The most in-demand jobs in Victoria (2026 read)

277 occupations are officially in demand in Victoria — 253 in shortage across the whole state, 23 in regional Victoria specifically, and one metro-only — according to the 2025 Occupation Shortage List from Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), released October 2025 and the latest available. Professionals (131 occupations) and trades (95) dominate the list.

The numbers

From the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, Victoria ratings:

• 277 occupations in shortage out of 916 rated
• Down sharply from 339 in 2024 — the biggest easing of any state — but the core gaps remain
• By group: 131 professional occupations, 95 trades, 19 community and personal service, 21 machinery operators and drivers, 7 labourer occupations
• 23 occupations rated short in regional Victoria specifically — including social workers, welfare workers, chefs and several nursing roles

What's in demand in Victoria

Trades, across the board. The full national core is short in Victoria: electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, plasterers, tilers, motor mechanics, diesel mechanics, panelbeaters, fitters, welders, metal fabricators, bakers, butchers, hairdressers, cabinet makers. Most have carried a shortage rating in Victoria for five straight years. Explore them at /occupations.

Health and teaching. Registered nurses in nearly every specialty, midwives, dentists, occupational therapists, physios, sonographers — plus early childhood through secondary and special education teachers.

Victoria's own signature. Six occupations are in shortage in Victoria but not nationally: Materials Engineer, Nurse Educator, Waste Water or Water Plant Operator, and — specifically in regional Victoria — Social Worker, Welfare Worker and Health and Welfare Services Managers. Our read: regional Victoria's gap isn't just tradies; it's the care and welfare workforce that holds regional towns together.

The quiet categories. Beyond the headline groups, Victoria is short of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, sonographers, radiographers, retail pharmacists, ambulance officers, intensive care paramedics, aged and disabled carers and child care workers — all also short in every other jurisdiction, so those qualifications travel. Same for the driving and machinery lane: truck drivers, bus drivers, crane operators, excavator and grader operators and train drivers are rated short in Victoria and everywhere else.

What a Victorian parent can do with this

Start from the kid, not the list: take their two or three real interests to /occupations, filter by Victoria, and read the rating and the five-year strip for each. If a trade makes the shortlist, ask the school's careers coordinator about a school-based apprenticeship — Victoria runs them like every state, letting a Year 10–12 student earn and train without leaving school. And if your kid leans toward care or welfare work, note where Victoria's regional gaps are — social workers and welfare workers are short specifically outside Melbourne, which matters if staying local (or going local) is part of the plan.

Our read

Victoria eased more than anywhere in 2025 (62 fewer occupations in shortage than 2024), which mostly reflects white-collar and tech shortages clearing. What didn't clear: the trades, health and education core. For a family weighing a path, the signal is steady — the hands-on and human-facing occupations stayed in demand right through the cooldown. That resilience is our interpretation; the ratings are JSA's.

What this doesn't tell you

One rating covers Melbourne, Ballarat and Mallacoota alike — the list only splits metro from regional. A shortage rating measures how hard employers found jobs to fill in 2025, not how many jobs exist or what they pay. And a big one-year drop (339 → 277) is a reminder that single-year badges move; the five-year trend on each occupation's page is the sturdier guide.

FAQ

What jobs are most in demand in Victoria?

Trades (95 occupations in shortage on the 2025 list — construction, electrical, plumbing, automotive, metal and food trades), health professionals (nurses, midwives, dentists, allied health) and teachers across every level. Regional Victoria adds social workers, welfare workers and chefs to the list.

Is Victoria's skills shortage improving?

Yes, faster than any other state on the 2025 list: 277 occupations in shortage, down from 339 in 2024. The easing came mostly from professional and office occupations; the trades, health and teaching gaps largely stayed. (The counts are JSA's; the composition read is ours.)

What's in shortage in regional Victoria that isn't in Melbourne?

On the 2025 list, 23 occupations carry a regional-shortage rating in Victoria, including social workers, welfare workers, health and welfare services managers, chefs, pastrycooks, enrolled nurses and several registered nursing specialties.

Where does this data come from?

Jobs and Skills Australia's 2025 Occupation Shortage List, released October 2025 — the Australian Government's annual official assessment of occupations employers struggle to fill. We show JSA's ratings as published and label our own analysis separately.