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Mechanical engineer recruitment for regional employers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help manufacturers, mining and processing operations, utilities, building services firms and consultancies across Australia hire mechanical engineers, from graduates to lead and principal engineers. We match the plant, the kind of engineering and the roster before we look for people.

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Illustrative image: a mechanical engineer in hi-vis checks a conveyor drive with a vibration meter in a regional processing plant.

Mechanical engineering hiring at a glance

Mechanical engineers are rated in shortage, while closely related industrial and plant engineers are not.

national rating for Mechanical Engineer in 2026
Shortage
Rated with clear confidence; Industrial Engineer and Production or Plant Engineer are not in shortage. In shortage means rated S or R.1
online job ads a month for industrial, mechanical and production engineers
897
Three-month average to September 2026, up from 765 a year earlier.2
median full-time weekly earnings for the group
$2,614
Industrial, mechanical and production engineers, May 2025.3
people employed in the group
42,500
February 2026, up 1,300 on a year earlier.3

What does a mechanical engineer do, and which qualification do they hold?

Mechanical engineers plan, design, organise and oversee the assembly, erection, operation and maintenance of mechanical and process plant and installations.3 In the regions that is usually fixed and mobile plant on mine and processing sites, food and agricultural processing lines, pumping and water assets, and the heating, cooling and ventilation in hospitals and large buildings.

They usually hold a mechanical or mechatronic engineering degree accredited by Engineers Australia.4 Mechanical technical officers and designers who work alongside them often hold MEM50222 Diploma of Engineering – Technical5 or MEM60122 Advanced Diploma of Engineering.6

Which registration does a mechanical engineer need in each state?

Registration catches mechanical engineers in more places than many employers expect, especially in building services.

Professional engineer registration for mechanical engineering work, by state and territory, as published by each regulator on 1 November 2026.

State or territoryRegistration for mechanical workExceptions and timing
QueenslandRPEQ for professional engineering services in any discipline7Not needed under an RPEQ's direct supervision or wholly to a prescriptive standard8
VictoriaRegistered professional engineer: mechanical is a prescribed area9Mandatory for professional mechanical engineering services in or for Victoria, except under a registered professional engineer's direct supervision or done only to a prescriptive standard
New South WalesRegistered professional engineer (mechanical) for class 2, 3 or 9c buildings10Work on other buildings and plant is outside the scheme
Australian Capital TerritoryRegistered professional engineer: mechanical is a prescribed area11In force since 6 March 2025
Western AustraliaRegistered building engineer (mechanical) for building engineering work12Open since 1 July 2025; mandatory from 1 July 2027
TasmaniaBuilding provider licence as an engineer (building services), which covers mechanical, hydraulic and electrical services, for building-design work within the holder's competence13Building services design only
Northern TerritoryBuilding Practitioners Board registration for certifying engineers in three categories: structural, mechanical and hydraulic14Match the certification duties to the category
South AustraliaNo registration required to practise15None

What does a mechanical engineer earn?

Award minimum, where the Professional Employees Award 2020 covers the role: $68,538 a year for a full-time graduate with a four- or five-year degree, or $34.57 an hour, rising to $78,836 a year at Level 2, from 1 July 2026.16 The award excludes employees covered by industry awards such as the Black Coal Mining Industry Award and the Electrical Power Industry Award.16

Market median: $2,614 a week, or $67 an hour, for full-time industrial, mechanical and production engineers in May 2025, nationally. No median is published for mechanical engineers on their own.3 For roster roles we discuss the package and the roster together, because candidates compare them as one offer.

Where are mechanical engineers in demand?

Ads for industrial, mechanical and production engineers rose by 17% in the year to September 2026. New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria lead, with Western Australia close behind.2 Regional areas held 157 of 888 located ads (18%).17

Online job ads for industrial, mechanical and production engineers by state (three-month average to September 2026) and each state's share of the group's employment (February 2026).2,3

State or territoryJob ads a monthShare of employment
New South Wales240224.5%3
Queensland21219.9%
Victoria18432.9%
Western Australia17513.9%
South Australia616.6%
Australian Capital Territory110.6%
Northern Territory80.4%
Tasmania71.2%

Which mechanical engineering roles do we recruit?

Open a role for the details that matter in the brief.

Maintenance and reliability

Engineers who keep fixed plant and mobile fleets running on mine, port and processing sites.

What the role does
Oversees the operation and maintenance of mechanical and process plant.3
Shortage
Mechanical Engineer is rated in shortage for 2026.1
Award coverage
Black coal mines employ staff under their own award, not the Professional Employees Award.16
What to tell us
Fixed plant or mobile fleet, the maintenance system, shutdown planning duties, the roster and whether the role is residential, drive-in drive-out or fly-in fly-out.

Building services (HVAC)

Engineers who design heating, cooling, ventilation and hydraulic services.

