In-Demand Jobs in Australia 2026: What the Shortage List Shows

Most "top jobs in Australia" lists are built on job-ad trends or recruiter opinion. There's a better source, and it's free. Every year the Australian Government's own labour market agency rates hundreds of occupations as in shortage or not, nationally and state by state.

This guide walks through what that list says right now, which popular careers aren't as in demand as you might think, and how to turn the findings into a realistic plan. Figures come from Jobs and Skills Australia and the Department of Home Affairs, checked in September 2026.

Where this information comes from

Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) is a Commonwealth agency that analyses Australia's labour market. Its main tool for job seekers is the Occupation Shortage List (OSL).

JSA describes the OSL as a point-in-time assessment of which occupations are in shortage in Australia and in each state and territory. It's released once a year. The most recent version at the time of writing is the 2025 OSL, published in October 2025.

A few points help you read it correctly:

• Only skilled jobs are covered. JSA assesses occupations at skill levels 1 to 4, from degree-level jobs down to roles that usually need a Certificate II or III.
• "Shortage" has a specific meaning. It means employers can't fill vacancies, or have considerable difficulty filling them, at current pay and conditions in reasonably accessible locations.
• Ratings can be regional or metropolitan. Some occupations are only in shortage outside the capital cities, and a few only inside them.
• Two classification versions exist. JSA publishes results using both the older ANZSCO 2022 classification and the newer OSCA 2024 one. The examples in this guide use the ANZSCO 2022 version shown on JSA's search tool.

The big picture: shortages are easing

The headline from the 2025 OSL is that Australia's labour market has cooled. According to JSA's Key Findings Report:

• 29% of occupations (293 of 1,022 assessed) were in national shortage, down from 33% in 2024 and a peak of 36% in 2023.
• 29 occupations moved into shortage, and 69 moved out. Of those 69, 31 were professional roles, clustered in business, finance, engineering and ICT.
• 139 occupations were in shortage every year from 2021 to 2025. About half were technician and trade roles.
• Online job vacancies fell 6.7% between June 2024 and June 2025, and the share of employers reporting recruitment difficulty fell from 55% to 44%.

JSA links part of the fall in professional shortages to the spread of artificial intelligence tools in finance and technology. For you, the message is simple: demand is still strong in many fields, but "any skilled job" is no longer an easy sell.

Shortage rates by type of work

Here's how the 2025 OSL results break down across broad groups, based on JSA's Key Findings Report (OSCA basis).

The pattern is clear. Vocational and trade skills are, on average, harder to find than degree-level office skills.

The in-demand occupations, sector by sector

These examples are all rated in national shortage on the 2025 OSL, unless marked otherwise. Always check your exact occupation and state on the JSA search tool, because ratings can differ by state.

Health and care

Health is the largest block of shortage occupations. In national shortage are:

• Nursing and midwifery: midwife, nurse practitioner, and most registered nurse specialties, including aged care, mental health, critical care and emergency, perioperative, paediatrics and community health.
• Doctors: general practitioners, resident medical officers, psychiatrists, anaesthetists, emergency medicine specialists and many other specialists.
• Allied health: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, podiatrists, audiologists, sonographers, radiographers and clinical psychologists.
• Care roles: aged or disabled carers, child care workers, ambulance officers and paramedics.

Education

Early childhood, primary, middle and secondary school teachers are all rated in shortage, along with special needs teachers and vocational education teachers.

Engineering and science

Civil, structural, geotechnical, electrical, transport, mining and environmental engineers are in shortage. So are surveyors, geologists, quantity surveyors, veterinarians and several agricultural scientists.

Construction and building trades

This is where shortages run deepest. Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and joiners, bricklayers, plasterers, tilers, glaziers, painters and roof plumbers are all rated in shortage. So are construction project managers and building inspectors.

Automotive, metal and engineering trades

Motor mechanics, diesel mechanics, automotive electricians, welders, fitters, metal fabricators, sheetmetal workers and aircraft maintenance engineers are rated in shortage.

