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.
Allied health assistant recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help hospitals, allied health practices, aged-care homes, disability providers and community health services across regional Australia hire allied health assistants who work alongside physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and other clinicians. The supervising team, the qualification and the travel are part of the brief from the first conversation.
Allied health assistant hiring at a glance
Allied health assistants are counted as therapy aides in the national occupation data. The occupation is not rated in shortage, and it is a young workforce spread across the states, so many regional searches can start with candidates already in the area.1,2
- national rating for Therapy Aide (ANZSCO 423314) in 2026
- No shortage
- Rated NS (no shortage) nationally on the ANZSCO 2022 sheet.1
- people employed as therapy aides
- 7,800
- Australia, 2021, 6-digit occupation count.2
- of therapy aides were aged 20 to 34
- 40%
- 21% aged 20 to 24 and 19% aged 25 to 34, 2021.2
- NSW Health minimum a week for a Level 2 allied health assistant
- $1,287.66
- NSW Health Service Allied Health Assistants (State) Award, from 1 July 2026; covers NSW Health Service employees only. No national median is published.3
What does an allied health assistant do, and what should they hold?
An allied health assistant works under the supervision and direction of an allied health professional, doing clinical and non-clinical work. They may work in one discipline or across a multidisciplinary team.3 The national occupation data, which counts them as therapy aides, lists helping patients with mobility and communication, assisting with rehabilitation exercises and basic treatment, supporting therapists directly, and observing and reporting changes in a patient's condition.2
Allied health assistants are not one of the professions registered through Ahpra.4 Qualifications set the level instead. The NSW Health award, for example, places an assistant with a relevant Certificate III (or 12 months' service at Level 1) at Level 2, and one with a relevant Certificate IV at Level 3.3 Ask for the certificate the role needs and the disciplines the candidate has supported.
Which checks does an allied health assistant need in each state?
There is no registration, so the checks for work with children carry the weight. Each state runs its own scheme, and because assistants are not Ahpra-registered, Queensland's exemption for registered practitioners does not apply: health services to children need a blue card.5
Registration position and each jurisdiction's check for work with children, as published by the issuers on 1 November 2026.
| State or territory | Registration | Check for work with children |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | None; not an Ahpra-registered profession4 | Working with Children Check, Office of the Children's Guardian6 |
| Victoria | None; qualification set by the employer | Working with Children Clearance7 |
| Queensland | None; qualification set by the employer | Blue card needed for health services to children5 |
| Western Australia | None; qualification set by the employer | Working with Children Check, Department of Communities8 |
| South Australia | None; qualification set by the employer | Working with Children Check, Department of Human Services9 |
| Tasmania | None; qualification set by the employer | Registration to Work with Vulnerable People10 |
| Northern Territory | None; qualification set by the employer | Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card)11 |
| Australian Capital Territory | None; qualification set by the employer | Working with Vulnerable People registration12 |
What does an allied health assistant earn?
No federal award has a dedicated allied health assistant classification, and no national median is published for therapy aides. The clearest published scale is the NSW Health Service Allied Health Assistants (State) Award, which covers assistants employed in the NSW public health system. From 1 July 2026 it pays $1,259.22 a week at Level 1 entry, $1,287.66 at Level 2 and $1,365.30 at Level 3.3
Private health businesses use the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, which covers health-industry employers and classifies support services employees by their duties.13 Other employers use their own award or agreement. We work out the right benchmark with you before the search.
NSW Health Service allied health assistant full-time weekly rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Shown as the closest published scale; they apply to NSW Health Service employees only.3
| NSW Health level | Who it covers | Minimum a week |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 entry | Assistants without the Level 2 or 3 qualifications | $1,259.223 |
| Level 2, 1st year | Relevant Certificate III, or 12 months at Level 1 | $1,287.66 |
| Level 3, 1st year | Relevant Certificate IV | $1,365.30 |
| Level 3, 3rd year | Relevant Certificate IV, after two years' progression | $1,423.70 |
Where are allied health assistants working?
No separate job-ad series is published for allied health assistants, so the best guide to where they are is the workforce itself. In 2021, 26.3% of employed therapy aides lived in Victoria, 23.6% in New South Wales and 19.0% in Queensland, and Western Australia's 17.9% was high for its population.2
Therapy Aide is not rated in shortage nationally for 2026.1 We start a regional search with assistants already in the area, then reach those planning a move.
