Legislators
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Legislators represent the interests of people in constituencies as elected members of national, state and territory parliaments and local government authorities.
Tasks
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developing national, state, territory or local government policy, and formulating, amending and repealing legislation and by-laws
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helping constituents with a range of problems particularly with regard to matters concerning government and local agencies
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investigating matters of concern to the public and to particular persons and groups
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introducing proposals for government action and representing public and electoral interests
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issuing policy directions to government departments and exercising control over local government authorities
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attending community functions and meetings of local groups to provide service to the community, gauge public opinion and provide information on government plans
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may serve as a member on parliamentary committees and inquiries
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may present petitions on behalf of concerned groups
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Enterprising
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Helping
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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 moderately
- is likely to reach 2,600 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.
4.6%
Number of Workers
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 2,100 |
| 2012 | 1,500 |
| 2013 | 2,500 |
| 2014 | 1,200 |
| 2015 | 4,700 |
| 2016 | 1,900 |
| 2017 | 2,700 |
| 2018 | 3,800 |
| 2019 | 1,800 |
| 2020 | 2,800 |
| 2021 | 2,500 |
| 2026 | 2,600 |
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
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Around 74% of people employed as Legislators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 8 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 56 hours per week in their main job. This is 12 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Legislators work in the Public administration and safety industry. They are also employed in industries like:
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 | Legislators | All Jobs Average |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 21.2 | 31.6 |
| VIC | 19.6 | 25.6 |
| QLD | 25.3 | 20.0 |
| SA | 9.4 | 7.0 |
| WA | 13.6 | 10.8 |
| TAS | 5.8 | 2.0 |
| NT | 2.9 | 1.0 |
| ACT | 1.9 | 1.9 |
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Around 51% of Legislators live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.
Queensland and Tasmania have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
The region with the largest share of workers is Hobart.
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 Legislators is 53 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 41% of the workforce. This is 7 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 | Legislators | All Jobs Average |
|---|---|---|
| 15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| 20-24 | 1.2 | 9.3 |
| 25-34 | 8.0 | 22.9 |
| 35-44 | 16.7 | 22.0 |
| 45-54 | 27.9 | 21.6 |
| 55-59 | 13.2 | 9.0 |
| 60-64 | 14.2 | 6.0 |
| 65 and Over | 18.8 | 4.2 |
| Median Age | 53 | 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
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Legislator. Although most workers have a university or Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Business Services VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
| Type of Qualification | Legislators | All Jobs Average |
|---|---|---|
| Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 22.5 | 10.1 |
| Bachelor degree | 33.6 | 21.8 |
| Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 12.5 | 11.6 |
| Certificate III/IV | 9.5 | 21.1 |
| Year 12 | 11.0 | 18.1 |
| Year 11 | 2.6 | 4.8 |
| Year 10 and below | 8.4 | 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
We're working on this content
Interests and demands
We're working on this content.
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
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.