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Community Development Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a community development officer is $75,000 per annum, before tax, up $16,000 since 2018.
Pay depends on who employs you: local government classifications generally sit above community organisations running on grant funding, and fixed-term funded roles can pay less than ongoing ones. The work is mostly weekday, so penalty rates are rare, though evening and weekend community events are ordinary. A record of funded programs that delivered moves your pay faster than years of service.
Roles that pay more than community development officer
The largest typical pay rise is $72,900 a year, moving into Sports Administrator.
- Sports Administrator+$72,900/yr
- Social Worker+$37,900/yr
- Counsellor+$37,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher community development officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time community development officer salary is $75,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Community engagement and Project management tend to command a premium over general community development officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Sports Administrator pays a typical $72,900 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Community Development Officer salary questions
How much do community development officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a community development officer is $75,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is community development officer pay rising or falling?
The median community development officer salary is up $16,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than community development officer?
Sports Administrator pays a typical $72,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to community development officer.