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Community Development Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a community development officer is $95,900 per annum, before tax, up $20,400 since 2018.
- Local government classifications and enterprise agreements usually pay more than many community organisations doing similar work, and the gap between sectors can be larger than the gap between job titles.
- A lot of the work is funded project by project, so pay often comes with a fixed-term contract and a question mark over what happens when the grant ends.
- Seniority and the size of the program or budget you manage move pay more than the subject area does.
The median salary rose by $20,400 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than community development officer
The largest typical pay rise is $52,000 a year, moving into Sports Administrator.
- Sports Administrator+$52,000/yr
- Social Worker+$17,000/yr
- Counsellor+$16,100/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 $95,900; 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 $52,000 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 $95,900 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 $20,400 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 $52,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to community development officer.
Related salaries
- Health Promotion Officer salary
- Social Worker salary
- Counsellor salary
- Sports Administrator salary
- Economic Development Officer salary
- Disability Support Worker salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.