Barristers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Barristers plead cases before civil, criminal and industrial courts and other tribunals.
Specialisations: Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel.
A law degree is needed to work as a Barrister. Barristers also need to pass the Bar Examination and obtain an Australian Practising Certificate (Barrister).
Tasks
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receiving written information in the form of briefs and verbal instructions concerning cases from Solicitors, other specialist Legal Professionals and clients
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providing advice and written opinions on points of law
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conferring with clients and witnesses in preparation for court proceedings
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drawing up pleadings, affidavits and other court documents
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researching statutes and previous court decisions relevant to cases
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outlining the facts to the court, calling and questioning witnesses, and making addresses to the court to argue a client's case
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providing opinion on complex legal issues
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may draw up or settle documents
Characteristics
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University
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Analytical
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Creative
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Enterprising
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow very strongly
- is likely to reach 11,100 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 7,900 |
2012 | 6,400 |
2013 | 6,700 |
2014 | 10,600 |
2015 | 8,300 |
2016 | 5,300 |
2017 | 9,600 |
2018 | 10,000 |
2019 | 14,400 |
2020 | 8,800 |
2021 | 9,000 |
2026 | 11,100 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 85% of people employed as Barristers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 50 hours per week in their main job. This is 6 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Median full-time earnings are $2,734 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $2,318
- 1 in 4 earn more than $3,322
Median hourly earnings are $72, this is much more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).
Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.
Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)
Earnings | Barristers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 2,734 | 1,593 |
Total Earnings | 0 | 0 |
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Barristers work in the Professional, scientific and technical services industry. They are also employed in Public administration and safety.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Barristers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 35.4 | 31.6 |
VIC | 30.2 | 25.6 |
QLD | 16.3 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.3 | 7.0 |
WA | 7.3 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.6 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.1 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.8 | 1.9 |
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Around 85% of Barristers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
Victoria and New South Wales have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby
- Sydney - Eastern Suburbs
- Sydney - City and Inner South
- Brisbane Inner City.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Barristers is 46 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 32% of the workforce. This is 16 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Barristers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.6 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 17.7 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 26.2 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 26.5 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 10.3 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 9.4 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 9.4 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 46 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A law degree is needed to work as a Barrister. Barristers also need to pass the Bar Examination and obtain an Australian Practising Certificate (Barrister).
Registration or licencing may be required.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Barristers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 33.8 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 59.3 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 3.9 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.7 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 1.8 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.3 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.2 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Barristers with good people skills who are trustworthy and responsible.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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70%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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70%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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70%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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70%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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68%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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64%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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61%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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61%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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61%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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57%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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57%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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57%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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54%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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50%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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46%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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45%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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45%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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43%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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78%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
78%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
74%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
65%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
62%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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58%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
50%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
47%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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46%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
45%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
38%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
33%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
31%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
31%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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27%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
25%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
24%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
24%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
-
22%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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21%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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71%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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71%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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71%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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71%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
-
66%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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64%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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63%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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61%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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57%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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55%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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55%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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54%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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54%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
48%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
-
45%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
43%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
43%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
41%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
-
37%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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37%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
90%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
85%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
84%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
79%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
79%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
78%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
77%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
76%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
74%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
73%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
73%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
67%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
66%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
66%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
-
62%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
61%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
-
59%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
-
55%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
-
51%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
45%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
100%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
67%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
57%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
52%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
48%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
19%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
90%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
86%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
86%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
86%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
62%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
57%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
Demands
-
100%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
100%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
99%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
96%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
96%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
94%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
94%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
92%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
91%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
91%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
91%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
84%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
84%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
84%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
82%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
82%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
82%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
81%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
79%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 23-1011.00 - Lawyers.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
-
Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.