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.
Physiotherapist recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help private practices, hospitals, aged-care providers, NDIS and community services across regional Australia hire physiotherapists, from new graduates to senior and principal clinicians. We build registration, the setting, caseload and supervision into the search from the first conversation.
Physiotherapy hiring at a glance
Physiotherapists are in short supply nationally, and regional employers compete for them with the cities. In the September quarter 2026, 49% of recruiting employers outside the capital cities had difficulty hiring in their most recent recruitment round, against 43% in the capitals.1
- national rating for Physiotherapist (ANZSCO 252511) in 2026
- Shortage
- In shortage means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage) on the national list.2
- online job ads a month for physiotherapists
- 1,285
- Three-month average to September 2026, up from 1,245 a year earlier.3
- of those ads were for regional areas
- 31%
- 385 of 1,247 ads with a location; regional areas held 29% of all job ads.4
What does a physiotherapist do, and which qualification do they hold?
Physiotherapists assess, treat and prevent disorders in human movement caused by injury or disease. The work includes muscle, nerve, joint and functional tests, treatment programs, exercise and manual therapy, and teaching patients and families what to continue at home.5
Every physiotherapist in Australia must be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia, which grants general registration to graduates of approved programs and also offers limited, student and non-practising registration.7 Registration is national, so a physiotherapist registered in one state can work in any other.
Which registration and checks does a physiotherapist need in each state?
Registration is the same everywhere. What changes between states is the check for work with children, which matters for paediatric, school, NDIS and community roles. In Queensland a registered physiotherapist working in their professional role doesn't need a blue card.8 The ACT does not require WWVP registration where the only work with vulnerable people is in a job requiring Ahpra registration.9
Professional registration and the check for child-related work, by state and territory, as published by each regulator on 1 November 2026.
| State or territory | Registration | Check for work with children |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | General registration, Physiotherapy Board of Australia7 | Working with Children Check, Office of the Children's Guardian10 |
| Victoria | General registration (national) | Working with Children Clearance11 |
| Queensland | General registration (national) | Blue card not needed for a registered physiotherapist in their professional role8 |
| Western Australia | General registration (national) | Working with Children Check, Department of Communities12 |
| South Australia | General registration (national) | Working with Children Check, Department of Human Services13 |
| Tasmania | General registration (national) | Registration to Work with Vulnerable People14 |
| Northern Territory | General registration (national) | Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card)15 |
| Australian Capital Territory | General registration (national) | Not needed where the only work with vulnerable people is in a job requiring Ahpra registration; check other duties and NDIS worker clearance9 |
What does a physiotherapist earn?
From 1 October 2026 the Health Professionals and Support Services Award sets a physiotherapist's minimum by experience. Physiotherapy sits at AQF level 7, so a new graduate's minimum is $1,308.80 a week ($34.44 an hour), rising to $1,689.50 from the seventh year at Level 1.6 The award applies where it covers the role: it covers health-industry employers such as private practices and private hospitals, and employees covered by a state public sector award are outside it.6
Market pay runs above the award. Physiotherapists' median full-time earnings were $1,888 a week, or $50 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.5 No regional pay series exists for physiotherapists, so we talk with you early about the salary, allowances and any housing help that will compete for your location.
Health Professional employee Level 1, AQF level 7, full-time minimum rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2026.6
| Experience at Level 1 | Minimum a week | Minimum an hour |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $1,308.806 | $34.44 |
| 2nd and 3rd years | $1,409.00 | $37.08 |
| 4th to 6th years | $1,565.30 | $41.19 |
| 7th year and after | $1,689.50 | $44.46 |
Where are physiotherapists in demand?
New South Wales and Victoria carry the most physiotherapy job ads, followed by Queensland. South Australia grew fastest in the year to September 2026, from 90 to 114 ads a month.3 Ads for regional areas made up 31% of those with a location, slightly above the 29% share for all jobs.4
Across health care and social assistance, 44% of recruiting employers had difficulty hiring in their most recent recruitment round (September quarter 2026).1
Online job ads for physiotherapists 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 | 3503 | 344 |
| Victoria | 340 | 331 |
| Queensland | 272 | 267 |
| Western Australia | 130 | 126 |
| South Australia | 114 | 90 |
| Tasmania | 33 | 28 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 28 | 32 |
| Northern Territory | 17 | 27 |
Which physiotherapy roles do we recruit?
