Information technology (IT) employees may perform a variety of functions involving IT hardware and/or software.

IT employees can work for employers in the IT industry, or employers in other industries.

Some roles performed by IT employees are:

• Software or hardware engineers or developers
• IT support staff, including help desk staff
• systems engineers or analysts
• programmers
• developers
• testers
• IT security specialists
• database administrators or analysts
• design and development of online internet architecture, including web design
• online content management.

An IT employee may be qualified or unqualified. For the purposes of the information below, a qualified IT employee is an employee who has sufficient qualifications and experience to be classified in the Professional Award.

An unqualified IT employee is an employee who doesn’t have sufficient qualifications and experience to be classified in the Professional Award. This can include employees with diploma or certificate qualifications.

Qualified IT employees

Professional Award – industry coverage

The Professional Award can cover IT employees if they:

• work for an employer in the IT industry or the telecommunications services industry
• perform professional duties which match one of the classifications in the Award that require them to have sufficient qualifications and experience.

A qualified IT employee won't be covered by the Professional Award if the role is principally a managerial position.

The IT industry means:

• the design and manufacture of:
  • computers and computer peripherals
  • telecommunications equipment
  • computer software
• computer system installation, repair and maintenance
• computer consultancy services
• computer programming
• system analysis services
• the design, development and maintenance of online internet architecture and the facilitation of online content management
• activities that are incidental, ancillary or complementary to the above.

The telecommunications services industry means:

• the supply and/or installation and/or maintenance of:
  • telecommunications services
  • value-added telecommunications services
• activities that are incidental, ancillary or complementary to the above
• installation and/or maintenance of telecommunications equipment and line.

Sufficient qualifications means:

• a university degree with a science or IT major that’s accredited by the Australian Computer Society at professional level
• qualifications and experience that make them eligible to be a Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society
• performing professional engineering duties that require the employee to qualify as a member of Engineers Australia, or have a university degree or other academic qualifications recognised by Engineers Australia, or
• performing professional scientific duties that require the employee to have academic qualifications. An academic qualification includes a degree in science from an Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom university or from an Australian tertiary educational institution.

Professional Award – occupational coverage

Most qualified IT employees who don’t work for an employer in the IT industry or telecommunications services industry won’t be covered by the Professional Award on an occupational basis.

However, the Professional Award can cover qualified IT employees on an occupational basis if they’re performing professional engineering or scientific duties which match one of the classifications in the Award that require them to have sufficient qualifications and experience.

This is not likely to be common.

Sufficient qualifications means:

• performing professional engineering duties that require the employee to qualify as a member of Engineers Australia, or have a university degree or other academic qualifications recognised by Engineers Australia, or
• performing professional scientific duties that require the employee to have academic qualifications. An academic qualification includes a degree in science from an Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom university or from an Australian tertiary educational institution.

Qualified IT employees not covered by the Professional Award

A qualified IT employee who isn’t covered by the Professional Award on an industry or occupational basis may be:

• covered by another industry award
• covered by another occupational award, or
• award free.

Industry award coverage

An industry award covers a qualified IT employee if:

• their employer operates in the industry defined in the award
• there’s a classification which matches the employee’s duties and qualifications.

For example, a qualified IT employee may be covered by one of the following industry awards:

• Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award
• Electrical Power Award.

No industry award coverage

A qualified IT employee not covered by an industry award may be covered by an award on an occupational basis, for example the Clerks Award.

The Clerks Award can cover an employee if their role is mainly clerical or administrative. For a qualified IT employee, this is not likely to be common.

The employee’s classification depends on their skills and responsibilities.

Award free employees

Qualified IT employees who aren’t covered by an industry or occupational award are award free.

They’re entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.

Unqualified IT employees

Industry award coverage

An industry award covers an unqualified IT employee if:

• their employer operates in the industry defined in the award
• there's a classification which matches the employee’s duties and qualifications.

As discussed above, unqualified IT employees include employees with qualifications that don’t satisfy the coverage and classifications of the Professional Award.

Examples of industry awards that can cover an unqualified IT employee are outlined below.

Business Equipment Award

The Business Equipment Award can cover unqualified IT employees working for employers in the business equipment industry.

For example it can cover an unqualified IT employee working for a business which sells, leases, installs and/or services computers.

Telecommunications Award

The Telecommunications Services Award can cover unqualified IT employees engaged as telecommunications technicians in the telecommunications industry. The Award won’t apply to unqualified IT employees working in the manufacture or maintenance, installation, or repair of telecommunications equipment.

No industry award coverage

When there’s no industry award covering the employer of an unqualified IT employee, the employee can be:

• covered by an occupational award, such as the Clerks Award
• covered by the Miscellaneous Award, or
• award free.

This depends upon the employee’s duties and qualifications.

Clerks Award

The Clerks Award can cover unqualified IT employees if their role is mainly clerical or administrative.

The employee’s classification depends on their skills and responsibilities.

If their employer is covered by another modern award containing a classification which is more appropriate, they won’t be covered by the Clerks Award.

Miscellaneous Award

Unqualified IT employees not covered by an industry award or occupational award may be covered by the Miscellaneous Award. They’ll be classified based on their duties and qualifications.

The Miscellaneous Award doesn’t cover managerial employees and professional employees such as information technology specialists.

Whether an unqualified IT employee is a managerial employee or an information technology specialist will depend on the facts of each case. Employees may wish to seek independent advice on their own situation.

Award free employees

Unqualified IT employees who aren’t covered by an industry or occupational award, or the Miscellaneous Award are award free.

They’re entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.