Records Manager
A records manager keeps an organisation's information in order, deciding what is kept, for how long, and who can see it.
- Median salary*
- $93,600
3.7%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 2,100
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +29.1%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 39/wk
−1h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Records managers work wherever an organisation has to account for its information, including government departments, hospitals, universities, law firms and large professional services firms. The role sits above day-to-day filing, and it is most often confused with a records officer, who does the registering, scanning and retrieving that the manager's system is designed to handle. Much of the work is policy and system design, so you spend more time with retention schedules, metadata standards and the enterprise records system than with the files themselves.
How much do records managers earn?
The median full-time salary for a records manager is $93,600 per annum, before tax, up $19,300 since 2018.
Public sector records managers are usually paid on a classification level, so pay grows by moving up a grade rather than by negotiating an individual rate. In private firms it depends more on the size of the organisation and how much compliance risk sits with the role. Team leadership and specialist work in privacy or digital information governance tend to sit at the top of the range.
What does a records manager 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.
- Reviewing retention and disposal schedules and deciding what can be destroyed, and when
- Configuring an enterprise records system such as Micro Focus Content Manager or Objective ECM so records are classified and searchable
- Advising staff on privacy and freedom of information obligations and how they apply to the records they hold
- Auditing how teams file their records and closing the gaps before an audit or investigation finds them
- Running training and writing guidance for staff who handle records as a small part of a much larger job
What skills do records managers need?
Employers look for regulatory compliance, process improvement, project management, backed by Microsoft SharePoint fluency and strong attention to detail.
Specialist skills
- Regulatory compliance
- Process improvement
- Project management
Software and tools
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Objective ECM
- Micro Focus Content Manager
- Microsoft 365
General skills
- Attention to detail
- Stakeholder management
- Written communication
- Digital literacy
Is the job growing?
About 2,100 people work as records managers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 29.1% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a records manager?
Here's the path most records managers take, step by step.
- 1Start with a VET qualification
A Certificate IV or diploma in records and information management at TAFE is the most direct entry, and many people study it while already working in an administrative or records role.
- 2Learn an enterprise records system
Hands-on experience with a platform such as Micro Focus Content Manager, Objective ECM or SharePoint is what employers ask about first, and you can build it in an entry-level records or document control job.
- 3Work inside a records team
Government departments, hospitals, universities and large professional services firms run records teams, and a few years there covers classification, retention, disposal and freedom of information requests.
- 4Add a degree for management or policy work
A bachelor degree in information management, librarianship or business, or a postgraduate qualification in archives and records management, opens up team leader and information governance roles.
- 5Join the professional body and keep up with the law
Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (RIMPA) runs short courses and industry networks, which help when privacy and freedom of information rules change.
Ready to apply as a records manager?
Whether you're working toward becoming a records manager 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 a records manager move to?
Moving into Archivist typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $24,900 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archivist Records managers bring records lifecycle and compliance expertise, while archivists add specialist archival and preservation training.Known move | +$24,900 | 53% | short course |
| Project Administrator Records managers bring document control and information governance skills that transfer well to project administration roles.Known move | +$17,200 | 53% | short course |
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 a records manager?
The typical records manager is 47 years old; 70% are women, 79% work full-time, and full-timers average 39 hours a week.
- 47
- Median age
- 70%
- Female share
- 79%
- Full-time
- −1h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a records manager?
The work runs on cycles: a system rollout or an audit deadline sets the pace for a few months, then the job settles back into advice, classification and housekeeping. Records managers spend a lot of their time persuading other people to do something differently, so the role suits someone who is comfortable explaining the same requirement more than once and can stay calm when an audit is close. The reward is a system that holds up years later, when a record needs to be produced and nobody expected to need it.
What people like
- Order that holds up under scrutiny. A well-built classification scheme means anyone can find the right record years later, including an auditor, a court or a new staff member.
- You see how the whole organisation works. Records touch every team, so the role gives you a view of the business that few others get.
- Legislation gives you a clear answer. Privacy and freedom of information rules are written down, so many disagreements end with a cited section rather than an opinion.
- Projects with a visible finish. Rolling out a new records system or clearing a backlog gives you a defined piece of work to point to when it is done.
What people find hard
- Deciding what to destroy. Disposal is the hardest part of the job, because someone will always want a record kept and the schedule says otherwise.
- Backlogs of paper and inherited systems. Plenty of organisations still have boxes of unclassified files and spreadsheets doing work that a records system should handle.
- Persuading busy people to file properly. Staff often see record keeping as an overhead, so you explain why it matters repeatedly, to people who have other priorities.
- Priorities set outside your team. A new privacy requirement or a system upgrade can reset your plans, and the timing is rarely yours to choose.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ records managers?
Public Administration and Safety employs the largest share of records managers, followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Public Administration and Safety
- 2Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 3Health Care and Social Assistance
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 23.2% | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12 or below | 22.2% | |
| Postgraduate | 18.1% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 17.1% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 15.7% |
Will AI replace records managers?
Records management sits in the middle. Automating description, classification and search is exactly what software is good at, and vendors now build automatic classification into platforms such as Content Manager and SharePoint. What software does not do is decide what the law requires, judge whether a legal hold applies, or persuade staff to change how they file, and those parts stay with the records manager.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Classifying and tagging recordsAutomatic classification tools suggest categories and pull metadata out as a record is saved, so a lot of routine tagging happens without anyone sitting down to do it.30%high
- Building retention and disposal schedulesSoftware tracks the schedule and flags what is due for destruction, but working out what a series of records actually covers, and whether a legal hold applies, still takes someone who knows the organisation.25%moderate
- Writing policy and briefing staffDrafting tools can produce a first version of a policy or a training pack, which shortens the writing, while the advice on privacy and freedom of information obligations has to come from someone who knows the legislation.25%moderate
- Answering staff questions and tracking records downHelping a project team work out where a contract should be filed, or finding a missing file during a freedom of information request, depends on relationships and knowing how the organisation really operates.20%low
Common questions about becoming a records manager
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do records managers earn?
Records managers earn a median of $93,600 per year before tax. Treat that as a guide: public sector roles pay to a classification scale, while private sector pay moves with the size of the organisation and the compliance responsibility the job carries.
How do I become a records manager?
Most people come in through a Certificate IV or diploma in records and information management, combined with experience in a records or document control team. A degree helps for management and policy roles, but hands-on work with an enterprise records system is what employers ask about first.
Are records managers in demand?
Records managers are currently not in shortage. Employment is projected to grow 29.1% over the decade to 2035, so the field is expanding even though the total number of roles is small. Openings sit mainly in government, health and professional services, and they often suit people already working in administration or document control.
Will AI replace records managers?
AI is changing parts of the job rather than replacing it. Automatic classification and metadata tools now suggest where a record belongs as it is saved, which removes much of the routine tagging, but someone still has to set the rules and check the results. Disposal decisions, privacy advice and the conversations with staff who file badly stay with the records manager.
What can records managers move into?
Archivist work is a common move, because your records lifecycle and compliance knowledge carries over and you add specialist preservation training, with archivists earning $24,900 more. Project administration also suits the document control side of the role, and some experienced records managers go into independent consulting on information governance, which is often where earnings grow.
Do I need a degree to work as a records manager?
No. A certificate or diploma in records and information management is enough to start, and plenty of records managers come into the role from administrative work. A degree or postgraduate qualification becomes worthwhile when you want to lead a team, write policy or move into archives.
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