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.
Orthoptist recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help ophthalmology practices, hospital eye clinics, public health services and low vision services across regional Australia hire orthoptists, from recent graduates to senior clinicians who can run a clinic alongside a visiting ophthalmologist. It is a small profession, so we plan each search around registration, the clinical skills you need and the move a candidate would make.
Orthoptist hiring at a glance
Orthoptists are a small workforce, and the occupation is rated in shortage.
- national rating for Orthoptist in 2026
- Shortage
- In shortage means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage); Orthoptist is rated S.2
- people worked as orthoptists
- 1,100
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation; 89% were women.1
- orthoptists registered with the Australian Orthoptic Board
- 875
- Registration period 2021 to 2023, the latest count the professional body publishes.6
- of job ads for optometrists and orthoptists were regional
- 47%
- 49 of 104 ads with a location, three months to September 2026, against 29% of all job ads.4
What does an orthoptist do?
Orthoptists diagnose and manage eye movement disorders and associated sensory problems.1 Tell us where your orthoptist will work, whether alongside ophthalmologists, in a hospital clinic or in a community program, because each setting calls for different experience.
Orthoptists are not one of the professions registered through the 15 national health practitioner boards.7 Their registration body is the Australian Orthoptic Board. Registration is not compulsory to practise, but orthoptists must be registered under legislation covering refraction, prescribing optical lenses, ultrasonography and the administration of drugs and poisons, and many public and private employers, and private health funds, require it.6
Licences, tickets and certifications for orthoptists
Orthoptists are not registered through Ahpra. Australian Orthoptic Board registration is the credential many employers, private health funds and Medicare look for.
What an orthoptist holds, and who sets it, opened 1 November 2026.
| Item | What it means for the hire |
|---|---|
| Ahpra registration | No registration through Ahpra: orthoptics is not one of the 15 national health practitioner boards7 |
| Australian Orthoptic Board registration | Not compulsory to practise, but required under legislation for refraction, prescribing lenses, ultrasonography and drugs and poisons; renewed every two years6 |
| Continuing professional development | Registrants complete 50 CPD points over each two-year registration period6 |
| Medicare allied health services | An orthoptist needs current Board registration with a Certificate of Currency, and Orthoptics Australia membership6 |
What does an orthoptist earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award lists orthoptists at AQF level 8 or 9, and the level of the qualification held sets the rate. Where the award covers the role, a first-year full-time minimum is $1,337.10 a week at AQF level 8, or $1,444.90 at AQF level 9, from 1 October 2026.5 The award covers employers delivering health care and medical services; orthoptists under a state public sector award fall outside it.5
No median is published for orthoptists, or for the wider group of optometrists and orthoptists: earnings for the group were not reported for May 2025.1 We talk with you about the salary, professional development support and the relocation help a regional clinic needs to offer.
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 2026.5
| AQF level of the qualification held | 1st year a week | 4th to 6th year a week | 7th year and after a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 8 | $1,337.105 | $1,584.90 | $1,721.40 |
| Level 9 | $1,444.90 | $1,659.30 | $1,755.00 |
Where are orthoptists in demand?
Job ads are published only for optometrists and orthoptists together, and optometrists are the larger part of the group.1 Ads averaged 105 a month in the three months to September 2026, up from 76 a year earlier, with New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria carrying the most.3
Almost half of the group's ads with a location were regional: 49 of 104.4 The occupation is small, with 1,100 people in 2021, and it is rated in shortage.1,2
Online job ads for optometrists and orthoptists by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.3
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 333 | 28 |
| Queensland | 26 | 16 |
| Victoria | 19 | 9 |
| South Australia | 11 | 11 |
| Western Australia | 9 | 9 |
| Tasmania | 4 | 1 |
| Northern Territory | 2 | 0 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1 | 1 |
Which orthoptist roles do we recruit?
Open a role for its registration, pay and what to put in your brief.
Ophthalmology practice orthoptists
Orthoptists who work up patients and run tests for ophthalmologists in private practice.
- Registration
- Australian Orthoptic Board registration, which many private employers require.6
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,337.10 to $1,444.90 a week (AQF level 8 or 9, 1st year, from 1 October 2026), where the award covers the role. No market median is published.1,5
- Rating
- Orthoptist is rated in shortage for 2026.2
- What to tell us
- The subspecialties in the practice, the imaging and testing equipment such as OCT, visual fields and biometry, theatre lists and the patient volume.
Hospital and public health orthoptists
Orthoptists in hospital eye clinics, children's vision programs and neurology or stroke services.
- Award position
- Orthoptists under a state public sector award fall outside the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.5
- Registration
- Many public health institutions require Board registration.6
- Workforce
- 48% of orthoptists worked full-time in 2021.1
- What to tell us
- The clinics the role covers, the mix of children and adults, outreach visits and the supervision on offer for a graduate.
Senior and sole orthoptists
Experienced orthoptists who work alone or lead a small team.
- Award level
- $1,721.40 a week is the Level 1 AQF level 8 rate from the seventh year. An orthoptist 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.5
- Medicare
- Billing Medicare allied health items needs current Board registration and Orthoptics Australia membership.6
- Supply
- 1,100 people worked as orthoptists in 2021.1
- What to tell us
- Whether the orthoptist works without another orthoptist on site, the ophthalmologists they support, and any teaching or service development in the role.
What to put in your brief for an orthoptist
Start with the service: private practice, hospital clinic or community program, the ophthalmologists involved and the patient mix. Then the skills you need, such as paediatric assessment, imaging, biometry, theatre support or low vision work.
Tell us whether Board registration and Medicare billing are essential, the days and hours, the supervision and professional development on offer, and the relocation and housing help for a move.
How we help you hire an orthoptist
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Relocation and regional eye care
We search first among orthoptists who live in or have ties to your region, then among orthoptists open to a move, and raise housing and relocation help early.
Board registration is national, so an orthoptist moving between states keeps it.6 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for an orthoptist role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your registration, the clinics and equipment you know, the patients you enjoy working with and where you would like to work. Graduate and experienced orthoptists are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next orthoptist hire
Tell us the role, the service, 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 an orthoptist need to be registered?
Registration with the Australian Orthoptic Board is not compulsory to practise, but it is required under legislation for refraction, prescribing lenses and some other tasks, and for Medicare allied health items.6 Hire Australia builds Board registration into the brief when you need it and asks every candidate about it.
What is the award rate for an orthoptist in 2026?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a first-year orthoptist earns at least $1,337.10 a week at AQF level 8, or $1,444.90 at AQF level 9, from 1 October 2026.5 No market median is published for the occupation.1 Hire Australia talks through your salary range early.
Are orthoptists in shortage?
Yes. Orthoptist is rated in shortage for 2026.2 The workforce is small: 1,100 people worked as orthoptists in 2021.1 Almost half of job ads for optometrists and orthoptists with a location were regional in the three months to September 2026.4 Hire Australia plans each regional search around your service and relocation support.
What is the difference between an orthoptist and an optometrist?
Orthoptists diagnose and manage eye movement disorders and associated sensory problems, while optometrists examine eyes, test vision and prescribe lenses.1 Optometrists must be registered with the Optometry Board of Australia; orthoptists register with the Australian Orthoptic Board.6,8 Hire Australia recruits both, with a separate brief for each.
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 orthoptist 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, 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, 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Orthoptics Australia, Professional registration (Australian Orthoptic Board; registration not compulsory to practise, but needed for Medicare and health funds). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), National Boards (the 15 National Boards). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Optometry Board of Australia, Registration ("All optometrists practising in Australia must be registered with the Optometry Board of Australia"). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