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.
Dental prosthetist recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help denture clinics, dental practices, dental groups and public dental services across regional Australia hire registered dental prosthetists, from graduates to experienced clinicians who run their own laboratory. Registration, the work the role covers and the realities of a regional clinic are part of the search from the first conversation.
Dental prosthetist hiring at a glance
Dental prosthetists are a small, older workforce, and the occupation is rated in shortage.
- national rating for Dental Prosthetist in 2026
- Shortage
- In shortage means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage); Dental Prosthetist is rated S.1
- practitioners registered only as dental prosthetists
- 1,286
- At 30 June 2026, across Australia, including non-practising registrants.2
- of dental prosthetists worked full-time hours
- 69%
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation; 50% of the wider occupation group worked full-time hours in 2025.3
- of job ads for dental hygienists, technicians and therapists were regional
- 34%
- 56 of 163 ads with a location, three months to September 2026, against 29% of all job ads.5
What does a dental prosthetist do, and how are they registered?
Dental prosthetists design, construct, repair and fit dentures and mouthguards.3 The Dental Board's guidance describes the division's focus as removable prostheses, including implant-retained overdentures, and flexible sports mouthguards, for patients of all ages. Their work may also include impressions and records for splints, sleep apnoea and anti-snoring devices, and immediate dentures.6
Dental prosthetists are a division of dental practitioner, and every dental practitioner must be registered with the Dental Board of Australia. Registration is national, so one registration covers every state.7 Like every dental practitioner, a prosthetist must know when to refer a patient whose treatment is beyond their scope.6
Which registration does a dental prosthetist need in each state?
There is no separate state licence: national registration in the dental prosthetist division covers every state and territory. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland hold most of the registered workforce.
Registration for dental prosthetists, and practitioners registered only in the dental prosthetist division by principal place of practice, at 30 June 2026.
| State or territory | Registration | Registered dental prosthetists, June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 3952 |
| Victoria | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 3532 |
| Queensland | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 3372 |
| Western Australia | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 722 |
| South Australia | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 632 |
| Tasmania | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 442 |
| Northern Territory | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 52 |
| Australian Capital Territory | National registration in the dental prosthetist division; no state licence7 | 112 |
What does a dental prosthetist earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award lists dental prosthetists at AQF level 6 or 7, and the level of the qualification the prosthetist holds sets the rate. Where the award covers the role, a first-year full-time minimum is $1,232.70 a week at AQF level 6, or $1,308.80 at AQF level 7, from 1 October 2026.8 The award covers employers that deliver dental services. Employees under a state public sector award fall outside it.8
No median is published for dental prosthetists alone. The national median for dental hygienists, technicians and therapists, the group that includes prosthetists, was $2,210 a week, or $55 an hour, in May 2025.3 We talk with you about the salary, any share of laboratory work and the relocation help that will compete for your location.
Health Professional employee Level 1, full-time minimum weekly rates by AQF level and years of experience, from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2026.8
| AQF level of the qualification held | 1st year a week | 4th to 6th year a week | 7th year and after a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 6 | $1,232.708 | $1,483.30 | $1,659.30 |
| Level 7 | $1,308.80 | $1,565.30 | $1,689.50 |
Where are dental prosthetists in demand?
Job ads are published only for the wider group of dental hygienists, technicians and therapists. They averaged 166 a month in the three months to September 2026, down from 195 a year earlier, with Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria carrying the most.4
The registered prosthetist workforce is small: 1,286 practitioners registered only as dental prosthetists, 395 of them in New South Wales and 44 in Tasmania.2 About four in five people working in the occupation were men in 2021, and it is rated in shortage.1,3
Online job ads for dental hygienists, technicians and therapists by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.4
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 374 | 40 |
| New South Wales | 35 | 42 |
| Victoria | 31 | 38 |
| Western Australia | 29 | 28 |
| South Australia | 27 | 33 |
| Tasmania | 4 | 5 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 2 | 5 |
| Northern Territory | 1 | 4 |
Which dental prosthetist roles do we recruit?
Open a role for its registration, pay and what to put in your brief.
Clinical dental prosthetists
Prosthetists who see patients directly in denture clinics and dental practices.
