OSCA 811432

Domestic Housekeeper

Overview

  • Employed persons

    2,300

  • Employment status

    24.4% Full time

    75.6% Part time

  • Median age

    48 years

  • Employment by sex

    87.9% Female

    12.0% Male

    Highly female dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    3.3%

  • Main employing industry

    Administrative and Support Services

Indicator Domestic Housekeeper Total employment
Employed persons 2,300 12,049,400
Median age 48 years 40 years
Full-time share 24.4% 64.2%
Part-time share 75.6% 35.8%
Female employment share 87.9% 48.5%
Male employment share 12.0% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Highly female dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 3.3% 2.2%
Main employing industry Administrative and Support Services Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Domestic Housekeepers clean, cook and perform other housekeeping tasks in private residences.

What the occupation involves

  • Cleans and tidies private residences, including dusting, vacuuming, mopping floors and cleaning surfaces
  • Makes beds and changes bed linen, and washes and irons clothes and linen
  • Cleans and organises bathrooms, including toilets, showers and sinks
  • Cleans and organises kitchens, including washing dishes, cleaning appliances and organising pantries
  • Shops for groceries and household supplies, and prepares and cooks meals according to clients' preferences and dietary restrictions
  • Takes care of household pets, including feeding, walking and grooming
  • Performs light gardening and outdoor maintenance tasks
  • Assists with other household tasks as needed, such as running errands or organising cupboards

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 5
equivalent to secondary education, or a Certificate I).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Domestic Housekeeper Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Administrative and Support Services 41.6% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 16.5% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Accommodation and Food Services 10.2% Construction 8.9%
    Other Services 4.5% Education and Training 8.8%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 4.0% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Education and Training 2.1% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Arts and Recreation Services 1.9% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Construction 1.8% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Public Administration and Safety 1.5% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 1.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      28.1%

    • Victoria

      20.5%

    • Queensland

      22.9%

    • South Australia

      8.0%

    • Tasmania

      3.6%

    • Northern Territory

      1.4%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.3%

    Domestic Housekeeper Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 660 28.1% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 480 20.5% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 540 22.9% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 190 8.0% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 340 14.4% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 80 3.6% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 30 1.4% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 30 1.3% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Domestic Housekeeper

    Total employment

    Age group Domestic Housekeeper Total employment
    15–24 years 8.1% 14.3%
    25–34 years 19.2% 22.7%
    35–44 years 16.1% 22.3%
    45–54 years 22.9% 20.4%
    55–64 years 24.5% 15.3%
    65–74 years 7.5% 4.3%
    75 years and over 2.1% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Domestic Housekeeper Total employment
    Female 87.9% 48.5%
    Male 12.0% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

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      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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