Economic Development Officer
Economic development officers work with councils, businesses and state agencies to attract investment, jobs and industry to a local area.
- Median salary*
- $77,200
4.3%vs last year, before tax
- People employed*
- 2,840
1.4%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +3.2%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 38/wk
−2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
Economic development officers work for a local council, a state agency or a regional development authority, and their patch is a defined town, city or region. They spend much of the week with business owners, investors and industry groups, finding out what would make a business expand, relocate or stay, then building the case for the grants, infrastructure or planning changes that could get it there. The role is often confused with community development, but where that job is judged on social wellbeing and services, this one is judged on jobs, investment and business growth.
How much do economic development officers earn?
The median full-time salary for an economic development officer is $77,200 per annum, before tax, up $16,300 since 2018.
Most economic development officers are employed under a local government award or enterprise agreement, so pay steps with the classification level you are appointed at rather than with performance alone. State government and regional development authority roles sit on different bands, and senior positions carrying a portfolio or a team sit higher again. Fixed-term roles funded by a specific project can pay well for their duration, but the position ends when the funding does.
What does an economic development officer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Researching market conditions and identifying priority industry sectors for a region
- Meeting local business owners to understand what is blocking expansion, relocation or hiring
- Writing economic strategies, investment prospectuses and implementation plans
- Managing grant programs and projects that support business growth or attract investment
- Presenting findings and recommendations to councils, state agencies and industry groups
What skills do economic development officers need?
Employers look for strategy development, policy analysis and advice, project management, backed by Microsoft Excel fluency and strong stakeholder management.
Specialist skills
- Strategy development
- Policy analysis and advice
- Project management
- Data analysis
Software and tools
- Microsoft Excel
- GIS mapping software
- Salesforce or CRM platforms
- Strategic planning templates
- Survey and consultation tools
General skills
- Stakeholder management
- Written communication
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 2,840 people work as economic development officers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 3.2% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become an economic development officer?
Here's the path most economic development officers take, step by step.
- 1Complete a degree in economics, business, public policy or planning
Most employers ask for a bachelor degree, and the coursework in economics, statistics and policy analysis is what the day-to-day work draws on. A planning degree keeps the urban planning pathway open later, since that move requires a recognised qualification.
- 2Start in a related council or agency role
Many officers begin as a business support officer, grants officer, tourism officer or economic development assistant. These positions teach you how council budgets, committees and community consultation actually run, which is difficult to learn from outside.
- 3Build a record of projects and data work
A grant program you administered, a strategy you contributed to or an analysis that shifted a decision is what gets you the next job. Spreadsheets and GIS mapping come up constantly, so practical confidence in them is worth developing early.
- 4Consider postgraduate study if you want to specialise
About a quarter of the people in these roles hold a postgraduate qualification, usually in economics, public policy or business. It is not needed to enter, but it helps if you are moving across from an unrelated field or aiming at manager level.
- 5Join the professional network
Economic Development Australia is the professional body for the field and runs courses and events across the states. It is a practical way to see how other councils approach investment attraction, strategy and grant programs.
Ready to apply as an economic development officer?
Whether you're working toward becoming an economic development officer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an economic development officer move to?
Moving into Policy and Planning Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $75,900 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy and Planning Manager Uses economic development experience to lead policy and planning, with strategic thinking and stakeholder management carrying into management. | +$75,900 | 65% | minimal |
| Urban Planner High overlap in economic and land use planning, but urban planning requires a recognised planning qualification. | +$43,200 | 83% | requalify |
| Policy Officer Brings economic analysis and local government experience to policy work, with stakeholder engagement and evidence gathering carrying across. | +$35,800 | 63% | minimal |
| Strategy Manager Applies economic development analysis and investment knowledge to business strategy, with stakeholder and project skills carrying across. | +$34,600 | 67% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an economic development officer?
The typical economic development officer is 42 years old; 52% are women, 89% work full-time, and full-timers average 38 hours a week.
- 42
- Median age
- 52%
- Female share
- 89%
- Full-time
- −2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an economic development officer?
The job runs on a calendar of council meetings, budget cycles and grant rounds, so some weeks are heavy with reports while others are spent out visiting businesses. You are usually the person between a business that wants something and a council that has to decide, which takes patience and a tolerance for slow answers. It suits people who like economics and policy but would rather see it applied to one town than argued in the abstract.