- Registration
- National registration in the dental prosthetist division.7
- Scope
- Removable prostheses including implant-retained overdentures, and flexible sports mouthguards.6
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,232.70 to $1,308.80 a week (AQF level 6 or 7, 1st year, from 1 October 2026). Market median: $2,210 a week (dental hygienists, technicians and therapists, May 2025).3,8
- What to tell us
- The patient base, the split between full and partial dentures, implant overdenture work, and whether the role includes laboratory fabrication.
Public dental service prosthetists
Prosthetists for state and community dental services.
- Award position
- Employees covered by a state public sector award fall outside the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.8
- Registration
- The same national registration applies in every state.7
- Shortage
- Dental Prosthetist is rated in shortage for 2026.1
- What to tell us
- The service and its waiting list, clinic and laboratory sites, outreach to smaller towns, and whether the role supervises dental technicians.
Practice owners and senior prosthetists
Experienced prosthetists to lead a clinic or laboratory.
- Workforce
- 69% of dental prosthetists worked full-time hours in 2021.3
- Award level
- $1,689.50 a week is the Level 1 AQF level 7 rate from the seventh year. A prosthetist appointed to supervise or lead may sit at Level 2 or above, from $1,945.40 a week, depending on the appointed duties and where the award covers the role.8
- Supply
- 337 practitioners were registered only as dental prosthetists in Queensland at 30 June 2026.2
- What to tell us
- Whether the role leads staff, the laboratory equipment, any digital denture workflow, and succession or partnership plans.
What to tell us about your dental prosthetist role
Start with the clinic: standalone denture clinic, general dental practice or public service, the patient base and the laboratory set-up. Then the experience you need, including implant overdenture or sports mouthguard work.
Tell us the practical details too: the days and hours, whether the prosthetist fabricates in-house, the support from dental technicians, and help with relocation and housing.
How we help you hire a dental prosthetist
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Relocation and regional clinics
With a small national workforce, a regional prosthetist search may need to reach beyond the local area. We search first among prosthetists who live in or have ties to your region, then among those open to a move, and raise housing and relocation help early.
A prosthetist moving from interstate keeps their national registration, so no second registration is needed.7 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a dental prosthetist role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your registration, the work you enjoy, your laboratory skills and where you would like to work. Graduate and experienced dental prosthetists are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next dental prosthetist hire
Tell us the role, the clinic, 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.
Does a dental prosthetist need a state licence?
No. Dental prosthetists hold national registration in the dental prosthetist division of the Dental Board of Australia, which covers every state and territory.7 There is no separate state licence. Hire Australia asks every candidate about their registration and builds it into the brief, and you check the public register before an offer.
What is the award rate for a dental prosthetist in 2026?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a first-year dental prosthetist earns at least $1,232.70 a week at AQF level 6, or $1,308.80 at AQF level 7, from 1 October 2026.8 The median for dental hygienists, technicians and therapists was $2,210 a week in May 2025.3 Hire Australia talks through your range early.
How hard is it to recruit a dental prosthetist?
Dental Prosthetist is rated in shortage for 2026.1 Only 1,286 practitioners were registered solely as dental prosthetists at 30 June 2026, and 5 of them were in the Northern Territory.2 Hire Australia plans each regional search around your clinic, start date and relocation support.
Can a dental prosthetist make sports mouthguards and sleep devices?
Yes, within their training. The Dental Board describes the division's focus as removable prostheses and flexible sports mouthguards, and its guidance says the work may include impressions for splints, sleep apnoea and anti-snoring devices.6 Hire Australia asks prosthetists which of these they provide day to day.
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 graduate dental prosthetist or a senior clinician.
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 (8)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026, ANZSCO 2022 coding. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Registrant data, 1 April to 30 June 2026 (Tables 2.1 and 4.1). Registrants at 30 June 2026 by principal place of practice, including non-practising; published 21 September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Medians: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, 4-digit groups. Employment: 4-digit February 2026, trend; 6-digit occupations, 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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; unclassified ads excluded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Guidelines for scope of practice (effective 1 July 2020): scope focus by division. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dental Board of Australia, Registration (dental practitioners must be registered with the Board; registration types). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clauses 4, 16, 17 and Schedules A and B. Consolidated award incorporating amendments to 1 October 2026 (PR814029). Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded (clause 4.6). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