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Job Market Research›Australia›Social Policy & Social Work

Social Policy & Social Work jobs in Australia for international graduates

Check the job market before you choose the course.Real jobs and pay for your field, and how to stay on to work.

How it works

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Social Policy & Social WorkSocial Sciences · Australia
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Job market at a glance

The jobs Social Policy & Social Work leads to, added together. Each label compares Social Policy & Social Work with the other Australian fields.

Jobs / month vs last year-6.7% ModerateJSA
Jobs / month1,063 StrongJSA
Average payAU$112,500 WeakJSA
Growth to 2035+23.2% StrongJSA
Change since Feb 2025+4.7% StrongJSA
People in these jobs50,653 ModerateJSA
Jobs in shortage0% WeakJSA

Latest published figures (February 2026). Official occupation employment data is being reissued under a new classification later in 2026.

Jobs this degree leads to

The jobs Social Policy & Social Work courses most often lead to in Australia, and how each one is doing.

JobShareAverage pay JSAGrowth to 2035 JSAJobs / month JSAvs last yearEmployer-sponsored visa Home Affairs
1.Social WorkersAU$112,900+25.3%1,202-9.7%Sponsorable
2.Intelligence and Policy AnalystsAU$113,000+25.2%546-14%Non sponsorable
3.Welfare Support WorkersAU$95,900+11.9%1,294-0.2%Some roles
4.Welfare, Recreation and Community Arts WorkersAU$101,900+23.4%2,123-4.2%Some roles
5.Health and Welfare Services ManagersAU$141,400+27.1%397+5.1%Some roles
6.Social ProfessionalsAU$109,900+21.2%309-7.8%Some roles

Share: how common each job is among Social Policy & Social Work destinations. Jobs / month: new job adverts over the last three months of JSA data. Swipe the table sideways for more.

What graduates like you earned

Postgraduate coursework graduates who studied Social Policy & Social Work or a related Social work subject, a few months after finishing, working in Australia. Earnings are published for Social work as a whole.

International graduates earnedaverage, a few months onAU$79,300 QILT
Australian graduates earnedsame subject, for comparisonAU$97,200 QILT

International graduates earned 18% less than Australian graduates of the same subject a few months after finishing. Based on international graduates working in Australia, surveyed a few months after finishing. Graduates who left Australia are not included.

Staying to work after you graduate

How international students stay to work in Australia after studying Social Policy & Social Work.

1
Finish your course

A master's or a PhD from an Australian university.

2
Temporary Graduate visa
2 years Home Affairs

to live and work in Australia after a master's by coursework. 3 years after a master's by research or a PhD. No job offer needed. You must be 35 or under when you apply.

Studied at a regional campus? Live and work in a regional area for 2 years and you can get a second visa: +1 year in regional cities and major regional centres, +2 years in other regional areas.

Indian citizens get longer: 3 years after any master's, 4 years after a PhD.

3
Employer-sponsored visa

To stay after your Temporary Graduate visa ends, an employer sponsors you for a Skills in Demand visa. The job must be on the Core Skills Occupation List and pay at least AU$79,423, and you need at least 1 year of relevant work experience. There is no lower rate for new graduates.

Social Policy & Social Work jobs an employer can sponsor Home Affairs60%
Graduate pay vs the salary a sponsored visa needs Home Affairs
AU$79,300
average payminimum AU$79,423

Social Policy & Social Work in other countries

Typical pay for the same jobs (in US dollars in brackets, at June 2026 exchange rates), projected growth, and post-study work after a master's.

AustraliaAU$112,500 ($80,300)Growth +23.2% (2025–35) · 24 monthsUnited Kingdom£42,700 ($57,500)Growth +11.2% (2025–35) · Graduate visa 18 monthsUnited States$75,500Growth +6.9% (2025–35) · OPT 12 months, 36 with the STEM extensionCanadaCA$78,700 ($56,700)Growth +19.9% (2023–33) · PGWP up to 36 monthsIreland€45,100 ($52,500)Growth +5.1% (2025–28) · Stamp 1G 24 monthsGermany€63,300 ($73,700)Growth +1.6% (2023–40) · 18 months

Questions students ask

How much do Social Policy & Social Work graduates earn in Australia?

International students who finished a master's in Social work earned a median AU$79,300 a few months after finishing (2025). Across all workers in these jobs, typical pay is AU$112,500.

Is Social Policy & Social Work in demand in Australia?

Employers posted about 1,063 job adverts a month for these jobs between June and August 2026, 6.7% fewer than a year earlier. Employment in these jobs is projected to grow 23.2% from 2025 to 2035.

Can I stay and work in Australia after a Social Policy & Social Work master's?

Yes, for 2 years on the Temporary Graduate visa after a master's by coursework. To stay longer, 60% of these jobs can be sponsored for a Skills in Demand visa, which needs pay of at least AU$79,423 a year.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure comes from an official Australian source. Tap a source tag next to any number for its details.

Labour Force Trending — national occupation trend (ANZSCO v1.3 unit groups)Jobs and Skills Australia (from ABS Labour Force Survey) · CC BY 4.0 · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Internet Vacancy Index — ANZSCO 4-digit occupations, 3-month average (AUST)Jobs and Skills Australia · CC BY 4.0 · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Occupation profiles data (ANZSCO) — median weekly earnings, full-time non-managerialJobs and Skills Australia (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report) · CC BY 4.0 · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 — occupation unit groupsJobs and Skills Australia (Victoria University Employment Forecasting model) · CC BY 4.0 · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Occupation Shortage List — unit groups (4-digit ANZSCO 2022), national ratingJobs and Skills Australia · CC BY 4.0 · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Graduate Outcomes Survey — international and national report tables (postgraduate coursework salaries by study area)Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), Social Research Centre, funded by the Australian Government Department of Education · © QILT / Social Research Centre and the Commonwealth — quoted with attribution for non-commercial education use · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Core Skills Occupation List — Migration (Specification of Occupations—Subclass 482 Visa) Instrument 2024 (LIN 24/089)Department of Home Affairs (Federal Register of Legislation) · CC BY 4.0 · loaded 27 Sept 2026
Australian post-study work and employer-sponsored visa rules (manually verified)Department of Home Affairs, transcribed and verified by UNIFER · CC BY 3.0 AU · loaded 12 Oct 2026

Indicative figures from official Australian sources. They describe groups of graduates and workers, not what any individual will earn or be offered. Visa rules change — check the Department of Home Affairs website before you decide.