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Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Graduate Programs & Internships

Government & Public Service

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the perfect place to launch your career. We offer a supportive environment, focusing on training and development to help our graduates develop their skills and find their feet. The ABS Graduate Development Program is an opportunity to kick-start your career and build the foundations for the future.

You can work in a range of challenging and rewarding roles that will drive real change. Although our team is passionate about data and telling Australia’s story through numbers, we also have roles available outside of data for those with a passion for ICT, finance, human resources or customer service.

Our culture

Our culture fosters inclusiveness, builds respect and capitalises on diversity. We welcome individuality and people who love to think outside the box.

Here are some stats about the ABS team:

20% of our workforce is below the age of 30
94% access flexible working arrangements
55% of our team are female, including 41% of senior leadership
11% identify as having one or more ongoing disabilities
11% identify as being neurodivergent
10% identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or gender diverse, Intersex, Queer, Questioning and/or Asexual (LGBTIQA+)
1% identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
42% of our workforce have carer responsibilities.

Recruitment Process

Applications for the 2027 ABS Graduate Program open in March 2026.

Recruitment processes vary depending on the role, but a typical process looks like this:

Applications open

Shortlisting - your application is assessed using a combination of your:

i. eligibility confirmation
ii. written communication skills
iii. academic transcript
iv. resume

Online testing - this usually includes completing a work sample or cognitive test

Interviews - typically around 30 - 45 minutes, our interviews are conducted by video conference with two or three members of the selection panel

Reference checks - your nominated referee/s are contacted via a web-based interface

Offers - offers are usually made from August

Optional - you may have the option to start working at the ABS before the Graduate Program officially begins

ABS Graduate Development Program starts

Remuneration & Career Growth

As an ABS Graduate, you will:

be placed in a permanent full-time role
do meaningful work from day one and be valued for your unique perspective and diverse views
undertake a 12-month development program that includes rotations, workshops, seminars, projects, presentations, shadowing and coaching opportunities, panel discussions, psychometric profiling, and engaging with communities of practice.

We offer:

an attractive starting salary from $75,746 plus 15.4% superannuation. On completion of the 12-month program, your salary will advance to $88,096 plus 15.4% superannuation
flexible working arrangements that help you manage your work/life balance
generous leave entitlements, including 20 days of annual leave and 18 days of personal leave a year
training and development to help you build your skills
opportunities for study leave and financial support so you can continue learning
a public holiday substitution scheme to give people of all faiths and cultures the opportunity to participate in days of cultural, ceremonial or religious significance
a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace culture
the opportunity to work in one of our offices in all capital cities, and Geelong
relocation assistance if needed. We will always try to place you in your home state, but if you do need to move we'll take care of the logistics, paying for you, your dependants and pets to relocate
the potential to begin working at the ABS prior to the Graduate Program commencing.

We are also leading the Australian Public Service (APS) Data Professional Stream to develop a data capable APS workforce.

Graduate Reviews

Overall Score

4.0

Overall score based on 1,361 reviews

They Score Best in…

8.9

Work Hours

8.5

Diversity

8.3

Culture

8.2

Management

What Graduates Say About Them

Everyone is friendly and approachable.
You are given a lot of support and guidance.
Plenty of learning and development opportunities.
Exposure to a wide range of projects.
Good work-life balance with flexible hours.

The work can be quite demanding at times.
Early on there are plenty of opportunities at the APS 4 & 5 to get experience in different team and progress. APS 6 and onward the opportunities become very limited.
Some processes are a bit bureaucratic.
The pace of work can sometimes be slow.
Some office locations are not very convenient.

All reviews