Product Owner

Discover the required skills, daily responsibilities, and salary potential of a product owner. Explore statistics surrounding industry growth, weekly hours, common qualifications, and common areas of employment.

Overview

Product owners are typically responsible for a company’s scrum team, helping establish a roadmap for the product development process, and supervising operations throughout the product lifecycle. They possess a thorough knowledge of the product being developed and ensure client concerns and requirements are addressed at every stage.

Alongside scrum teams, product owners also communicate with other, related departments such as marketing and sales. They ensure all relevant stakeholders are on board the latest project updates, developments, and objectives; providing project members with the necessary support or guidance they need. On a day-to-day basis, product owners may lead team meetings, set daily goals, manage schedules, and assess client needs and expectations.

As a subsect of project managers, product owners can expect employment growth within the next five years – with a projected 6.2% job growth, according to SEEK statistics.

Key Skills

  • Strong leadership and interpersonal skills for guiding, supporting, and fostering collaboration among scrum teams
  • Excellent time management and organisational skills for managing project schedules, budgets, and human resources
  • Strong knowledge of the scrum framework and product development process
  • Critical thinking and analysis skills for identifying product issues, applying improvements, and ensuring development process aligns with client requirements
  • Ability to multi-task and work well under pressure
  • Agility and adaptability; able to adjust the development process according to changing client needs or circumstances

Quick Facts

Product owners can find work in most regions of Australia, with New South Wales currently holding the largest share of workers. Weekly salary potential is currently higher ($1,660) than the all job average ($1,460) with plenty of opportunity for full-time work.

Salary Range

$78,000 – $157,000 (Median: $112,000)*

*Source: Payscale

Average Weekly Hours

43 hours (vs. all jobs average of 44 hours)*

*Source: Job Outlook

Main Industries

Public Administration and Safety; Construction; and Education and Training

Most Common Qualification Level

31.4% hold a Bachelor’s Degree

STUDY PATHWAYS

Getting the skills you need is simple by studying one of our information technology courses below.

*Sources: payscale.com.au and joboutlook.gov.au – All information is to be used as a guide only, and are accurate at the time of publication.