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Business and professional recruitment for regional employers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help accounting and law practices, councils, health services, manufacturers, distributors and regional businesses hire accountants, payroll officers and bookkeepers, HR advisers, office managers, procurement and sales staff, and solicitors and conveyancers, from graduates to experienced people. We build the registrations and award settings into the search from the first conversation.

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Illustrative image: two professionals review figures and papers at a desk in a regional town office, with a main street outside.

Business and professional hiring at a glance

Professional roles are the hard ones. In the September quarter 2026, half of the employers recruiting professionals had difficulty filling their most recent vacancy, against fewer than a third of those recruiting clerical and administrative staff.1

of employers recruiting professionals had difficulty filling the role
50%
Up from 45% a year earlier. National, September quarter 2026.1
of employers recruiting clerical and administrative staff had difficulty
29%
Against 34% of employers recruiting sales workers. National, September quarter 2026.1
of recruiting employers outside the capital cities had difficulty filling a vacancy
49%
Against 43% in the capitals. September quarter 2026.1
of accountant job ads are outside the major cities
16.8%
547 of 3,256 ads a month, against 29.2% of all job ads. Three months to September 2026.2

Where are business and professional roles advertised outside the major cities?

Every one of these groups is more city-heavy than the job market as a whole. Office managers, sales representatives and purchasing clerks hold up best in the regions, at just over a fifth of ads, while solicitors sit at about a tenth.2 The search often reaches people ready to move, and we plan for that from the start.

Online job ads a month by occupation group, regional areas (SA4s classified as regional) and major cities, three-month average to September 2026. The share is regional ads over regional plus major-city ads.2

Occupation groupRegional adsMajor-city adsRegional share
Accountants5472,70916.8%
Bookkeepers8936519.6%
Payroll clerks1481,04812.4%
Human resource professionals4141,96617.4%
Office managers24280923.0%
Purchasing and supply logistics clerks4741,68122.0%
Supply, distribution and procurement managers8341916.5%
Advertising, public relations and sales managers6134,00113.3%
Sales representatives5451,87722.5%
Solicitors1791,55910.3%
Conveyancers and legal executives5928517.2%
All occupations63,015152,51429.2%

Business and professional roles we recruit

Shortage ratings are national, from the 2026 shortage list, and count a national or regional shortage rating as a shortage. Award minimums apply from 1 July 2026 where the award covers the role; medians are national full-time figures for the named occupation group in May 2025.

For project administrators and document controllers, see digital and project support recruitment.

Accountants, tax accountants and auditors

Accountants, tax accountants and auditors for practices, councils, health services and businesses.

What the role does
Accountants provide financial reporting, tax, audit, budgeting and compliance advice.3
Registration
Accountants who prepare tax returns for clients for a fee must be registered tax agents;4 one pathway is an accounting degree, Board-approved courses in Australian taxation law and commercial law, and one year of full-time relevant experience (or the part-time equivalent) in the past five years.5 Company auditors are registered with ASIC after at least 3,000 hours of audit work under a registered company auditor.6
Shortage
Taxation Accountant and External Auditor are rated in shortage in 2026. Accountant (General), Management Accountant and Internal Auditor are not.7
Demand
Accountant ads outside the major cities averaged 547 a month in the three months to September 2026, against 540 a year earlier.2
Pay
No award covers accountants working for an accounting firm; they are entitled to the national minimum wage, $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026, and the National Employment Standards.8,9 Elsewhere an award applies only where the employer's industry award has a matching classification.9 Median full-time earnings for the Accountants group were $2,0033 a week in May 2025.
What to tell us
Practice or in-house, tax, audit or management reporting, the software, and whether tax agent registration or CA or CPA membership is essential.

Payroll officers and bookkeepers

Payroll officers, payroll administrators, bookkeepers and accounts officers for employers of every size.

