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How to become an intelligence officer in Australia

Intelligence Officers collect and analyse information and data to produce intelligence for organisations to support planning, operations and human resource functions.

$2,173median full-time pay a week, before tax
+25.2%projected job growth to 2035
3,800people in this job

Pay and growth are for the wider intelligence and policy analysts group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the intelligence and policy analysts group are projected to grow 25.2% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.

What the job involves

  • Determines organisational and client intelligence requirements.
  • Organises, collects, collates and analyses data, and develops intelligence information such as electronic surveillance.
  • Compiles and disseminates intelligence information using briefings, maps, charts, reports and other methods.
  • Ascertains the accuracy of data collected and reliability of sources.
  • Conducts threat and risk assessments and developing responses.

How to get there

What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the intelligence and policy analysts group, and some roles differ.

What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 63% a degree or higher, 14% a diploma, 10% a Certificate III or IV.

Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.

Courses that can lead here

Victoria77 matches

VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.

Criminology · Monash, Clayton75.30 Criminology and Policing · Monash, Clayton75.30 Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence major) · Swinburne, Hawthorn67.70 Arts (Criminology major) · Deakin, Melbourne Burwood62.10 Criminology and Criminal Justice · ACU, Melbourne61.15 Criminology · Deakin, Melbourne Burwood61.10 Criminology and Criminal Justice · RMIT, City60.50 Criminology and Psychology · RMIT, City60.35

Diplomas and other ways in

Legal Practice (Paralegal) (Associate Degree) / Criminology and Criminal Justice (Degree) · RMIT, City41.05 Diploma in Criminology · ACU, Melbourne50.45
Criminology and Justice (Bachelor) · ACAP University College, MelbourneNo cutoff
Psychological Science and Criminology (Bachelor) · ACAP University College, MelbourneNo cutoff

Showing 12 of 77 matches. Search every course.

NSW and ACT108 matches

UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.

Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · Griffith87.45 Bachelor of Security Studies by distance · Macquarie86.50 Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence · UTS86.30 B Communication in Social and Political Sciences B Creative Intelligence and Innovation · UTS85.05 B Communication in Public Relations & Advertising B Creative Intelligence & Innovation · UTS84.10 B Communication in Digital and Social Media B Creative Intelligence & Innovation · UTS83.25 Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · UNSW83.00 Bachelor of Criminology (Data Analytics and Research) · UTS82.65

Diplomas and other ways in

Diploma in Criminology · ACU54.35
Bachelor of Psychological Science and Criminology · ACAP University CollegeNo cutoff
Bachelor of Criminology and Justice · ACAP University CollegeNo cutoff
Bachelor of Software Engineering (Artificial Intelligence) · TorrensNo cutoff

Showing 12 of 108 matches. Search every course.

Queensland70 matches

QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.

Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · UQ, St Lucia75.05 Bachelor of Criminology · UNE, Armidale65.55 Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · Griffith, Brisbane South (Nathan)64.50 Bachelor of Science (Criminology and Psychology) · CQUniversity, Online63.90 Bachelor of Criminology and Justice · UniSC, Moreton Bay51.50
Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · ACU, BrisbaneNo cutoff
Bachelor of Information Technology (Artificial Intelligence) · Southern Cross, Gold CoastNo cutoff
Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · UniSQ, OnlineNo cutoff

Diplomas and other ways in

Associate Degree of Criminology and Criminal Justice · UniSQ, Toowoomba61.50
Diploma of Criminology and Criminal Justice · Griffith College, Brisbane CityNo cutoff
Diploma of Criminology and Criminal Justice/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · Griffith College, Brisbane South (Nathan)No cutoff
Diploma of Criminology and Criminal Justice/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) · Griffith College, Brisbane South (Nathan)No cutoff

Showing 12 of 70 matches. Search every course.

Western Australia18 matches

TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.

Bachelor of Criminology and Justice · ECU, Joondalup72.10 Bachelor of Criminology in Crime Science · Murdoch, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Criminology in Criminal Behaviour · Murdoch, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Criminology in Legal Studies · Murdoch, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Data Analytics in Business Intelligence · Murdoch, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Information Technology in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems · Murdoch, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice · UWA, Perth69.25 Bachelor of Counter Terrorism Security and Intelligence · ECU, Joondalup62.65

Showing 8 of 18 matches. Search every course.

Matched on course names, 273 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.

Graduate outcomes, national

Justice studies and policing76.6% in full-time work$80,000 median full-time salary

Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.

Does it fit your interests?

Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Investigative, Conventional, Enterprising.

Realistic
Investigative
Artistic
Social
Enterprising
Conventional

From O*NET ratings for "Intelligence Analysts", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.

Careers with similar interests

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Job data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.

Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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