Employment Consultant
Employment consultants help people who are out of work find and keep a job, working with the client and with the employer doing the hiring.
- Median salary*
- $72,800
3.6%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 10,700
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +4%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 38/wk
−2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
Most employment consultants work for providers funded through Workforce Australia or disability employment services, running a caseload of appointments in an office and visiting employers on site. The role sits between the two sides of a hire, so a consultant spends as much time persuading an employer to take someone on as coaching the client. Unlike a recruitment consultant, who is paid by an employer to fill a vacancy, an employment consultant is funded to help the person, including clients with health conditions, limited English or a long gap since their last job.
How much do employment consultants earn?
The median full-time salary for an employment consultant is $72,800 per annum, before tax, up $15,500 since 2018.
Pay is set by an industry award or a provider's enterprise agreement, so it depends on which provider you work for, which program you deliver and the state you work in. Some providers add outcome-based payments when a client stays in work, which can lift total earnings but varies with each contract. Experience and specialist work such as disability employment services tend to move pay more than location does.
What does an employment consultant 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.
- Assessing a client's work history, skills and barriers, from transport and childcare to health conditions
- Building a job search plan and reviewing it in regular appointments as the client applies for roles
- Coaching on resumes, applications and interview technique, including practice interviews
- Approaching employers about vacancies and asking them to consider a client, sometimes with a wage subsidy attached
- Supporting a client through the first weeks of a new job so the placement holds
What skills do employment consultants need?
Employers look for casework and client support, community engagement, counselling and support work, backed by Workforce Australia Portal fluency and strong client relationships and advisory.
Specialist skills
- Casework and client support
- Community engagement
- Counselling and support work
Software and tools
- Workforce Australia Portal
- Employment Services System (ESS)
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Client Management Systems
General skills
- Client relationships and advisory
- Written communication
- Empathy and interpersonal care
- Problem solving
- Stakeholder management
Is the job growing?
About 10,700 people work as employment consultants in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 4% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become an employment consultant?
Here's the path most employment consultants take, step by step.
- 1Get your clearances in order
Providers ask for a national police check before you start, and a Working with Children Check if you will work with young clients. Disability employment services may also require an NDIS worker screening check. There is no national registration for the occupation itself.
- 2Look at a Certificate IV in employment services or community services
The most common qualification among people already in the role is a Certificate III/IV, held by about 34% of them, which describes the current workforce rather than what employers require. Many providers hire on people skills and train new consultants in the program themselves.
- 3Start with a provider and learn the systems
The Workforce Australia portal and the Employment Services System are specific to this job, and most new consultants learn them on the job alongside a team leader or an experienced colleague.
- 4Build a specialisation
Experience with disability employment, youth clients or a particular industry makes you more valuable to a provider and opens up senior consultant and team leader roles.
Ready to apply as an employment consultant?
Whether you're working toward becoming an employment consultant 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 employment consultant move to?
Moving into Youth Worker typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $23,100 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Worker An employment consultant brings job search coaching and employer liaison skills to youth work, helping young people build job readiness. | +$23,100 | 76% | minimal |
| Youth Justice Worker An employment consultant brings case management and engagement skills to youth justice, supporting young offenders into training and employment. | +$18,200 | 55% | short course |
| Housing Officer An employment consultant brings client assessment and referral skills to housing support, helping people stabilise before looking for work. | +$16,600 | 56% | short course |
| Student Services Adviser An employment consultant brings job placement and barrier assessment skills to student services, guiding learners into further study and work. | +$4,200 | 75% | minimal |
| Case Manager An employment consultant brings caseload management and employment goal planning to broader case management across community services. | −$4,200 | 65% | 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 employment consultant?
The typical employment consultant is 38 years old; 75% are women, 85% work full-time, and full-timers average 38 hours a week.
- 38
- Median age
- 75%
- Female share
- 85%
- Full-time
- −2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an employment consultant?
