Research and Development Managers

ANZSCO ID 1325

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
18,400
Future Growth
23.8%
Weekly Earnings
$2,452
Full-Time Share
85%
Female Share
46%
Average age
44

Summary

Research and Development Managers plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate research and development activities within organisations.

Tasks

  • determining, implementing and monitoring research and development strategies, policies and plans

  • developing and implementing research projects, priorities and targets to support commercial and policy developments

  • leading major research projects and coordinating activities of other research workers

  • assessing the benefits and monitoring the costs and effectiveness of research and development activities

  • interpreting results of research projects and recommending associated product and service development innovations

  • providing advice on research and development options available to the organisation

  • monitoring leading-edge developments in relevant disciplines and assessing implications for the organisation

  • may publish results of significant research projects

Characteristics

Job Type
Managers
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Analytical
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary

Outlook

Employment 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 21,500 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.

Projected Change
23.8%
(or 4,100 jobs)
From
17,300
in 2021
To
21,500
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 8,200
2012 10,800
2013 12,000
2014 11,000
2015 9,000
2016 12,900
2017 12,300
2018 10,000
2019 10,000
2020 15,000
2021 17,300
2026 21,500

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 86% of people employed as Research and Development Managers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 20 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $2,452 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $2,404
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $3,458

    Median hourly earnings are $66, 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)

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.
Earnings Research and Development Managers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 2,452 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

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
29.0%
2
Education and Training
20.0%
3
Manufacturing
12.3%
4
Public Administration and Safety
7.7%
5
Other industries
31.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

34.9% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

29.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

14.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

7.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

6.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Research and Development Managers All Jobs Average
NSW 34.9 31.6
VIC 29.4 25.6
QLD 14.0 20.0
SA 6.2 7.0
WA 7.4 10.8
TAS 1.4 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 6.0 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
44
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
46%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Research and Development Managers is 44 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 46% of the workforce. This is similar to 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)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Research and Development Managers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 1.0 9.3
25-34 18.7 22.9
35-44 33.4 22.0
45-54 27.7 21.6
55-59 10.0 9.0
60-64 5.6 6.0
65 and Over 3.5 4.2
Median Age 44 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 university degree in a related field and relevant industry experience is usually needed to work as a Research and Development Manager.

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.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

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.
Type of Qualification Research and Development Managers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 44.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 36.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 7.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 4.2 21.1
Year 12 5.2 18.1
Year 11 0.6 4.8
Year 10 and below 1.1 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 Research and Development Managers who are organised, with strong people skills and strong attention to detail.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 71%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 70%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 68%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 68%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 66%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 64%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 63%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 63%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 63%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 63%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 61%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 61%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 61%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 57%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 57%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 55%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 55%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 55%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 55%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 52%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 66%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 65%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 63%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 61%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 60%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 59%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 55%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 54%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 53%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 52%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 51%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 49%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 44%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 42%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 41%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 39%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 37%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 37%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 34%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 33%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 77%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 71%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 71%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 71%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 71%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 68%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 66%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 61%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 59%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 57%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 55%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 39%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 30%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 86%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 81%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 80%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 80%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 79%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 79%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 76%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 73%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 71%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 70%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 69%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 68%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 68%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 68%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 68%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 63%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 63%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 55%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 48%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 46%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


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%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 76%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 43%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 24%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Independence

    Work 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.

  • 83%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 76%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Recognition

    Advancement 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.

  • 48%

    Relationships

    Serve 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

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 96%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 96%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 94%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 93%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 93%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 87%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 83%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 83%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 83%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 83%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 82%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 82%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 80%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 76%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 73%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 72%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 69%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 67%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 66%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

Occupational Information Network
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, 11-9121.00 - Natural Sciences Managers.


Links and downloads

Back to top