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.
Psychologist recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help community mental health services, hospitals, schools, NDIS providers and private practices across regional Australia hire psychologists, from provisionally registered psychologists through to endorsed clinical psychologists and team leaders. Registration, endorsement and supervision are part of the brief from the first conversation.
Psychology hiring at a glance
Clinical, educational and other psychologists are rated in shortage nationally for 2026, though organisational psychologists are not, and regional areas carry a smaller share of psychology ads than of jobs overall, so a regional search usually has to reach candidates who don't yet live nearby.1,2
- national rating for Clinical Psychologist (ANZSCO 272311), Educational Psychologist and Psychologists nec in 2026
- Shortage
- Rated S (shortage) nationally; Organisational Psychologist is rated NS (no shortage).1
- online job ads a month for psychologists and psychotherapists
- 633
- Three-month average to September 2026, down 19% from 777 a year earlier.3
- of those ads were for regional areas
- 24%
- 149 of 621 ads placed in a major city or regional area, against 29% for all jobs.2
What does a psychologist do, and which registration do they hold?
Psychologists assess clients' cognitive, behavioural and emotional difficulties, use and interpret diagnostic tests, and plan, run and evaluate individual and group treatment, consulting other professionals on each case.4
Psychologists must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia to practise.6 A psychologist completing the 5+1 internship or a higher degree pathway holds provisional registration and works under supervision until general registration.7 An area of practice endorsement, such as clinical psychology, shows an approved postgraduate qualification and supervised training. Endorsement is optional, and a psychologist can practise without one, but the endorsed titles are protected by law.8
Which registration and checks does a psychologist need in each state?
Registration and any endorsement are national and appear on the public register.8 Checks for work with children are run by each state; Queensland exempts a registered psychologist working in their professional role from the blue card.9 The ACT does not require WWVP registration where the only work with vulnerable people is in a job requiring Ahpra registration.10
National registration and each jurisdiction's check for work with children, as published by the regulators on 1 November 2026.
| State or territory | Registration | Check for work with children |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | General or provisional registration, Psychology Board of Australia6 | Working with Children Check, Office of the Children's Guardian11 |
| Victoria | General or provisional registration (national) | Working with Children Clearance12 |
| Queensland | General or provisional registration (national) | Not needed for a registered psychologist in their professional role9 |
| Western Australia | General or provisional registration (national) | Working with Children Check, Department of Communities13 |
| South Australia | General or provisional registration (national) | Working with Children Check, Department of Human Services14 |
| Tasmania | General or provisional registration (national) | Registration to Work with Vulnerable People15 |
| Northern Territory | General or provisional registration (national) | Working with Children Clearance (Ochre Card)16 |
| Australian Capital Territory | General or provisional registration (national) | Not needed where the only work with vulnerable people is in a job requiring Ahpra registration; check other duties and NDIS worker clearance10 |
What does a psychologist earn?
The Health Professionals and Support Services Award lists psychology at AQF level 9. From 1 October 2026 a first-year psychologist's full-time minimum is $1,444.90 a week ($38.02 an hour), rising to $1,755.00 from the seventh year at Level 1.5 The award covers health-industry employers and any employer engaging a health professional in its classifications; employees covered by a state public sector award are outside it.5
Psychologists and psychotherapists had median full-time earnings of $2,204 a week, or $60 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.4 Endorsed clinical roles, private billing arrangements and supervision duties all move the offer, so we agree the structure with you before we approach candidates.
Health Professional employee minimum full-time rates for psychologists (AQF level 9) and the senior levels, from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2026.5
| Classification | Minimum a week | Minimum an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, 1st year | $1,444.905 | $38.02 |
| Level 1, 7th year and after | $1,755.00 | $46.18 |
| Level 2.1, senior clinician (under 5 years at Level 2) | $1,945.40 | $51.19 |
| Level 3, advanced clinician or section manager | $1,983.20 | $52.19 |
Where are psychologists in demand?