The work runs on a calendar of client appointments, employer calls and the paperwork each one leaves behind. Providers are funded on outcomes, so placements and how long people stay in work are tracked and reported, which shapes the pace of the week. It suits someone who can stay steady when a client's plan falls through, and who takes real satisfaction from an employer agreeing to give someone a go.
What people like
- Watching a placement stick. Someone who had been out of work for months is still in the job months later, and you had a hand in it.
- A caseload of different people. You deal with a wide range of backgrounds and problems, which keeps the work from settling into a routine.
- Employer relationships that open doors. A handful of employers who trust your referrals makes the job far easier, and building those relationships is a skill you carry with you.
- Practical problem solving. Much of the job is removing one specific obstacle, such as a missing licence, childcare timing or a shift that clashes with a medical appointment.
What people find hard
- The compliance load. Every appointment, referral and outcome has to be documented in the provider's system, and the administration takes a real share of the week.
- Outcome targets. Funding is tied to placements and to how long people stay in work, so a run of setbacks shows up in your monthly figures.
- Clients in difficult circumstances. Some people arrive in crisis, and progress can stall for reasons well outside the job search, which is hard to watch.
- Policy and contract changes. Employment services are re-tendered and redesigned regularly, so roles can shift or disappear when a provider loses a contract.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ employment consultants?
Administrative and Support Services employs the largest share of employment consultants, followed by Health Care and Social Assistance.
Top employing industries
- 1Administrative and Support Services
- 2Health Care and Social Assistance
- 3Public Administration and Safety
- 4Education and Training
- 5Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Certificate III/IV | 34% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 26% | |
| Bachelor degree | 20% | |
| Year 12 or below | 20% |
Will AI replace employment consultants?
The role is moderately exposed. The administrative and matching sides of the job are the easiest parts to automate, and provider platforms already sort vacancies, prompt the next appointment and store the case record. What resists automation is the conversation with someone who has been rejected repeatedly, and the relationship that gets an employer to say yes.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Coaching clients in appointmentsWorking out why someone missed three shifts last month and changing the plan accordingly is a conversation, not a calculation.35%low
- Matching clients to vacancies and preparing applicationsMatching software and AI resume tools can shortlist and draft, but a consultant still decides which client is ready for which role.25%moderate
- Keeping caseload notes and compliance recordsThe Employment Services System and provider platforms store and prompt much of this, and automatic transcription of appointments is cutting the typing further.20%high
- Building employer relationships and post-placement supportGetting a supervisor to keep someone on through a shaky first fortnight depends on trust built up over time.20%low
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from employment consultant work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Youth Worker
High skill overlap (76%), little retraining to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Case Manager
High skill overlap (65%), little retraining to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Youth Justice Worker
Solid skill overlap (55%), short course to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
Common questions about becoming an employment consultant
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do employment consultants earn?
The median is $72,800 per year before tax. Pay follows an industry award or a provider's enterprise agreement, so it moves with the contract a provider holds, your experience and whether the role includes outcome-based payments.
How do you become an employment consultant?
Most people enter through a provider that trains them on the job, after a police check and any clearances for the client group they will work with. A Certificate IV in employment services or community services helps, but it isn't the standard entry requirement and no national registration applies.
Are employment consultants in demand?
Employment consultants are currently not in shortage, and employment in the role is projected to grow 4% over the decade to 2035. Providers hold government contracts that are re-tendered, so openings tend to cluster around contract changes rather than build steadily.
Will AI replace employment consultants?
It will take over parts of the job rather than the whole role. Case notes, compliance reporting, matching clients against vacancy data and drafting resumes are all exposed, and provider systems already automate some of it. The coaching conversation, the judgement about what a client can sustain and the employer's willingness to take a chance still depend on a person.
What can an employment consultant move into?
Youth work, student services and case management all build on the same casework and client engagement, so the shift is usually sideways rather than starting over. Youth worker roles typically pay $23,100 more than this job, and case manager roles pay $4,200 less.
Related roles
- Youth Worker
- Student Services Adviser
- Case Manager
- Housing Officer
- Youth Justice Worker
- Family Support Worker
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