The Work

The role of an Administrative Officer (AO) is the ideal career opportunity for anyone who enjoys exciting, challenging and meaningful work that makes a direct difference to society. The AO grade is the main graduate recruitment grade in the Civil Service.

As an Administrative Officer, you will have the opportunity to work on projects that will aid the social and economic development of Ireland. If you enjoy challenging work and are committed to the concept of public service, a graduate position, such as Administrative Officer, could be the ideal role for you.

Graduate opportunities within the Civil and Public Service are designed to inspire, challenge and support the next generation of Civil and Public Service leaders. In this role, you will usually work closely with experienced officials to gain insight and expertise in complex subject areas. As you become more experienced, you may be assigned to a broader range of duties involving, for example, the drafting of briefing documents, policy papers and research reports for Ministers and other Government Departments, professional bodies or international organisations.       Administrative Officers are employed in most Departments and can be assigned to a wide variety of functional responsibilities, including the development of health services, education policy, environmental protection, industrial development, to name but a few.

Further Information

• Civil Service - Administrative Officer - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Civil Service - Administrative Officer - from: GradIreland
• Civil Service - Administrative Officer - from: N.C.S. [UK]

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

The academic requirements for this grade would typically be minimum level 8 (first of second class primary honours degree) on the National Framework of Qualifications.

We look for key skills such as communication and interpersonal, team-working and strong leadership potential. You may find it useful to look at the competency framework for this level.

Further details on the particular skills and requirements for this role can be found in the Information Booklet for each campaign at this level. An example of an Information Booklet for a recent campaign can be found here

The Administrative Officer (AO) grade is the highest level to which staff are regularly recruited to the general administrative grades of the civil service.

On appointment, AOs are assigned to a government department/office in areas such as education, health, social welfare, tourism or finance. Details of all current competitions are made available on https://www.publicjobs.ie/en/ . Applicants will be required to undergo the selection procedures as set out for the particular competition.

The Civil Service strongly encourages its staff to further their education and improve their qualifications. A scheme providing for the refund of fees for third level courses is in place and paid study leave is allowed for staff attending such courses. On-the-job training also plays an important role in enabling recruits to maximise their potential.   

Steps to applying:

1. Apply online at Publicjobs.ie before closing date
2. Online Assessment Questionnaire
3. Interview

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €36k - €69k

Administrative officer
36,493 – 39,188 – 39,558 – 42,706 – 46,733 – 49,800 – 52,922 – 56,140 – 59,383 – 62,623 – 64,856¹ – 67,097²

Administrative officer higher scale
49,800 – 52,922 – 56,140 – 59,383 – 62,623 – 64,856 – 67,070 – 69,281

Data Source(s):
Gov.ie/ PAS 2022/ Forsa

Last Updated: July, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

The changes in classification as a result of the introduction of the new Labour Force Survey in 2017 are partly responsible for the strong employment growth rate for this occupation, although employment also grew strongly between 2019 and 2020, and continued to grow in 2022. Those employed are primarily female (69%), working full-time (90%), and over half (55%) held third-level qualifications. With a higher than average share of persons employed aged 55 years and older (31% compared to 19% for all occupations), replacement demand is likely to result in opportunities opening up for these roles even if employment growth slows.

There was a significant number of vacancies advertised online for clerical officer roles across the civil service and Government administration roles. However, recent job hires for 2022 far exceeded employment growth indicating that job churn is a feature of this occupation. While job openings are set to continue, upskilling and reskilling may also be required for those already employed in these occupations in order to reach targets set out in the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2024 in areas such as in digital skills.

Employment grew strongly in this occupation over the five-year period although this may relate, in part, to changes that occurred on the introduction of the new Labour Force Survey in 2017. Some of the recent employment growth related to the recruitment of temporary clerical officers in the Civil Service in 2020. At 24%, the share of persons aged 55 years and older was above the national average of 18%, indicating that replacement demand alone may result in job opportunities in this occupation. However, administrative occupations are at high risk of automation and this may offset some of the replacement demand.

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