Disability support worker: why there isn't one ANZSCO code (423313 vs 411712)

There is no “disability support worker” code

Search ANZSCO 2022 for “disability support worker” and you will not find a single matching code. The job title is everywhere in the sector, but the classification splits the work across two very different codes: Personal Care Assistant (423313) and Disabilities Services Officer (411712). They sit in different unit groups, carry different skill levels, and route to different lists. Picking the wrong one can send a skilled-migration application down a dead end.

The split is by duties and skill level, not by job title. Below is how to tell which one describes your work.

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423313: the hands-on personal care role

Personal Care Assistant is ANZSCO 423313, skill level 4. The ABS describes it as providing routine personal care services to people in a range of health care facilities or in a person’s home. Think showering, dressing, eating, mobility, and reporting changes in a person’s condition. It sits in Major Group 4 (Community and Personal Service Workers) → Minor Group 423 Personal Carers and Assistants → Unit Group 4233 Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers. Its siblings include Nursing Support Worker (423312) and Hospital Orderly (423311).

Skill level 4 means the role is typically built on a certificate-level qualification or on-the-job training, not a degree. That matters for migration: skill level shapes which visa lists an occupation can appear on.

Lists and visas. In this record, 423313 carries no skill occupation list membership and no eligible skilled visa subclasses. That is a real constraint, not an oversight — many skill level 4 care roles are not on the migration lists. Verify against the live skill occupation list before relying on it, because list membership is reviewed and can change.

Who assesses it. The assessing authority for 423313 is not confirmed in this record. The Personal Care Assistant (423313) occupation page carries the current authority name and a link to apply. Check it before starting an assessment.

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411712: the program and client-support role

Disabilities Services Officer is ANZSCO 411712, skill level 2 — two full levels higher. The ABS describes it as working in service units that provide education and community access to people with intellectual, physical, social, and emotional disabilities. The emphasis is assessing client needs, planning and running support programs, monitoring progress, and referring clients to other agencies — coordination, not bedside personal care. It sits in Major Group 4 → Minor Group 411 Health and Welfare Support Workers → Unit Group 4117 Welfare Support Workers, alongside siblings such as Community Worker (411711) and Youth Worker (411716).

Lists and visas. In this record, 411712 is on the STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List), and the eligible skilled subclasses shown are 190 Skilled Nominated, 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional), and 887 Skilled Regional — all via the STSOL. STSOL routes are state- or family-sponsored, not the independent 189 pathway. Always confirm membership on the live skill occupation list, as lists change.

Who assesses it. The assessing authority for 411712 is not confirmed in this record. The Disabilities Services Officer (411712) occupation page carries the current authority name and a link to apply.

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How to tell which one fits you

The dividing line is what most of your day looks like:

• Mostly hands-on personal and physical care — assisting with showering, dressing, eating, mobility, and daily living in a facility or home: that reads as 423313 Personal Care Assistant (skill level 4).
• Mostly assessment, program planning, client support, and referral — building and running support plans, coordinating community access, liaising with agencies: that reads as 411712 Disabilities Services Officer (skill level 2).

The two-level skill-level gap is the tell. If your role needs a higher qualification and is about coordinating support rather than delivering it physically, 411712 is the likelier fit — and the one with a list membership in this record. The 6-digit code, not the words “disability support worker” on your contract, is what the system reads.

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Demand in the sector

Both codes sit in a high-demand sector, but the latest Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List rates both as no shortage nationally. The detail differs by region: 423313 shows a shortage in NT and WA, and 411712 shows a shortage in NT and WA plus a regional shortage in NSW. Note that 423313 was rated in shortage nationally every year from 2021 to 2024 before easing in 2025 — so the rating moves. A shortage rating is a separate, point-in-time labour-market read; it is not the same as list membership, and one does not imply the other. Check the live list for the current rating.

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Find your code

Browse all ANZSCO 2022 occupations at /en/anzsco/2022/. If you are unsure whether your background reads as Personal Care Assistant, Disabilities Services Officer, or another care code, the CV matcher at app.anzscofinder.com matches your CV to the closest codes and shows its working.

For advice on which visa to apply for, speak to a registered migration agent. We find codes and show sources. We do not give migration advice.