Open a setting for what the work involves, the award position and what to put in your brief.
Private practice and musculoskeletal
Physiotherapists for private clinics treating sports, spinal and work injuries.
- The work
- Assessing movement problems, designing treatment programs and using exercise, manual therapy and other modalities to reduce pain and restore movement.5
- Award position
- A private practice is a health-industry employer, so the Health Professionals and Support Services Award usually covers its physiotherapists.6
- Registration
- General registration with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.7
- What to tell us
- Caseload and appointment length, the mix of sports, spinal and workers' compensation clients, gym or hydrotherapy access, and how the role is paid (salary, percentage or a mix).
Hospital and rehabilitation
Physiotherapists for acute wards, rehabilitation units and outpatient clinics.
- The work
- Treating patients to improve cardiothoracic and respiratory function, restore joint mobility and improve balance and coordination, and working with other health professionals on each patient's progress.5
- Award position
- Private hospitals generally sit under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award; public hospital staff covered by a state public sector award are outside it.6
- Registration
- General registration with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.7
- What to tell us
- Wards and rotations, on-call and weekend cover, the seniority you need, and the supervision a new graduate would have.
Aged care, NDIS and community
Physiotherapists who visit homes, residential aged care and disability clients.
- The work
- Assessing physical problems and running treatment and preventive programs, often in the client's home, with instructions for families and carers.5
- Checks
- Each state runs its own check for work with children, and the rules differ. In Queensland a registered physiotherapist in their professional role doesn't need a blue card.8
- Shortage
- Physiotherapist is rated in shortage nationally for 2026.2
- What to tell us
- The client groups, travel between visits and whether a car is supplied, report writing for funding plans, and how much of the week is spent on the road.
What to tell us about your physiotherapy role
Start with the setting and the caseload: who the clients are, how many a day, and how long each appointment runs. Then the level you need, from a new graduate who needs structured supervision to a senior clinician who supervises others.
Tell us the practical details: the hours and any weekend or on-call work, home visits and driving, the equipment and space you offer, professional development support, and how pay is structured.
How we help you hire a physiotherapist
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Relocation and regional physiotherapy roles
Many physiotherapists we speak with will consider a regional role when the caseload is varied and the move is supported. We start with physiotherapists who live in or have ties to your area, then widen the search to people planning a move.
Tell us early about relocation help, housing, a car for home visits and any rural or district allowance. We raise them with candidates in the first conversation. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a physiotherapy role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your registration, the settings you have worked in, the caseload you enjoy and where you would like to work. New graduate and experienced physiotherapists are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next physiotherapy hire
Tell us the role, the setting, 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.
What is the award minimum for a physiotherapist?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a full-time physiotherapist earns at least $1,308.80 a week in their first year and $1,689.50 from their seventh year, from 1 October 2026.6 The national median for physiotherapists was $1,888 a week in May 2025.5 Hire Australia talks through your pay range before the search begins.
Is it hard to recruit a physiotherapist in a regional area?
Physiotherapist is rated in shortage nationally for 2026,2 and 385 of the 1,285 physiotherapy job ads a month to September 2026 were for regional areas.3,4 Hire Australia plans each physiotherapy search around your start date and begins with people who have ties to your region.
Does a physiotherapist need a working with children check?
It depends on the state and the work. Each state and territory runs its own check for child-related work, such as paediatric, school and NDIS roles, and sets its own rules on who needs one.10,11 Queensland exempts a registered physiotherapist working in their professional role from the blue card.8 Hire Australia asks about the client group and raises the right check with candidates.
Does Hire Australia recruit new graduate physiotherapists?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits physiotherapists from new graduates through to senior clinicians. A graduate of an approved program can hold general registration,7 and many regional practices hire graduates when they can offer structured supervision. Tell us who will supervise, and we make that part of the conversation with every graduate physiotherapist we speak with.
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 new graduate physiotherapist or a principal 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 (15)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, September 2026 data file. Recruitment difficulty rate: recruiting employers who had difficulty hiring in their most recent round in the previous month; September quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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, 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. Counts ads, not jobs. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Physiotherapy Board of Australia, Registration. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Blue Card Services, Queensland Government, Blue cards for registered health practitioners (last updated 3 September 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Access Canberra, ACT Government, Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) scheme. 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 ↑