Paraplanner

A paraplanner supports financial planners and advisers by conducting research, analysing client financial data, and preparing preliminary financial advice documentation. Working in financial services firms or advisory practices, they gather and organise client information, perform calculations, and draft components of financial plans that are then reviewed and finalised by licensed practitioners.

Collect and verify client financial information including income, assets, liabilities, and insurance details for planning purposes. Perform calculations on superannuation balances, investment returns, tax positions, and retirement projections using spreadsheets and financial modelling software. Research investment products, managed funds, and insurance policies to compile product comparison matrices and recommendation summaries. Prepare preliminary financial plan documentation including goals analysis, cash flow statements, and asset allocation strategies. Organise client meetings by compiling supporting documents, charts, and scenario analyses for the adviser to present. Monitor regulatory changes from ASIC, ATO, and APRA to ensure planning recommendations remain compliant with current legislation. Maintain client files and correspondence using practice management software and document management systems. Cross-check adviser recommendations against client circumstances and financial planner compliance requirements before finalisation.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You're also doing detailed compliance work where small mistakes can cause legal problems for the firm, so there's real pressure. Much of the work is repetitive data entry and spreadsheet checking, which can feel grinding.

In reality, these roles are almost entirely office-based in city CBDs and business districts. Remote work exists but is rare. Some regional towns have advisory practices, but job options there are very limited. Financial services concentration in major metros means that's where opportunities are.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 5523, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Calculate debt costscore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Microsoft Excel Data Managementcore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Electronic Document Management
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Process Documentation
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Team Collaboration
• Verbal Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Paraplanner workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026