Company Secretary
Company secretaries run the governance side of a company: they organise board meetings, keep statutory records and make sure the organisation meets its legal obligations.
- Median salary
- $109,400
3.6%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,000
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +15.9%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 47/wk
+7h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
Company secretaries work in the governance function of a company, trust or listed entity, sitting between the board, senior management and regulators such as ASIC. The job is often mistaken for an executive assistant to the board, but a company secretary carries duties set out in the Corporations Act, including certifying documents and lodging statutory returns on time. Most work alongside legal counsel rather than replacing it, and many hold a governance qualification on top of a law, commerce or accounting degree.
How much do company secretarys earn?
The median full-time salary for a company secretary is $109,400 per annum, before tax, up $23,300 since 2018.
Pay moves most with the size and type of organisation, with listed companies and financial services firms generally paying more than small private companies and not-for-profits. A role that combines company secretarial duties with legal, risk or finance responsibility usually pays more than a standalone one, and part-time arrangements are common, so advertised figures are sometimes pro rata. A governance qualification and experience answering directly to a board carry the most weight.
What does a company secretary 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.
- Drafting the board pack and chasing directors for late papers so it goes out a week before the meeting
- Keeping the register of members, share transfers and constitutional documents current for audits or a takeover enquiry
- Advising directors on their duties and personal liability under corporations law, and knowing when to call in legal counsel
- Coordinating the AGM and shareholder notices around the ASIC and ASX lodgement deadlines that fall in the same weeks
- Sitting through board discussions to minute decisions accurately and flag governance risks as they surface
What skills do company secretarys need?
Employers look for regulatory compliance, risk and internal controls, legal research, backed by Board Management Software (diligent, Boardvantage) fluency and strong stakeholder management.
Specialist skills
- Regulatory compliance
- Risk and internal controls
- Legal research
- Project management
Software and tools
- Board Management Software (diligent, Boardvantage)
- Document Management Systems
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Company Registry Portals (ASIC)
- SharePoint
General skills
- Stakeholder management
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 1,000 people work as company secretarys in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 15.9% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a company secretary?
Here's the path most company secretarys take, step by step.
- 1Start with a degree in law, commerce or accounting
The qualification held by the largest share of people in the role is Bachelor degree, at 39% of the current workforce. Law, commerce and accounting degrees all lead in, because the statutory duties are easier to pick up with a grounding in contracts, reporting or corporations law.
- 2Add a governance qualification
The Governance Institute of Australia's Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance is the standard Australian credential, and the Chartered Governance Institute runs an equivalent international programme. Listed companies and financial services firms usually expect one, and it can be completed while you are working.
- 3Get board-facing experience
Most people arrive from a legal, accounting, compliance or executive support role, often as an assistant company secretary. Working closely with a board, even by taking minutes, is the experience employers look for when hiring.
- 4Learn the lodgement calendar and board systems
You need working knowledge of the Corporations Act, ASIC lodgement deadlines and, in listed companies, the ASX Listing Rules, plus the board portal software most boards now use. Public companies must have at least one company secretary who lives in Australia, so this is a statutory appointment rather than an administrative one.
Ready to apply as a company secretary?
Whether you're working toward becoming a company secretary 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 company secretary move to?
Moving into Chief Executive Officer typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $72,600 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer Board governance and statutory expertise support a move into executive leadership, though broader management experience is required.Known move | +$72,600 | 39% | reskill |
| General Manager Governance and board reporting experience support a move into general management, with wider operational leadership needed.Known move | +$38,800 | 7% | reskill |
| Non-Executive Director Board governance and compliance oversight carry into a non-executive director role, with director training usually required. | +$36,200 | 39% | reskill |
| Regulatory Affairs Manager Compliance and governance expertise transfer to regulatory affairs management, with sector-specific study adding the required detail. | +$15,400 | 55% | short course |
| Accountant Financial reporting and compliance experience support a move into accounting, though accounting qualifications and practical training are needed.Known move | −$5,200 | 22% | requalify |
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 company secretary?
The typical company secretary is 50 years old; 69% are women, 72% work full-time, and full-timers average 47 hours a week.
- 50
- Median age
- 69%
- Female share
- 72%
- Full-time
- +7h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a company secretary?