What the role does
Payroll clerks prepare payrolls and interpret industrial awards; bookkeepers maintain and reconcile financial records and may prepare GST reporting.3
Registration
Providing BAS services to clients for a fee needs registration as a BAS agent, or as a tax agent whose registration permits that work; in-house payroll work for the employer doesn't. BAS agent registration needs a Certificate IV or higher in bookkeeping or accounting, a Board-approved GST/BAS course and 1,400 hours of experience in the past four years (1,000 hours for voting members of a recognised association).10,11,12 From 1 July 2026 employers must pay super with each payday instead of quarterly.13
Shortage
Bookkeeper, Payroll Clerk and Accounts Clerk are not rated in shortage in 2026.7
Demand
Outside the major cities, payroll clerk ads averaged 148 a month and bookkeeper ads 89 a month in the three months to September 2026.2
Pay
Where the Clerks – Private Sector Award covers the role, Level 3 (calculating wage and salary records, posting journals) is at least $1,182.10 a week and Level 5 (administering the organisation's payroll) $1,291.80 from 1 July 2026.14 Median full-time earnings were $1,6063 a week for Payroll Clerks and $1,4003 for Bookkeepers in May 2025.
What to tell us
The payroll system, headcount and pay cycles, the awards the person applies, and whether BAS agent registration matters.

HR advisers

HR officers, HR advisers and HR business partners for councils, health services and growing businesses.

What the role does
Human resource professionals recruit staff, advise managers on workplace relations and interpret awards and agreements.3
Qualifications
The Diploma of Human Resource Management (BSB50320) is the current national diploma.15 No registration or licensing requirement is listed for HR advisers.16
Shortage
Human Resource Adviser, Workplace Relations Adviser and Human Resource Manager are not rated in shortage in 2026.7
Demand
Ads for human resource professionals outside the major cities averaged 414 a month in the three months to September 2026, against 450 a year earlier.2
Pay
Many HR roles are award-free. Where an HR officer's work is principally clerical and the Clerks Award covers it, Level 4, which includes advising on employment conditions, workers compensation and superannuation, is at least $1,241.40 a week.14 Median full-time earnings for Human Resource Professionals were $1,9703 a week in May 2025.
What to tell us
Generalist or specialist, the awards and agreements in place, headcount and sites, and who the person reports to.

Office managers and administrators

Office and practice managers, administration officers and personal assistants who keep regional offices running.

What the role does
Office managers organise office systems and staff, records and accounts.3
Qualifications
The Diploma of Business (BSB50120) is a current national qualification.17 No registration or licensing requirement is listed for office managers.16
Shortage
Office Manager, General Clerk and Personal Assistant are not rated in shortage in 2026.7
Demand
Office manager ads outside the major cities averaged 242 a month in the three months to September 2026, 23.0% of the national regional and major-city total.2
Pay
Where the Clerks Award covers the role, Level 5 (supervising staff, management reports, administering payroll) is at least $1,291.80 a week and Level 3 $1,182.10.14 Median full-time earnings were $1,7303 a week for Office Managers and $1,4383 for General Clerks in May 2025.
What to tell us
Team size, the mix of reception, accounts and HR work, the systems used, and the industry.

Procurement and supply-chain officers

Purchasing officers, procurement and contracts officers, supply and logistics coordinators and managers.

What the role does
Purchasing clerks process orders and monitor stock; procurement managers set purchasing strategy and negotiate supplier contracts.3
Qualifications
No registration or licensing requirement is listed for procurement or purchasing officers or procurement managers.16
Shortage
Purchasing Officer, Procurement Manager, Supply and Distribution Manager and Supply Chain Analyst are not rated in shortage in 2026.7
Demand
Outside the major cities, ads for purchasing and supply logistics clerks averaged 474 a month and for supply, distribution and procurement managers 83 a month in the three months to September 2026.2
Pay
Where the Clerks Award covers a purchasing role, Level 3, which includes applying purchasing and inventory control requirements, is at least $1,182.10 a week.14 Median full-time earnings were $1,5533 a week for Purchasing and Supply Logistics Clerks and $2,8343 for Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers in May 2025.
What to tell us
Spend and categories, tendering and contract work, the purchasing system, and any warehouse responsibilities.

Sales and account managers

Sales representatives, territory and account managers, and sales managers for distributors, manufacturers and agribusiness suppliers.

What the role does
Sales representatives sell goods and business services to trade customers; sales managers set territories, pricing and targets.3
Qualifications
No registration or licensing requirement is listed for sales representatives or sales and marketing managers.16
Shortage
Sales and Marketing Manager, Sales Representative (Industrial Products) and Sales Representative (Business Services) are not rated in shortage in 2026.7
Demand
Sales representative ads outside the major cities averaged 545 a month in the three months to September 2026, against 605 a year earlier.2
Pay
Where the Commercial Sales Award covers a travelling sales representative, the minimum is $1,122.80 a week from 1 July 2026.18 Median full-time earnings were $1,6923 a week for Sales Representatives and $2,6773 for Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers in May 2025.
What to tell us
The products and customers, the territory and travel, the vehicle, and the split of base and commission.