What the role does
Designs and oversees mechanical installations in buildings.3
Registration
NSW registers mechanical engineers for work on class 2, 3 or 9c buildings.10
Licensing
In Queensland, a business contracting for mechanical services work needs a QBCC licence whatever the value of the work.18
What to tell us
The building types, design or construction-phase work, the modelling software, and who certifies the designs.

Design and projects

Engineers designing equipment, upgrades and new plant for manufacturers and consultancies.

What the role does
Plans, designs and organises the assembly and erection of plant and installations.3
Shortage
Production or Plant Engineer and Industrial Engineer are not rated in shortage for 2026.1
Pay
Group median: $2,614 a week, May 2025.3
What to tell us
The products or plant, the CAD and analysis software, standards and certification, and the mix of office and workshop time.

What to tell us about your mechanical engineering role

The plant tells us most: what it is, how old it is and how critical it is to production. Add whether the job is design, maintenance and reliability, projects or a mix, and the experience level, from graduate to lead engineer.

For site roles, tell us the roster, the accommodation and travel arrangements, and the shutdown calendar. For design roles, tell us the software and who reviews and signs off the engineering.

How we help you hire a mechanical engineer

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 plant, the type of engineering, the roster or office pattern, the registration your state needs and the experience the role calls for.

  2. Step 2

    Source and screen

    We talk with mechanical engineers about the equipment they have worked on, the improvements they led, their registration and the systems and software they know.

  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.

Rosters, travel and moving to a regional site

A lot of regional mechanical work is on rosters, from residential day roles in a mining town to fly-in fly-out swings. We start with engineers who already work your kind of roster or live near the site, then talk with people open to a move.

Tell us about housing, a vehicle, flights and relocation support early. We cover them in the first conversation, along with registration in your state for anyone moving from interstate.

If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Are you a mechanical engineer looking at regional roles?

Register with Hire Australia and tell us the plant and systems you know, your registration, the rosters you will consider and where you would like to work. We welcome graduate and experienced mechanical engineers.

Register

Talk to us about your next mechanical engineering hire

Tell us the plant, the location and your timing.

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.

Do mechanical engineers need to be registered?

In Queensland, Victoria and the ACT, professional mechanical engineering work needs a registered engineer unless it is supervised or done to a prescriptive standard; NSW registers mechanical engineers for certain building work; and Western Australia makes building engineer registration mandatory from 1 July 2027.7,9,10,11,12 Hire Australia confirms each candidate's registration status.

What is the minimum pay for a graduate mechanical engineer?

Where the Professional Employees Award 2020 covers the role, a graduate with a four- or five-year degree earns at least $34.57 an hour from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.16 The national median for industrial, mechanical and production engineers was $67 an hour in May 2025.3 Hire Australia talks through salary, allowances and roster pay with you at the start.

Can you find a mechanical engineer for a fly-in fly-out or drive-in drive-out role?

Yes. Hire Australia recruits mechanical engineers for residential, drive-in drive-out and fly-in fly-out roles. Tell us the roster, the camp or housing arrangements and the travel, and we search for engineers who already work that pattern or want to, then explain the arrangements to every candidate before an interview.

How many mechanical engineering jobs are advertised in regional Australia?

In the three months to September 2026, regional areas averaged 157 online ads a month for industrial, mechanical and production engineers, 18% of located ads for the group.17 Mechanical Engineer is rated in shortage for 2026.1 Hire Australia uses this when we plan a regional search with you.

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 mechanical engineering role Hire Australia recruits for.

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.

Sources (18)

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (OSCA 2024 and ANZSCO 2022 sheets). National ratings. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  2. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  3. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings, employment and state tables). Median full-time earnings: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, non-managerial adult employees. Employment and state shares: February 2026 trend. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  4. Engineers Australia, Accreditation. Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
  5. training.gov.au, MEM50222 Diploma of Engineering – Technical. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  6. training.gov.au, MEM60122 Advanced Diploma of Engineering. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  7. Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland, Become a RPEQ. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  8. BPEQ, Practice note – Direct supervision. Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
  9. Consumer Affairs Victoria, Who needs to be registered? (professional engineers). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  10. NSW Government, Professional engineer work: qualifications and experience. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  11. ACT Government, City and Environment Directorate, Professional engineers registration scheme. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  12. Government of Western Australia, Building and Energy, Building engineering registration. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  13. Building Standards Tasmania, Engineer (building provider licence). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  14. Building Practitioners Board, Northern Territory, Practitioners: scope of works. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  15. Engineers Australia, State registration. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  16. Fair Work Ombudsman, Professional Employees Award 2020 [MA000065], clause 14.1 minimum rates. Rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026; coverage in clause 4 (excludes, among others, the Black Coal Mining Industry Award and some local government). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  17. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  18. Queensland Building and Construction Commission, When you need a licence. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