Drivers and machine operators

Truck drivers, bus drivers, crane operators and several earthmoving plant operators, including excavator and bulldozer operators, are in shortage. Some roles, such as miners and train drivers, are in shortage only in regional areas.

Technology

Only a handful of tech roles make the list: cyber security engineers, cyber security architects, cyber governance risk and compliance specialists, cyber security operations coordinators, DevOps engineers and software testers.

Hospitality and food

Cooks, bakers and butchers are rated in shortage. Chefs are rated in shortage in regional areas only in most states.

Popular jobs that are not in shortage

This part surprises many people. The 2025 OSL rates these commonly searched occupations as not in shortage nationally:

You can still get these jobs, and some remain on visa occupation lists. You'll just be competing with plenty of local applicants, so employers have less reason to sponsor.

Shortage lists and visas are different things

It's easy to mix these up. The OSL tells you about demand. Visa eligibility comes from Home Affairs occupation lists, including the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

So you need to check two things:

1. Is my occupation eligible for the visa I want? Search the Home Affairs combined skilled occupation list. It also shows which authority assesses your skills.
2. Is it in demand? Search the OSL for a national and state rating.

An occupation that's eligible and in shortage gives you the strongest position. Our guide to jobs in Australia with visa sponsorship explains how the 482, 186 and 494 visas work.

Costs and money to plan for

In-demand jobs often come with regulation, and regulation costs time and money. Budget for:

• Skills assessment. Many visas need one from the assessing authority for your occupation, such as Trades Recognition Australia for many trades. Fees are set by each authority.
• Professional registration. Nurses, doctors and allied health workers need Ahpra registration through their national board. Teachers need registration in the state where they'll teach. Electricians and plumbers need a state licence.
• English tests. Most skilled visas need them, and higher scores can help.
• Visa charges. At the time of writing, Home Affairs lists AUD 4,015 for a main applicant on a 482 visa and AUD 6,140 for a 186.

On pay, don't trust figures from social media. For sponsored jobs, Home Affairs requires the salary to match the market rate and to meet an income threshold. For Core Skills nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, that threshold is AUD 79,423 a year. Employers must also pay superannuation, which Home Affairs puts at 12% of eligible earnings, on top of wages.

When you arrive, open a local bank account and get a Tax File Number early. If you'll support family overseas, compare transfer providers by the total cost, including the exchange rate margin.

Scams that target in-demand workers

Shortage headlines attract fake recruiters. Be wary of:

• Paid job offers. Home Affairs says it's unlawful for employers to ask for money in exchange for sponsorship or to recover recruitment costs from you.
• "Guaranteed" visas for shortage jobs. No shortage rating guarantees a visa. Only Home Affairs grants them.
• Fake registration shortcuts. Only the official regulators can register or license you. Nobody can sell you a faster route.
• Pressure to act fast. Real employers give you time to check an offer.

Step by step: using the list to plan your move

1. Find your occupation code. Match your job to an occupation on the OSL and the Home Affairs list.
2. Check your rating. Note the national rating and the rating in each state you'd consider.
3. Check visa eligibility. Confirm which visas your occupation can be used for.
4. Start recognition early. Apply for your skills assessment or registration before job hunting seriously.
5. Target the right places. Regional areas and states with shortage ratings often offer better odds. Our guide to high-paying jobs in Canberra looks at one example.
6. Find sponsoring employers. Use the approach in our guide to finding Australian companies that sponsor visas.
7. Recheck each year. A new OSL can change your rating, so review it when JSA releases an update.

Your in-demand jobs checklist

• Look up your exact occupation on the JSA Occupation Shortage List.
• Compare the national rating with the state ratings.
• Confirm your occupation is on the right Home Affairs visa list.
• Find your assessing authority or regulator and start early.
• Budget for assessment, registration, English tests and visa charges.
• Compare any job offer with the market rate and the income threshold.
• Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa.

The shortage list won't hand you a job, but it will tell you where your skills are genuinely needed. Start there, and you'll spend your time and money where they're most likely to pay off.