What are the most in-demand jobs in Australia?

Working in Australia after graduation is a goal of countless international students in the country. Once you've experienced the lifestyle it has to offer, you may well want to maintain it. Fortunately, being educated there is a great first step towards building a career there. In fact, some occupations are so needed that they can give you a head start with both visa applications and your employability. Find out which these are as we run through the most in-demand jobs in Australia.

How many job vacancies are there in Australia?

The number of job vacancies in Australia has increased dramatically over the past few years. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the country had 329,000 vacant positions in February 2025, up from just 228,000 in February 2020. While vacancies peaked in 2022, the number in 2020 was already one of the highest on record. As such, the current situation is extraordinary.

What job sectors have the most vacancies in Australia?

The job sector with the most vacancies in Australia is healthcare and social assistance (59,100). With roles ranging from doctor to nurse, dentist, psychologist and carer, it is a broad field that has constant demand for skilled entrants. In a recent government report, the country was projected to have a growing shortage of nurses in every year up to 2035. By this point, estimates suggest that it will need almost 80,000 more than it will have.

Interested in filling one of these vacancies? Get started with our guides to the top universities for nursing in Australia, and the best medical universities in Australia.

The sectors with the next most vacancies are accommodation and food services (38,700) and professional, scientific and technical services (34,100). The latter is a particularly wide category, covering everything from marketing to IT and engineering, but it is united by good employment prospects.

What job roles have the most vacancies in Australia?

Each month, the government agency Jobs and Skills Australia updates its Internet Vacancy Index. This accounts for every new advertisement placed on three of the country's major online job boards. With the information it collects, it provides an ongoing assessment of the most in-demand jobs in Australia. The top 10 in April 2025 were as follows:

As this shows, the most-needed jobs in Australia are diverse, ranging from health and social care to heavy industry. You shouldn't be too concerned if your field of interest or expertise doesn't feature in the above list, though, as there are many more occupations for which there is great demand.

This is shown by the country's Occupation Shortage List. Each year, the Australian government publishes this detailed index of occupations across all sectors, outlining the demand for them nationally and regionally. This indicates whether or not employers are experiencing a shortage of suitable candidates for a particular role, and if so, how localised that shortage is. In addition, a projection of future demand is included, identified as either above, at or below the average of the economy as a whole.

You can explore the extensive list online. In doing so, you will find that there is a reasonable chance that any given occupation will be subject to shortages in at least some parts of the country. Nationally, 32 per cent of those on the list are classed as in shortage (293 out of 916), with many more identified as such on a regional level.

For advice on finding work in the country, read our overview of the Australian job market.

In which job sectors are vacancies growing?

According to official statistics, the number of job vacancies in Australia has grown in almost every sector since February 2020.

The sector that has shown the biggest percentage growth is accommodation and food services, also known as hospitality (162.5 per cent). It is followed by arts and recreation services (127.8 per cent).

The latter category includes roles such as musician, sports coach and gardener, and its expanded pool of job opportunities suggests that Australia holds promise for a career in the creative and leisure industries. However, it is important to note that despite this growth, actual vacancy numbers remain low, at 4,600.

Want to know more about working in the media or arts? Read our guide to the best jobs for graduates in creative fields.

The five sectors that have experienced the greatest percentage growth in vacancies can be seen in the table below.

As this shows, the field of energy is another in which employment prospects are improving. You can explore it with our guide to degrees that focus on sustainable energy.

What jobs can help you get an Australian visa?

Many work visas in Australia are tied to the country's skilled occupation list. This comprises jobs that require advanced knowledge or ability, and for which the country is in need of suitable candidates. As such, you can only apply for some visas if you are qualified to work or train in certain jobs. This includes the Temporary Graduate visa, if your qualification is not at degree level.

Fortunately, the list is extensive. For graduate visas, more than 200 occupations are eligible across a wide range of sectors. To be sure that yours is covered, check with the accompanying search tool – but do remember that the list is always subject to review, with certain occupations being added and removed.

In addition to this, the individual states and territories of Australia have their own priority lists, which are used for visa purposes. For an idea of how this works, take a look at the ones for Tasmania and Queensland. As with the national list, they are always subject to review, as well as quotas. Once an occupation is no longer in shortage, it may no longer be prioritised.

For more information about staying to work after graduation, read our guide to applying for a post-study visa in Australia.

You can get an even wider view of the most in-demand jobs in Australia with our list of the top five graduate careers in the country. Plus, you could take inspiration from our guides to finding a graduate career in Australia and the top employers in Australia. For more about part-time jobs before you graduate, we set out your international student work rights in Australia.