Solicitors and conveyancers

Solicitors, licensed conveyancers, law clerks and legal executives for regional law practices and in-house legal teams.

What the role does
Solicitors advise clients, draft documents and act in negotiations and court matters. Conveyancers and legal executives act on property transfer, wills, probate and business matters.3
Registration
Solicitors must hold a practising certificate; New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia regulate them under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.19,20 Conveyancers are licensed or registered in most states and the Northern Territory; in Queensland, conveyancing is reserved to solicitors.21,22,23
Shortage
Solicitor and Conveyancer are rated in shortage in 2026. Legal Executive and Law Clerk are not.7
Demand
Outside the major cities, solicitor ads averaged 179 a month and conveyancer and legal executive ads 59 a month in the three months to September 2026.2
Pay
A solicitor doing conveyancing in a law firm is award-free and entitled to the national minimum wage, $1,004.90 a week from 1 July 2026; licensed conveyancers in a law firm or conveyancing business are covered by the Legal Services Award, classified by their duties.8,24 That award sets at least $1,291.80 a week for law graduates in practical training (Level 5) and $1,369.20 for law clerks (Level 6).25 Median full-time earnings were $2,0703 a week for Solicitors and $1,5753 for Conveyancers and Legal Executives in May 2025.
What to tell us
Practice areas and file load, the state of practice, and whether an unrestricted practising certificate or a conveyancer licence is essential.

Which registrations, awards and pay apply to each role?

Common registration or qualification, the weekly award minimum from 1 July 2026 where that award covers the role, and national median full-time earnings a week for the named occupation group in May 2025 (all occupations: $1,852).3

RoleRegistration or qualificationAward minimum a weekMedian full-time pay a week
AccountantTax agent or company auditor registration where the work requires it5,6None in an accounting firm; national minimum wage $1,004.908,9$2,0033 (Accountants)
Payroll officer or bookkeeperBAS agent registration for BAS services to clients10$1,182.10 to $1,291.80, Clerks Levels 3 to 514$1,6063 (Payroll Clerks)
HR adviserBSB50320 Diploma of Human Resource Management15$1,241.40, Clerks Level 4, where the work is principally clerical14$1,9703 (Human Resource Professionals)
Office managerBSB50120 Diploma of Business17$1,291.80, Clerks Level 514$1,7303 (Office Managers)
Purchasing officerNone listed16$1,182.10, Clerks Level 314$1,5533 (Purchasing and Supply Logistics Clerks)
Sales representativeNone listed16$1,122.80, Commercial Sales Award18$1,6923 (Sales Representatives)
SolicitorAustralian practising certificate20Award-free in a law firm; national minimum wage $1,004.908,24$2,0703 (Solicitors)

Guides to specific business and professional roles

Accountants

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding accountants, tax accountants and auditors for regional practices and businesses.

HR advisers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding HR officers, HR advisers and HR managers for regional councils and businesses.

Office managers & administrators

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding office managers, administration officers and personal assistants for regional employers.

Payroll officers & bookkeepers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding payroll officers, payroll managers and bookkeepers for regional employers.

Procurement & supply chain

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding procurement officers, buyers and supply managers for regional councils and businesses.

Sales & account managers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding sales representatives, territory managers and sales managers for regional businesses.

Solicitors & conveyancers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist finding solicitors, conveyancers and law clerks for regional practices and legal teams.

Hiring accounting and law graduates in the regions

A regional practice can grow its own registered staff. An accounting graduate can work towards tax agent registration through Board-approved tax and commercial law courses and a year of supervised relevant experience,5 and a law graduate completing practical training before admission is paid at least $1,291.80 a week under the Legal Services Award.25 Tell us who will supervise the graduate, and we look for people who want to build a career in your town.

How we help you hire business and professional staff

You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.

  1. Step 1

    Understand the role

    We talk with you about the work, the systems and clients involved, the registrations or certificates the role needs and the experience you expect.

  2. Step 2

    Source and screen

    We talk with candidates about their registrations, the software and awards they have worked with, the clients or matters they have handled, and whether a move to your town suits them.

  3. Step 3

    Introduce suitable people

    We introduce the candidates who best match your brief, so you decide who to interview.

