Where do you want to be?
Career pathways, with the salary attached
Most people choose a course. It is far better to choose a destination and work backwards. Pick an industry below and you will see the qualification ladder, what each rung is worth, and how far it goes.
Income ranges are indicative figures for the roles described, and vary with employer, location, shift pattern and experience. They are a guide for planning, not a promise.
Choose an industry
Pick where you are headed
The clearest ladder we advise on, and the fastest to climb. Each step is a real pay band, and each one is reachable with the experience the step below gives you.
Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing & Disability)
Personal Care Assistant · Disability Support Worker · Aged Care Worker
Course detailsCertificate IV in Disability Support
Senior Disability Support Worker · NDIS Team Leader · Disability Coordinator
Course detailsDiploma of Community Services
Case Manager · Community Services Coordinator · Welfare Manager
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $65,000 at entry to $120,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
Certificate III gets you on the floor and counted toward ratio. The Diploma puts you in charge of a room. School-based support is the parallel route if term-time hours suit you better.
Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care
Childcare Educator · Early Learning Assistant · Family Day Care Educator
Course detailsDiploma of Early Childhood Education & Care
Lead Educator / Room Leader · Centre Coordinator · Educational Leader
Course detailsCertificate IV in School Based Education Support
Education Support Officer · Teacher's Aide · Learning Support Officer
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $65,000 at entry to $95,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
Certificate IV qualifies you to support clients. The Diploma puts a caseload in your name — which is where the sector's pay genuinely steps up.
Certificate IV in Community Services
Community Support Worker · Case Worker · Welfare Support Officer
Course detailsDiploma of Community Services
Case Manager · Community Services Coordinator · Welfare Manager
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $75,000 at entry to $120,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
The classic Australian trade ladder: get certificated in the trade you already work in, then take the Certificate IV that sits behind a builder's licence. This is Allan's route and Koori's route.
Certificate III in Carpentry
Carpenter · Construction Tradesperson · Formwork Carpenter
Course detailsCertificate IV in Building and Construction
Site Supervisor · Builder · Construction Supervisor
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $80,000 at entry to $160,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
These are destinations rather than steps — each is a licensed trade in its own right. Tilers should look hard at adding waterproofing: the pair together is what builders actually want to engage.
Certificate III in Wall & Floor Tiling
Wall & Floor Tiler · Waterproofing & Tiling Contractor · Stone and Large-Format Specialist
Course detailsCertificate III in Waterproofing
Waterproofing Technician · Remedial Waterproofing Specialist · Waterproofing & Tiling Contractor
Course detailsCertificate III in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Refrigeration Mechanic · Air Conditioning Technician · HVAC Service Technician
Course detailsCertificate III & IV in Plumbing
Licensed Plumber · Drainer · Roof Plumber
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $80,000 at entry to $160,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
Start with the credential that gets a résumé read, finish with the one that matches the responsibility you already carry. Employers frequently fund the second step.
Certificate III in Business
Administration Officer · Receptionist · Office Assistant
Course detailsDiploma of Leadership & Management
Operations Manager · Team Leader · Business Manager
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $60,000 at entry to $140,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
Help desk is where almost every IT career actually begins. Certificate III gets you in; the Certificate IV specialises you into security operations, where demand has outstripped supply for a decade.
Certificate III in Information Technology
IT Support Officer · Help Desk Technician · ICT Support Technician
Course detailsCertificate IV in Information Technology (Cyber Security)
Cyber Security Analyst · ICT Security Technician · SOC Analyst
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $65,000 at entry to $130,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
Guarding is priced per hour; risk advice is priced per outcome. The Certificate IV is what moves you from one to the other.
Certificate II in Security Operations
Security Officer · Crowd Controller · Mobile Patrol Officer
Course detailsCertificate IV in Security Risk Management
Security Risk Manager · Security Supervisor · Corporate Security Officer
Course detailsTop to bottom: this ladder runs from around $65,000 at entry to $140,000+ at the top. Every step is reachable with the experience the one below it gives you — and employers frequently contribute toward the later ones.
Choosing well
Four questions worth answering before you enrol
- What job do you want in three years? Not which course — which job. The qualification follows from that, never the other way around.
- Is there a licence behind it? If yes, work backwards from the regulator's requirements, because they decide which qualification is worth paying for.
- What can you already evidence? Years of undocumented work are worth far less at assessment than three years with references and photographs.
- How do you actually need to study? Around shift work, around children, online or on campus. The best qualification delivered the wrong way does not get finished.
Talk to us
Still deciding between two ladders?
That is a twenty-minute conversation, not a research project. Tell us what you are weighing up and we will give you a straight comparison — including which one your experience already gives you a head start on.