Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
IT support and systems administrator recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help councils, schools, hospitals, mines, agribusinesses and regional businesses hire IT support officers, help desk and service desk staff, field technicians and systems administrators, from graduates to experienced people. We match the systems you run, the sites the person looks after and the hours you need covered.
IT support hiring at a glance
Most regional IT support jobs sit inside organisations whose main business is something else, and the people who fill them are spread thinly outside the cities.1
- of employers recruiting technicians and trades workers had difficulty filling the role
- 65%
- The occupation group that includes IT support technicians. National, September quarter 2026.1
- of IT support technician job ads are outside the major cities
- 16.3%
- 145 of 888 ads a month, three months to September 2026, against 29.2% of all job ads.2
- of systems administrators work in public administration and safety
- 15.3%
- Plus 10.4% in education and 7.9% in health care. 2021 data.3
What do IT support officers and systems administrators do, and which qualifications do they hold?
IT support officers, also called help desk or service desk officers, look after computers, devices and software for staff and resolve technical problems.6 Systems administrators plan, install, troubleshoot and maintain operating systems, servers and databases, and keep them secure and backed up.7
The current national qualifications are the Certificate IV in Information Technology (ICT40120) and the Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50220). Experienced people may hold the superseded ICT50120 diploma.8,9 For support technicians, three years of relevant experience or vendor certification can substitute for the formal qualification.6 Systems administrators usually hold a degree, though five years of relevant experience or vendor certification can substitute.7
Do IT support staff need a licence, registration or certification?
No state licence applies to IT support or systems administration. What employers ask for instead is a mix of vendor certifications and the checks their own sector requires.
Licences, registrations, certifications and checks that apply to IT support and systems administration work, by jurisdiction. Checked 1 November 2026.
| Jurisdiction | Licence, registration or certification | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| All states and territories | No occupational licence or registration3 | IT support and systems administration work itself |
| All states and territories | Cabling registration with an ACMA-accredited registrar10 | Running or terminating telecommunications or data cable; unregistered cablers must be supervised |
| All states and territories | CompTIA A+ (two exams: hardware and networking; operating systems and security)11 | Common entry credential for help desk and desktop support |
| All states and territories | Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104), renewed online12 | Cloud and Microsoft 365 administration roles |
| All states and territories | National police certificate13 | Often asked for in schools, hospitals, aged care and government |
| All states and territories | General construction induction (White Card)14 | IT staff who work on construction sites |
| Queensland | Coal mine worker health assessment15 | IT staff working at Queensland coal mines |
What does an IT support officer or systems administrator earn?
The Professional Employees Award 2020 covers professional IT employees at employers principally engaged in information technology or telecommunications services, such as an IT services, software or telecommunications business. It doesn't cover IT employees without formal academic qualifications or enough experience to be a Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society, or staff principally in a management role.16 Where it applies, a graduate with a four- or five-year degree must be paid at least $68,538 a year ($34.57 an hour), and an experienced professional at Level 2 at least $78,836 a year, from 1 July 2026.4
Market pay sits well above those minimums for experienced staff. The full-time median was $4517 an hour for ICT support technicians and $66 for database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists in May 2025. Weekly, that was $1,687 and $2,461, against $1,852 for all occupations.17 These are national figures; no regional pay series exists for these jobs.
Where are IT support technicians advertised?
Systems Administrator, ICT Support Engineer and ICT Customer Support Officer are not rated in shortage nationally in 2026.18 The pressure in the regions comes from a small local pool: 145 IT support technician ads a month were outside the major cities in the three months to September 2026, and 27 were in Northern Australia.2
Ads for IT support technicians held close to last year's level nationally, while ads for systems administrators and security specialists fell.5
Online job ads a month by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier, rounded to whole ads. State figures include the capital cities.5
| State or territory | IT support technicians | A year earlier | Database, systems and security group |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 269 | 304 | 166 |
| Victoria | 232 | 213 | 129 |
| Queensland | 192 | 188 | 92 |
| Western Australia | 87 | 93 | 38 |
| South Australia | 54 | 53 | 31 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 40 | 52 | 51 |
| Tasmania | 17 | 9 | 6 |
| Northern Territory | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Australia | 898 | 920 | 517 |
What should you tell us about an IT support or systems administrator role?
The systems you run (Microsoft 365, Azure or on-premises servers, networks, line-of-business and clinical or asset software), whether the role is help desk, field support or infrastructure, and the sites the person looks after with the distance between them.
Also the hours and on-call roster, the vehicle and travel arrangements, the certifications that are essential rather than useful, and any police check, clearance or site medical the role needs.
How we help you hire IT support and systems administrators
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Can you recruit IT staff for multi-site, hybrid or relocation roles?
Yes. Regional IT roles often cover several towns or sites, with set days on site and the rest remote. Tell us the travel, the vehicle and the relocation support you offer, and we raise them with candidates at the start. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for IT support or systems work in the regions?
If you work in help desk, field support or systems administration, register with Hire Australia. Tell us the systems and certifications you hold, the environments you have supported and where you would like to work, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next IT support hire
Tell us the role, your systems, the sites involved 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.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Which IT support roles and experience levels does Hire Australia recruit?
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We recruit help desk and service desk officers, desktop and field support technicians, and systems administrators for councils, schools, hospitals, mines and regional businesses. We search for graduates through to experienced team leaders, and we build your systems, sites and on-call needs into the search from the first conversation.
Do IT support staff need a licence in Australia?
No occupational licence or registration applies to IT support or systems administration.3 Anyone running data or telecommunications cable must hold cabling registration or be supervised by someone who does.10 Hire Australia asks about cabling, certifications and the police or site checks your sector needs when we take your brief.
What does a systems administrator earn?
The full-time median was $66 an hour for database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists, and $4517 for ICT support technicians, in May 2025. Where the Professional Employees Award covers the role, a degree-qualified graduate earns at least $34.57 an hour.4 Hire Australia discusses your pay range with candidates early.
Is it hard to hire IT support staff in regional areas?
It can be. In the September quarter 2026, 65% of employers recruiting technicians and trades workers had difficulty filling the role.1 Only 16.3% of IT support technician ads were outside the major cities.2 Hire Australia searches beyond local applicants, including IT staff ready to move to your region.
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 whether Hire Australia recruits a help desk officer or a senior systems administrator.
Sources (18)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, September 2026 data file. Released October 2026. Table 3.2, September quarter 2026. About 1,000 employers with 5+ staff a month; many government organisations excluded. Weighted by size and region; not seasonally adjusted.… Back to text ↑
- 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 ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census. Released July 2026. Data: 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Professional Employees Award 2020 [MA000065], clause 14.1. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: three months to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022, unit group 3131 ICT Support Technicians. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022, unit group 2621 Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, ICT40120 Certificate IV in Information Technology. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, ICT50220 Diploma of Information Technology. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Communications and Media Authority, Work as a registered cabler. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- CompTIA, CompTIA A+ certification. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (exam AZ-104). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Federal Police, National police checks. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Safe Work Australia, Working on a construction site (White Card). Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Resources Safety and Health Queensland, ResHealth: Coal Mine Workers Health Scheme health assessments. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Professional Employees Award [MA000065] summary: who the award covers and does not cover. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO Occupation data - February 2026, Table 4 Earnings and hours. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