  4. Step 4

    Coordinate the hire

    We coordinate the next steps and keep both sides informed through interviews and the offer. You employ the person directly.

Can you recruit people willing to move to a regional town?

Yes. Most of these roles are town-based, so the search often reaches people who want to move to a regional centre. Tell us the hours, any hybrid days and the relocation support you offer, and we build them into the search.

Northern Australia accounted for 92 accountant ads and 34 solicitor ads a month in the three months to September 2026.2 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Looking for accounting, office or legal work in the regions?

If you work in accounting, payroll, bookkeeping, HR, administration, procurement, sales or law, register with Hire Australia. Tell us your registrations and systems, the work you have done and where you would like to live, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.

Register

Talk to us about your next business or professional hire

Tell us the role, the registrations or systems it needs, the location and when you need the person to start.

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.

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A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

Good to know.

Which business and professional roles does Hire Australia recruit?

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We recruit accountants and tax accountants, payroll officers and bookkeepers, HR advisers, office managers and administrators, procurement and supply-chain officers, sales and account managers, and solicitors and conveyancers for regional employers. We search for graduates through to experienced practice and finance leaders, and build the registrations each role needs into the search.

What do accountants, payroll and legal staff earn?

Median full-time earnings in May 2025 were $2,003 a week for Accountants, $1,606 for Payroll Clerks and $2,070 for Solicitors.3 Award minimums depend on coverage: Clerks Award Level 3 is $1,182.10 a week, while accountants in accounting firms are award-free.9,14 Hire Australia discusses the pay range with candidates early.

Is it hard to hire professional staff in regional areas?

Often, yes. In the September quarter 2026, 50% of employers recruiting professionals had difficulty filling their most recent vacancy, and 49% of recruiting employers outside the capitals had difficulty, against 43% in the capitals.1 Hire Australia searches beyond local applicants, including people ready to move to your town.

Do accountants, bookkeepers and conveyancers need to be registered?

Some do. Tax agents and BAS agents who serve clients for a fee must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board,4,11 solicitors need a practising certificate, and conveyancers are licensed or registered in most states and the Northern Territory.21,22 Hire Australia asks which registrations your role needs when we take the brief.

Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?

No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.

What does it cost to use Hire Australia?

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The same terms apply to every business and professional role Hire Australia recruits, from payroll officers to senior solicitors.

Sources (25)

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, September 2026 data file. Table 3.2, Sept quarter 2026: employers with difficulty filling their latest vacancy. About 1,000 employers a month, 5+ staff, many government bodies excluded, weighted. Accessed 1 Nov 2026. Back to text ↑
  2. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 4-digit occupations by JSA remoteness and Northern Australia classification, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: three months to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  3. Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation data - February 2026: Table 2 descriptions, Table 3 tasks, Table 4 earnings (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  4. Tax Practitioners Board, Tax agent services. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  5. Tax Practitioners Board, Qualifications and experience for tax agents. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  6. Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Company auditors. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  7. Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  8. Fair Work Ombudsman, Minimum wages: the National Minimum Wage. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  9. Fair Work Ombudsman, Award coverage for accounts employees. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  10. Tax Practitioners Board, Qualifications and experience for BAS agents. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  11. Tax Practitioners Board, BAS services. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  12. Tax Practitioners Board, Know your obligations: frequently asked questions. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  13. Australian Taxation Office, About Payday Super. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  14. Fair Work Commission, Clerks - Private Sector Award 2020 [MA000002], clause 16.1 Table 3. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  15. training.gov.au, BSB50320 Diploma of Human Resource Management. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  16. Jobs and Skills Australia, OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census, Table 6 registration or licensing. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  17. training.gov.au, BSB50120 Diploma of Business. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  18. Fair Work Commission, Commercial Sales Award 2020 [MA000083], clause 15.1. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  19. Legal Practice Board of Western Australia, Uniform Law. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  20. The Law Society of New South Wales, Australian Practising Certificates. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  21. NSW Government (NSW Fair Trading), Conveyancer licences. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  22. NT Government (Agents Licensing Board), Eligibility for conveyancing agents. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  23. Queensland Law Society, Using an agent for Electronic Conveyancing. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  24. Fair Work Ombudsman, Award coverage for conveyancers. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  25. Fair Work Commission, Legal Services Award 2020 [MA000116], clause 15.1. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