiler/air conditioning/refrigeration plant operators, railway signals/points, crane/hoist/lift/bulk materials handling machinery operators, driller, miner)

Sales office, hospitality staff and other assistants

  • Sales (sales assistant, motor vehicle/caravan/parts salesperson, sales representatives, checkout operator, cashier, bus/train conductor, ticket seller, service station attendant, car rental desk staff, street vendor, telemarketer, shelf stacker/filler)
  • Office (typist, word processing/data entry/business/keyboard/machine operator, receptionist, office assistant, general clerk)
  • Hospitality staff (hotel service supervisor, receptionist, waiter, bar attendant, barista, kitchen-hand, porter, housekeeper, fast food cooks)
  • Assistant/aide (trades assistant, school/teacher’s/education aide, dental assistant, veterinary nurse, nursing assistant, museum/gallery attendant, usher, home helper, salon assistant, animal attendant)

Defence Forces ranks below senior NCO

Agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fishing, mining worker (farm overseer, shearer, wool/hide classer, farm hand, horse trainer, nurseryman, greenkeeper, gardener, tree surgeon, forestry/logging worker, miner, seafarer/fishing hand)

Other worker (labourer, factory hand, store person, guard, commercial cleaner, caretaker, laundry worker, trolley collector, car park attendant, crossing supervisor, security office)