What people like
- Your work has a visible address. A grant program that fills a vacant shopfront, or an employer that moves into the industrial estate, is something you can point to on a map.
- You deal with businesses, not only paperwork. A solid part of the week is spent talking with owners and operators about what they actually need, which keeps the analysis grounded.
- The projects change. One month it is an investment prospectus, the next a retail study or a workforce survey, so the work rarely settles into a single repeating task.
- The skills travel. Policy, data and stakeholder work carries into state government, strategy and planning roles without starting your career over.
What people find hard
- Decisions move slowly. A recommendation can pass through committee, budget and public consultation before anything happens, and some proposals never get up at all.
- You advise rather than decide. Councillors, executives or state agencies hold the final call, so sound analysis can be set aside for reasons outside your control.
- Small teams carry a wide brief. Many councils employ only one or two officers, so strategy, grant administration, reporting and event coordination all land with you.
- Funding cycles bring uncertainty. Positions tied to a grant or a project end when the funding does, which is worth checking before you accept a contract.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ economic development officers?
Local Government Administration employs the largest share of economic development officers, followed by Business and Management Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Local Government Administration
- 2Business and Management Services
- 3State Government Agencies
- 4Regional Development Authorities
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 52% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 26% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 13% | |
| Other | 9% |
Will AI replace economic development officers?
Exposure to AI in this role is moderate. The analysis side, building economic and demographic profiles and summarising consultation responses, is where the tools already do real work, and report and grant paperwork will keep shrinking as a share of the week. What remains is the relationship side: meeting businesses, negotiating with agencies and reading the mood of a council meeting.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Meeting businesses and stakeholdersSite visits and one-on-one conversations with owners and investors depend on trust and local knowledge, and nothing about them can be handed to software.30%low
- Analysing economic and demographic dataPulling ABS and council data into a profile of the local economy is increasingly automated, so you spend more time checking and interpreting the output than assembling it.25%high
- Drafting strategies, reports and funding submissionsAI produces a usable first draft of a strategy section or grant application, but the local argument and the figures behind it still have to come from you.25%moderate
- Managing grant programs and project deliveryApplication tracking and acquittal reporting run well through CRM and grants platforms, though assessing a business case and keeping the relationship going stays with you.20%moderate
Common questions about becoming an economic development officer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does an economic development officer earn?
The median full-time pay is $77,200 per annum, before tax. What moves it is the classification level in the relevant council or agency agreement, the state you work in, and whether the position is permanent or tied to a fixed-term project.
How do you become an economic development officer?
Most people enter with a bachelor degree in economics, business, public policy or planning, then take a related role inside a council or regional body. Working first as a grants, business support or tourism officer gives you the local government knowledge that employers look for, and you can move across to economic development from there.
Are economic development officers in demand?
Economic development officers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 3.2% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. Because the occupation is small and tied to council budgets, openings appear when a council funds a new project or replaces someone who has moved on, so it pays to watch individual council recruitment pages rather than broad job boards.
Will AI replace economic development officers?
AI is already useful for parts of the job, particularly economic and demographic analysis and the first draft of reports, and exposure overall is moderate. It does not sit across the table from a business owner, read a council chamber or negotiate with a state agency, and those are the parts the role is built on.
What can an economic development officer move into?
Policy officer roles are a common next step and pay $35,800 more at the median, since the analysis, evidence gathering and stakeholder work carry straight across. A move into strategy management applies the same investment and analysis skills to a broader business context and pays $34,600 more. Urban planning draws on closely related economic and land use knowledge and pays $43,200 more, but it requires a recognised planning qualification first. Community development officers also move into this role, bringing engagement and local development experience with them.
What qualifications do economic development officers hold?
Bachelor degree is the most common qualification in the current workforce, held by 52% of people in the role, with postgraduate study next. That describes what the workforce holds rather than a strict requirement, since smaller councils sometimes appoint on relevant local government experience alone.
Related roles
- Policy Officer
- Policy and Planning Manager
- Strategy Manager
- Urban Planner
- Community Development Officer
- Archivist
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