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Research and Development Managers

Research and Development Managers plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate research and development activities within organisations.

Business & adminANZSCO 1325
$2,887/wkMedian full-time pay
21kPeople employed
+23% ▲Growth to 2035
87%Work full time
48Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 1325.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

determining, implementing and monitoring research and development strategies, policies and plansdeveloping and implementing research projects, priorities and targets to support commercial and policy developmentsleading major research projects and coordinating activities of other research workersassessing the benefits and monitoring the costs and effectiveness of research and development activitiesinterpreting results of research projects and recommending associated product and service development innovationsproviding advice on research and development options available to the organisation
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 1325 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 4,500 more people in research and development managers by 2035 ▲

The field grew 5.8% in the year to February 2026, adding about 1,100 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and VIC, with QLD third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 1325.More about our sources: How we check our facts
19.8k2025
22.3k2030 PROJ.
24.3k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

8 in ten people here have a degree. You can still get in without one.

10% came through a VET qualification. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 1325. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

11112NATGraduate Certificate

Graduate Certificate in Health Research

See 0 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

21k Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 1325.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW6.7k
VIC5.8k
QLD2.7k
WA2.3k
SA1k
ACT0.8k
TAS0.3k
NT0.1k