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Defence Force Members - Other Ranks

Defence Force Members - Other Ranks provide specialised military services to the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces.

Public safety & defenceANZSCO 4411
3,998People employed
+9% ▲Growth to 2035
92%Work full time
23Median 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 4411.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

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

guarding airfields and other defence force basesserving as an infantry soldiererecting bridges, building field defences, constructing temporary roads, clearing minefields, repairing airfields and demolishing targets using explosivescrewing armoured fighting vehiclesoperating artillery, ground and surface-based defence systems, shipboard weapons and other advanced specialist military weapons and equipmentproviding firepower and ground-based air defence
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 4411 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 400 more people in defence force members - other ranks by 2035 ▲

The field shrank 0.5% in the year to February 2026. Most of the jobs are in NSW and QLD, with VIC 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 4411.More about our sources: How we check our facts
4.1k2025
4.3k2030 PROJ.
4.5k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

There is no single way in. 37% trained through VET, 11% hold a degree.

Both paths are common in this field. 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 4411. 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

DEF10126Certificate I

Certificate I in Defence Skills

Defence Training Package.

See 0 providers
DEF20326Certificate II

Certificate II in Defence Skills

Defence Training Package.

See 0 providers
DEF20120Certificate II

Certificate II in Explosive Ordnance

Defence Training Package.

See 0 providers
See all 23 mapped courses
DEF10126Certificate I in Defence Skills · 0 providers
DEF20326Certificate II in Defence Skills · 0 providers
DEF20120Certificate II in Explosive Ordnance · 0 providers
DEF20220Certificate II in Explosive Ordnance Manufacture · 0 providers
DEF30120Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance · 0 providers
DEF30220Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Manufacture · 0 providers
DEF30320Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Operations · 0 providers
DEF30420Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Proof and Experimental · 0 providers
DEF30117Certificate III in Field Petroleum Operations · 0 providers
DEF40817Certificate IV in Defence Financial Administration · 0 providers
DEF40120Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance · 0 providers
DEF40220Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Manufacture · 0 providers
DEF40320Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Operations · 0 providers
DEF41122Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Proof and Experimental · 0 providers
DEF40917Certificate IV in Performance Based Contracting · 0 providers
DEF40317Certificate IV in Psychological Support · 0 providers
DEF41022Certificate IV in Test and Evaluation · 0 providers
DEF50120Diploma of Explosive Ordnance Manufacture · 0 providers
DEF51022Diploma of Explosive Ordnance Proof and Experimental · 0 providers
DEF50320Diploma of Explosives · 0 providers
DEF51115Diploma of Leadership · 0 providers
DEF80220Graduate Certificate in Explosives · 0 providers
DEF80120Graduate Diploma of Explosives · 0 providers

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

Jobs open right now

3,998 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 4411.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW1.2k
QLD1.1k
VIC0.6k
NT0.3k
WA0.3k
SA0.3k
ACT0.1k
TAS0.1k

Occupations near this one

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