Guides
Straight answers about the jobs Australia is short of — every number from the official Occupation Shortage List, our own read clearly labelled.
Pick your state
The most in-demand jobs where you live.
Trades
State by state
- The most in-demand jobs in NSW (2026 read)287 occupations are in demand in New South Wales on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List — trades lead, health and teaching follow. The honest breakdown.
- The most in-demand jobs in Victoria (2026 read)277 occupations are in demand in Victoria on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, led by trades and health — with a distinct regional care gap.
- The most in-demand jobs in Queensland (2026 read)280 occupations are in demand in Queensland on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List — trades, health, teachers, and a standout engineering gap.
- The most in-demand jobs in South Australia (2026 read)289 occupations are in demand in South Australia on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List — one of the tightest markets in the country. The breakdown.
- The most in-demand jobs in Western Australia (2026 read)WA has 298 occupations in demand — the most of any state on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List. Trades, care work, farming and management lead.
- The most in-demand jobs in Tasmania (2026 read)265 occupations are in demand in Tasmania on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List — trades and health lead, with hospitality gaps in the regions.
- Most in-demand jobs in the Northern Territory (2026 read)The NT has 277 occupations in demand — and the most distinctive shortage list in Australia, from nurses and ICT to chefs, bar staff and cattle farmers.
- The most in-demand jobs in the ACT (2026 read)256 occupations are in demand in the ACT on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List — trades and health lead, with a cyber security twist.
Regional
Explainers
- Trade vs uni: the honest numbersWhat the data actually says about trades versus university in Australia — demand, debt, graduate outcomes and earning while you learn. No spin either way.
- How to read the Occupation Shortage List: a parent's guideWhat the Occupation Shortage List is, what its ratings actually mean, and how a parent can use it to help a teenager choose a path — in plain English.
- Regional vs metro shortage: why it matters where you liveWhat "regional shortage" and "metro shortage" mean on Australia's Occupation Shortage List, which jobs carry them, and why geography changes the answer.
- Apprenticeships at 15: how school-based apprenticeships workHow school-based apprenticeships work in Australia — who's eligible, what they're paid, how school fits in, and what happens after Year 12. Verified sources.
- Jobs that are harder for AI to replace (and how we decide)Which Australian jobs are harder for AI to replace, how our editorial read works, and where it lines up with real demand data. No "AI-proof" promises.
- Skill levels: what "skill level 3" means for your kidAustralia's occupation skill levels 1–4 translated into plain English — what each means for training, and which levels are actually in demand.
The data
- The trades that have been in demand five years running65 Australian trades have been in shortage every year from 2021 to 2025. Here's the full list, and why a five-year streak matters more than one hot year.
- What moved on the 2025 shortage list: the big changes29 occupations entered national shortage and 59 left it on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List. Software engineers out, bus drivers in — the full story.
- The 218 jobs in demand in every state and territory218 occupations are in shortage in all eight states and territories on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List — qualifications that travel anywhere in Australia.