How to become a youth worker in Australia
Youth Workers assist young people as individuals or groups to solve social, emotional and financial problems in an agency framework.
Pay and growth are for the wider welfare support workers group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the welfare support workers group are projected to grow 11.9% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower 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
- Assists young people to solve social, emotional and financial problems.
- Assesses clients' needs and plans, develops and implements educational, training and support programs.
- Interviews clients and assesses the nature and extent of difficulties.
- Monitors and reports on the progress of clients.
- Refers clients to agencies that can provide additional help.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A diploma or advanced diploma. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the welfare support workers group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 31% a degree or higher, 26% a diploma, 23% 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
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria7 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Youth Work · ACU, Melbourne62.95 Youth Work and Youth Studies (Degree) · RMIT, City60.65NSW and ACT3 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Showing 1 of 3 matches. Search every course.
Queensland3 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 1 of 3 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia1 match
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Youth Work · ECU, Joondalup70.00 guaranteedMatched on course names, 14 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
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: Social, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Child, Family, and School Social Workers", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
Social worker$2,172 Secondary school teacher$2,322 Primary school teacher$2,226 University lecturer$2,924 Special education teacher$2,160Done this job, or studied for it?
Tell Year 12s the one thing you wish you'd known. First name only, and we read every story before it goes up.
Share your storyJob 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.