Parental Occupation Group Codes

The codes outlined below are to be used when providing family occupation details for enrolled students. Please indicate your current occupation – not your qualification. This information is used for determining funding allocations to schools.

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

Senior Executive / Manager / Department Head in industry, commerce, media or other large organisation

Public Service Manager (Section head or above), regional director, health / education / police / fire services administrator

Other administrator (school principal, faculty head / dean, library / museum / gallery director, research facility director)

Defence Forces Commissioned Officer

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, Education, Law, Social Welfare, Engineering, Science, Computing professional
  • Business (management consultant, business analyst, accountant, auditor, policy analyst, actuary, valuer)

Air/sea transport (aircraft / ship’s captain / officer / pilot, flight officer, flying instructor, air traffic controller)

Group B: Other business managers, arts/media/sportspersons and associate professionals

Owner / Manager of farm, construction, import/export, wholesale, manufacturing, transport, real estate business

Specialist Manager (finance / engineering / production / personnel / industrial relations / sales / marketing)

Financial Services Manager (bank branch manager, finance / investment / insurance broker, credit / loans officer)

Retail sales / Services manager (shop, petrol station, restaurant, club, hotel/motel, cinema, theatre, agency)

Arts / Media / Sports (musician, actor, dancer, painter, potter, sculptor, journalist, author, media presenter, photographer, designer, illustrator, proofreader, sportsman/woman, coach, trainer, sports official)

Associate Professionals – generally have diploma / technical qualifications and support managers and professionals:

  • Health, Education, Law, Social Welfare, Engineering, Science, Computing technician / associate professional
  • Business / administration (recruitment / employment / industrial relations / training officer, marketing / advertising specialist, market research analyst, technical sales representative, retail buyer, office / project manager)
  • Defence Forces senior Non-Commissioned Officer

Group C: Tradespeople, clerks and skilled office, sales and service staff

Tradespeople generally have completed a 4-year Trade Certificate, usually by apprenticeship. All tradespeople are included in this group

Clerks (bookkeeper, bank / PO clerk, statistical / actuarial clerk, accounting / claims / audit clerk, payroll clerk, recording / registry / filing clerk, betting clerk, stores / inventory clerk, purchasing / order clerk, freight / transport / shipping clerk, bond clerk, customs agent, customer services clerk, admissions clerk)

Skilled office, sales, and service staff:

  • Office (secretary, personal assistant, desktop publishing operator, switchboard operator)
  • Sales (company sales representative, auctioneer, insurance agent/assessor/loss adjuster, market researcher)
  • Service (aged / disabled / refuge / childcare worker, nanny, meter reader, parking inspector, postal worker, courier, travel agent, tour guide, flight attendant, fitness instructor, casino dealer/supervisor)

Group D: Machine operators, hospitality staff, assistants, labourers and related workers

Drivers, mobile plant, production / processing machinery and other machinery operators Hospitality staff (hotel service supervisor, receptionist, waiter, bar attendant, kitchen hand, porter, housekeeper) Office assistants, sales assistants, and other assistants:

  • Office (typist, word processing / data entry / business machine operator, receptionist, office assistant)
  • Sales (sales assistant, motor vehicle / caravan / parts salesperson, checkout operator, cashier, bus / train conductor, ticket seller, service station attendant, car rental desk staff, street vendor, telemarketer, shelf stacker)
  • Assistant / aide (trades’ assistant, school / teacher’s aide, dental assistant, veterinary nurse, nursing assistant, museum / gallery attendant, usher, home helper, salon assistant, animal attendant) Labourers and related workers
  • Defence Forces – ranks below senior NCO not included above
  • 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, storeman, guard, cleaner, caretaker, laundry worker, trolley collector, car park attendant, crossing supervisor