Commissioned Defence Force Officers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Commissioned Defence Force Officers provide high level management to support the running of organisational units within the Australian Defence Force.
Specialisations: Air Defence Officer (Air Force), Armoured Corps Officer (Army), Artillery Officer (Army), General Service Officer (Army), Ground Defence Officer (Air Force), Infantry Officer (Army), Military Police Officer (Army), Observer (Navy), Security Police Officer (Air Force), Special Service Officer (Army).
Commissioned Defence Force Officers gain their position by advancing through the ranks of the Australian Defence Force.
Tasks
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Establishes administrative and operational procedures by taking account of the organisation's operating environment.
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Makes policy decisions and accepts responsibility for operations, performance of staff, achievement of targets and adherence to budgets, standards and procedures.
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Establishes lines of control and delegates responsibilities to subordinate staff.
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Represents the organisation in dealings with other organisations and the public.
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Controls the collection and interpretation of management information to monitor performance.
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Controls the use of, and accounting for, the assets and facilities of the organisation.
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Prepares budgets and other management plans.
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Prepares reports, authorises the release of information, and handles public relations activities.
Characteristics
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Informal or on-the-job
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Light
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Medium
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Commissioned Officers (Management), under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 92% of people employed as Commissioned Defence Force Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 26 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 51 hours per week in their main job. This is 7 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 Commissioned Defence Force Officers work in the Public administration and safety industry.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
| State | Commissioned Defence Force Officers | All Jobs Average |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 27.4 | 31.6 |
| VIC | 10.9 | 25.6 |
| QLD | 19.1 | 20.0 |
| SA | 4.9 | 7.0 |
| WA | 4.4 | 10.8 |
| TAS | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| NT | 4.5 | 1.0 |
| ACT | 27.8 | 1.9 |
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Around 69% of Commissioned Defence Force Officers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
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 Commissioned Defence Force Officers is 33 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 17% of the workforce. This is 31 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 | Commissioned Defence Force Officers | All Jobs Average |
|---|---|---|
| 15-19 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 20-24 | 16.8 | 9.3 |
| 25-34 | 30.5 | 22.9 |
| 35-44 | 21.4 | 22.0 |
| 45-54 | 16.9 | 21.6 |
| 55-59 | 5.6 | 9.0 |
| 60-64 | 2.1 | 6.0 |
| 65 and Over | 0.7 | 4.2 |
| Median Age | 33 | 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
Commissioned Defence Force Officers gain their position by advancing through the ranks of the Australian Defence Force.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Public Safety VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
| Type of Qualification | Commissioned Defence Force Officers | All Jobs Average |
|---|---|---|
| Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 26.1 | 10.1 |
| Bachelor degree | 29.7 | 21.8 |
| Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 12.7 | 11.6 |
| Certificate III/IV | 6.5 | 21.1 |
| Year 12 | 22.2 | 18.1 |
| Year 11 | 0.8 | 4.8 |
| Year 10 and below | 1.9 | 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 Commissioned Officers (Management) who can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people, provide leadership, direction and planning.
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.