Share of employed therapy aides by state and territory, 2021.2
| State or territory | Share of employed therapy aides |
|---|---|
| Victoria | 26.3%2 |
| New South Wales | 23.6% |
| Queensland | 19.0% |
| Western Australia | 17.9% |
| South Australia | 8.1% |
| Tasmania | 2.7% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1.6% |
| Northern Territory | 0.8% |
Which allied health assistant roles do we recruit?
Open a setting for the work, the qualification and what to put in your brief.
Hospitals and rehabilitation
Assistants for hospital physiotherapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation teams.
- The work
- Assisting with rehabilitation exercises and basic treatment, and helping patients with mobility and communication.2
- Supervision
- Work is done under direct, indirect or remote supervision of an allied health professional, depending on the level.3
- Pay scale
- NSW Health Service roles use the state allied health assistant award; private hospitals use the HPSS Award.3,13
- What to tell us
- The disciplines the assistant supports, wards or programs, the supervising team and the certificate you need.
Aged care and disability
Assistants for aged-care homes and disability providers.
- The work
- Running therapy programs set by the therapist and providing direct care, in health, welfare and community settings.2
- Reporting
- Observing and reporting changes in a client's condition and passing on concerns about care.2
- Checks
- Child clients bring each state's check; Queensland needs a blue card for health services to children.5
- What to tell us
- Sites and client groups, group or individual programs, travel between homes, and the therapist who sets the program.
Community and private practice
Assistants for community health teams and allied health practices.
- The work
- Clinical and non-clinical duties, including therapy programs and administrative support, under an allied health professional's direction.3
- Qualification
- A relevant Certificate III or IV sets the level in the NSW Health scale and is a useful benchmark for other employers.3
- Award position
- Private health businesses use the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, classified by duties.13
- What to tell us
- Home visits and driving, telehealth support, reception or booking duties, and the hours.
How we help you hire an allied health assistant
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Local candidates, career paths and relocation
Say whether you support further study, rotate assistants across disciplines or offer a path to a senior assistant role. We put them in the brief.
We search first among assistants who already live in or have ties to your region, then among those planning a move. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for an allied health assistant role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your certificate, the disciplines and settings you have supported, and where you would like to work. Assistants at every stage are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next allied health assistant hire
Tell us the role, the disciplines, the location and your start date.
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.
Do allied health assistants need to be registered?
No. Allied health assistants are not one of the professions registered through Ahpra.4 Employers set the qualification instead, usually a relevant Certificate III or IV, and each state's check for work with children applies where the role involves children. Hire Australia builds the certificate and checks into the brief and asks every candidate about them.
What does an allied health assistant earn?
It depends on the employer, because no national median or federal award classification is published for the role. In the NSW public health system, the state award pays $1,287.66 a week at Level 2 and $1,365.30 at Level 3 from 1 July 2026.3 Private health businesses use the HPSS Award.13 Hire Australia works out the right benchmark with you.
What qualification should an allied health assistant have?
It depends on the duties and the supervision available. In the NSW Health scale a relevant Certificate III (or 12 months' service) places an assistant at Level 2, and a relevant Certificate IV at Level 3, working under more remote supervision.3 Hire Australia agrees the qualification with you and asks each candidate which certificate they hold.
Are allied health assistants hard to find in regional areas?
Therapy Aide is not rated in shortage nationally for 2026,1 but availability depends on the location, duties and qualification required. 7,800 people worked as therapy aides in 2021, spread across every state.2 Hire Australia searches locally first, then reaches assistants planning a move to your area.
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 allied health assistant role Hire Australia recruits, from recent graduates of a certificate course to senior assistants.
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 (13)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings for 6-digit ANZSCO 2022 occupations, October 2026. S shortage, R regional shortage, NS no shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Median full-time earnings: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national; 4-digit occupation groups. Employment: February 2026, trend. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Health, NSW Health Service Allied Health Assistants (State) Award 2025 (rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), Who we are (National Boards and regulated professions). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Blue Card Services, Queensland Government, Blue cards for health, counselling and support services (last updated 19 August 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Office of the Children's Guardian, Working with Children Check. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Working with Children Check Victoria, Victorian Government, Working with Children Check (Working with Children Clearance). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Communities, Government of Western Australia, Department of Communities (WA), Working with Children Check (last updated 22 September 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Human Services, South Australia, SA.GOV.AU, Screening checks (Working with Children Check; last updated 29 June 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Justice, Tasmania, Department of Justice (Tasmania), Registration to Work with Vulnerable People. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- SAFE NT, Northern Territory Government, NT.GOV.AU, Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card): apply and renew. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Access Canberra, ACT Government, Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) scheme. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clause 17 and Schedule B. Rates from 1 October 2026 (PR814029), as in the pay guide of 22 October 2026. Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