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AustraliaCommunity profile

Greater Melbourne

Occupation of employment

There were more male professionals in Greater Melbourne in 2021 than any other occupation.

Greater Melbourne's occupation statistics quantify the occupations in which the residents work (which may be within the residing area or elsewhere). This will be influenced by the economic base and employment opportunities available in the area, education levels, and the working and social aspirations of the population. When viewed with other indicators, such as Educational Qualifications and Individual Income, Occupation is a key measure for evaluating Greater Melbourne's socio-economic status and skill base.

Q:

Derived from the two Census questions:

'In the main job held last week, what was the person's occupation?' and 'What are the main tasks that the person himself/herself usually performs in that occupation?'

Occupation of employment
Greater Melbourne - Employed males (Usual residence)20212016Change
OccupationNumber%Greater Capital Cities %Number%Greater Capital Cities %2016 to 2021
Managers204,24316.115.8177,10115.915.2+27,142
Professionals300,11823.623.3246,04722.021.5+54,071
Technicians and Trades Workers245,81819.319.4223,99520.120.6+21,823
Community and Personal Service Workers75,3885.96.266,7516.06.2+8,637
Clerical and Administrative Workers90,0477.16.980,5847.27.1+9,463
Sales Workers82,2456.56.483,1487.47.1-903
Machinery Operators And Drivers121,9339.69.9104,5079.49.8+17,426
Labourers124,3659.89.9113,28110.110.5+11,084
Not stated or inadequately described28,0412.22.121,5351.92.0+6,506
Total employed persons aged 15+1,272,202100.0100.01,116,949100.0100.0+155,253
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the male resident population in Greater Melbourne in 2021 shows the three most popular occupations were:

  • Professionals (300,118 males or 23.6%)
  • Technicians and Trades Workers (245,818 males or 19.3%)
  • Managers (204,243 males or 16.1%)

In combination these three occupations accounted for 750,179 males in total or 59.0% of the employed male resident population.

In comparison, Greater Capital Cities employed 23.3% in Professionals; 19.4% in Technicians and Trades Workers; and 15.8% in Managers.

There were no major differences between Greater Melbourne and Greater Capital Cities in 2021.

Emerging groups

The number of employed males in Greater Melbourne increased by 155,253 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the occupations of male residents between 2016 and 2021 in Greater Melbourne were for those employed as:

  • Professionals (+54,071 males)
  • Managers (+27,142 males)
  • Technicians and Trades Workers (+21,823 males)
  • Machinery Operators And Drivers (+17,426 males)

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