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.
Network and cyber security recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help councils, health services, utilities, mines, agribusinesses and regional businesses hire network administrators and engineers, cyber security analysts and security specialists, from graduates to experienced leads. We match the platforms you run, the frameworks you are measured against and the checks the role needs.
Network and cyber security hiring at a glance
Half of the cyber security occupations on the national list are in shortage, and few network or security roles are advertised outside the major cities.1
- cyber security occupations are in shortage nationally or in regional areas
- 3 of 6
- Governance, risk and compliance specialists, advice and assessment specialists, and architects, on the 2026 shortage list (national or regional shortage ratings).1
- of network, systems and security job ads are outside the major cities
- 7.2%
- 63 of 870 ads a month for these two occupation groups, three months to September 2026.2
- of employers recruiting professionals had difficulty filling the role
- 50%
- National, September quarter 2026.3
What do network and cyber security specialists do, and which qualifications do they hold?
Network administrators and engineers design, configure and maintain network hardware and software, monitor performance and fix faults, and often support users as well.7 Cyber security specialists sit in the same occupation group as systems administrators, managing security policies and procedures, and range from analysts and operations coordinators to governance, risk and compliance specialists and architects.8
Most hold a bachelor degree, though five years of relevant experience or vendor certification can substitute for it.7 The workforce is small: about 4,900 cyber security analysts and 5,700 network administrators were working in 2021.5
Do network and cyber security specialists need a licence or certification?
No state licence applies to network or cyber security work. Employers rely on certifications, which each set their own experience requirements, and on checks.
Licences, registrations, certifications and checks that apply to network and cyber security work, by jurisdiction. Checked 1 November 2026.
| Jurisdiction | Licence, registration or certification | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| All states and territories | No occupational licence or registration5 | Network administration and cyber security work itself |
| All states and territories | Cabling registration with an ACMA-accredited registrar9 | Network staff who run or terminate data cable |
| All states and territories | Cisco CCNA (exam 200-301)10 | Network fundamentals, IP connectivity and security fundamentals |
| All states and territories | ISC2 CISSP: five years of work experience11 | Senior security practitioners and managers |
| All states and territories | ISACA CISM: five years across at least three of four domains12 | Security management, governance and risk roles |
| All states and territories | Essential Eight mitigation strategies and maturity model13 | Organisations that assess their security against the model |
| All states and territories | National police certificate14 | Common pre-employment check for roles with privileged access |
What do network and cyber security specialists earn?
The Professional Employees Award 2020 covers professional IT employees at employers principally engaged in information technology or telecommunications services, and not IT employees without formal academic qualifications or enough experience to be a Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society, or managers.15 Where it applies, the minimum from 1 July 2026 is $34.57 an hour ($68,538 a year) for a graduate with a four- or five-year degree, and $78,836 a year for an experienced professional at Level 2.6
The full-time median was $6016 an hour for computer network professionals and $66 for the wider database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists group in May 2025. Weekly, that was $2,309 and $2,461, against $1,852 for all occupations.16 These are national medians.
Where are network and security specialists advertised, and which roles are in shortage?
The shortage is concentrated in senior cyber roles. Governance, risk and compliance specialists, advice and assessment specialists and cyber security architects are rated in shortage in 2026. Cyber security analysts, network administrators and network and systems engineers are not.1
Ads for database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists fell to 517 a month nationally in the three months to September 2026, from 631 a year earlier.4 Outside the major cities there were 41 a month in that group and 22 for network professionals.2
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.4
| State or territory | Database, systems and security group | A year earlier | Network professionals |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 166 | 182 | 146 |
| Victoria | 129 | 156 | 94 |
| Queensland | 92 | 112 | 44 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 51 | 75 | 39 |
| Western Australia | 38 | 52 | 27 |
| South Australia | 31 | 42 | 22 |
| Tasmania | 6 | 7 | 2 |
| Northern Territory | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Australia | 517 | 631 | 377 |
What should you tell us about a network or security role?
The network and security platforms you run (firewalls, switching, wireless, identity, endpoint and logging tools), whether the work is hands-on engineering, monitoring or governance, the frameworks and audits you answer to, and any operational technology on site such as SCADA or plant control networks.
Also the certifications that are essential, the on-call arrangements, and any security clearance, citizenship or police check the role needs.
How we help you hire network and cyber security staff
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Can you recruit security specialists for regional, hybrid or relocation roles?
Yes. Many regional employers combine on-site days with remote work for network and security staff, and plant or mine networks need someone who can reach the site. Tell us the on-site requirement, travel and relocation support, and we build them into the search from the start.
Specialists are spread thinly outside the cities: Northern Australia had 12 ads a month across the two occupation groups 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 network or cyber security work in the regions?
If you work in networks or cyber security, register with Hire Australia. Tell us the platforms you know, your certifications, any clearance you hold and where you would like to work, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next network or security hire
Tell us the role, your platforms, 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.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Which network and cyber security roles does Hire Australia recruit?
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We recruit network administrators and engineers, cyber security analysts, governance, risk and compliance specialists and security leads for regional councils, health services, utilities, mines and businesses. We search for graduates through to experienced specialists, and we build your platforms, frameworks and required checks into the search.
Is cyber security in shortage in Australia?
Some roles are. On the 2026 shortage list, 3 of 6 cyber security occupations are in shortage: governance, risk and compliance specialists, advice and assessment specialists, and architects. Cyber security analysts and network administrators are not.1 Hire Australia tells you early how hard your particular role is likely to be to fill.
What does a network or cyber security specialist earn?
The full-time median in May 2025 was $6016 an hour for computer network professionals and $66 for the wider database, systems and security group, which includes ICT security specialists. Where the Professional Employees Award covers the role, a degree-qualified graduate earns at least $34.57 an hour.6 Hire Australia discusses your pay range with candidates early.
Do cyber security specialists need a licence or certification?
No occupational licence applies.5 Employers often ask for certifications such as the CISSP, which requires five years of work experience, or the CISM.11,12 If the role needs a security clearance, citizenship or a police check, tell Hire Australia in the brief and we screen for it from the first conversation.
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 network administrator or a senior security specialist.
Sources (16)
- 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 ↑
- 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, 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 state and territory, 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 ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022, unit group 2631 Computer Network Professionals. 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 ↑
- Australian Communications and Media Authority, Work as a registered cabler. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Cisco, CCNA certification (exam 200-301). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- ISC2, CISSP certification. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- ISACA, Get CISM certified. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Signals Directorate, Australian Cyber Security Centre, Essential Eight. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Federal Police, National police checks. 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 ↑