The job runs on the board calendar. Papers go out a week or more before each meeting, minutes follow within days, and the AGM and half-year results land on top of the regular cycle, so full-time company secretaries average 47 hours a week and longer ones around reporting season. It suits someone who wants to be close to how decisions are actually made, can read a boardroom, and is willing to hold a line when a director's request does not fit the rules.
What people like
- You see how a board really decides. Company secretaries are in the room when strategy, acquisitions and executive pay are debated, usually months before any of it becomes public.
- The calendar has a shape. Board cycles are set a year ahead, so you know the busy weeks long before they arrive and can plan around them.
- The skills travel across sectors. Governance and compliance knowledge moves between listed companies, financial services, health, mining and not-for-profits without starting over.
- Real authority without the corner office. The board relies on your advice on duties and disclosure, and the statutory duties attached to the role give that advice weight.
What people find hard
- Meeting preparation runs on a hard deadline. The board pack has to be finalised and circulated days ahead, and late papers from directors land in the same week as everything else.
- You carry personal liability. A company secretary signs off on lodgements and can be penalised personally for getting them wrong, which is a different kind of pressure from missing an internal target.
- You are often the one saying no. Explaining why a director's request does not fit the Corporations Act or the listing rules can make you the least popular person in the room.
- The title confuses people outside governance. Many assume the role is secretarial support, so explaining what you actually do comes up in almost every conversation with someone new.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ company secretarys?
Financial and Insurance Services employs the largest share of company secretarys, followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Financial and Insurance Services
- 2Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 3Mining
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 39.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 34.9% | |
| Year 12 or below | 10.8% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 8.3% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 3.2% |
Will AI replace company secretarys?
The role sits at a moderate level of exposure. Board portals, registry software and minute-drafting tools already carry much of the collation, filing and note-taking that used to fill the week. What keeps it from being more exposed is the advisory side: directors depend on a person who knows the company's history and can judge what needs disclosing, and to whom.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Collating and distributing board papersBoard portals such as Diligent assemble the pack, chase director acknowledgements and version-control papers, which removes most of the manual collation.30%high
- Statutory lodgements and registry filingsMost ASIC forms are lodged online and standard returns are largely generated from templates, though a person still checks the content and signs off.25%high
- Advising directors on duties, conflicts and disclosureThis relies on knowing the board, the company's history and how the Corporations Act applies to a particular decision, which is hard to reduce to software.25%low
- Minuting board and committee meetingsTranscription tools produce a usable draft, but turning that into a record of decisions and action items still takes someone who was in the room.20%moderate
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from company secretary work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Chief Executive Officer
Some skill overlap (39%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Non-Executive Director
Some skill overlap (39%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
Common questions about becoming a company secretary
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a company secretary earn?
Full-time company secretaries earn a median of $109,400 per annum, before tax. It is a median rather than a fixed rate, so pay varies with the size of the organisation, whether the work is listed-company governance, and how much legal, risk or finance responsibility sits with the role.
How do you become a company secretary in Australia?
A degree in law, commerce, accounting or business is the usual starting point, followed by a governance qualification such as the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. Most people move in from a legal, accounting, compliance or board support role rather than entering the occupation directly.
Are company secretaries in demand?
Company secretaries are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 15.9% over the decade to 2035. It is a small occupation of about 1,000 people, so openings mostly come up as people retire or move into executive roles rather than in large graduate intakes.
Will AI replace company secretaries?
The administrative side of the job is already changing: board portals assemble packs, registry systems handle the standard ASIC forms, and transcription tools draft minutes. What stays with a person is advising directors, judging what needs disclosing and reading a boardroom, which is why the role is moderately exposed rather than highly exposed.
Where can a company secretary move next?
Governance experience carries into general management and executive roles, with a general manager position paying around $38,800 more than this one, and board experience opens the door to non-executive directorships once director training is done. Regulatory affairs management is another option, where compliance expertise transfers with a short course.
Is a company secretary the same as an executive assistant?
No. Executive assistants look after the board's logistics, while a company secretary holds statutory duties under the Corporations Act, including certifying lodgements, and can be personally liable for getting them wrong. The two roles work closely together, and board support experience is one of the ways people move into company secretarial work.
Related roles
- Chief Executive Officer
- General Manager
- Non-Executive Director
- Regulatory Affairs Manager
- Accountant
- Corporate Lawyer
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