Victoria and New South Wales carry the most psychology ads, followed by Queensland. Ads fell sharply in New South Wales over the year, from 221 to 156 a month, while South Australia rose from 59 to 70.3
Regional ads fell from 191 to 149 a month, and regional areas account for 24% of psychology ads with a location. Fewer ads doesn't mean easier hiring: clinical and educational psychologists are still rated in shortage nationally, and 44% of recruiting employers in health care and social assistance had difficulty hiring in their most recent recruitment round (September quarter 2026).1,2,17
Online job ads for psychologists and psychotherapists 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 1703 | 206 |
| New South Wales | 156 | 221 |
| Queensland | 128 | 152 |
| South Australia | 70 | 59 |
| Western Australia | 64 | 73 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 25 | 30 |
| Northern Territory | 12 | 24 |
| Tasmania | 8 | 13 |
Which psychology roles do we recruit?
Open a setting for the work, the registration and what to put in your brief.
Community mental health and private practice
Psychologists for community mental health teams, Aboriginal community controlled health services and private practices.
- The work
- Assessing clients, using and interpreting diagnostic tests, and running individual and group treatment programs.4
- Endorsement
- Clinical psychology is one of nine areas of practice endorsement; the endorsed title is protected.8
- Shortage
- Clinical Psychologist is rated in shortage nationally for 2026.1
- What to tell us
- Whether the role needs an endorsement, the presentations and age groups, billing arrangements, outreach to smaller towns, and the clinical supervision on offer.
Schools and child development
Psychologists for schools, early childhood services and child development teams.
- The work
- Assessing students' learning and development, recommending educational programs and working with teachers on planning.4
- Shortage
- Educational Psychologist is rated in shortage nationally for 2026.1
- Checks
- Each state's check for work with children is listed in the table above; Queensland exempts registered practitioners in their professional role.9
- What to tell us
- School sector and number of sites, assessment and report load, crisis response duties, and the travel between schools.
Hospitals and health services
Psychologists for hospital wards, rehabilitation, and private hospital and health-service teams.
- The work
- Consulting other professionals on cases and treatment plans as part of a multidisciplinary team.4
- Award position
- Private hospitals in the health industry usually fall under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award; state public sector award employees are outside it.5
- Registration
- General registration, or provisional registration with a supervisor for a psychologist still completing a pathway.7
- What to tell us
- The wards or programs covered, on-call or after-hours duties, the endorsement you need, and supervision for registrars.
Workplace and organisational
Organisational psychologists for selection, workplace programs and employee assistance.
- The work
- Developing selection techniques and tests, studying job design, morale and supervision, and analysing job requirements.4
- Shortage
- Organisational Psychologist is rated NS (no shortage) nationally for 2026.1
- Endorsement
- Organisational psychology is an approved area of practice endorsement.8
- What to tell us
- The mix of assessment, coaching and program work, travel to client sites, and whether the role needs the endorsed title.
How we help you hire a psychologist
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Supervision, outreach and relocation for regional roles
A provisionally registered psychologist or a registrar needs a supervisor, so tell us who that will be and whether supervision is on site or by video. If the role includes outreach to smaller towns, spell out the days on the road and the vehicle arrangements.
We search first among psychologists who already live in or have ties to your region, then among those planning a move. Relocation help and housing support matter most in that second group. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a psychology role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your registration and any endorsement, the presentations and settings you have worked with, and where you would like to work. Provisional, generally registered and endorsed psychologists are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next psychology hire
Tell us the role, the clients, 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 does a psychologist earn under the award?
From 1 October 2026, where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a full-time psychologist earns at least $1,444.90 a week in their first year and $1,755.00 from the seventh year.5 The national median for psychologists and psychotherapists was $2,204 a week in May 2025.4 Hire Australia discusses your pay structure before the search starts.
Do we need an endorsed clinical psychologist?
Only if the role or its funding requires the endorsed title. Endorsement is optional and doesn't limit a psychologist's scope of practice, but titles such as clinical psychologist are protected and shown on the public register.8 Hire Australia agrees with you which roles need an endorsement before we approach candidates, and you check the endorsement on the public register.
Can a provisionally registered psychologist fill a regional role?
Yes, with supervision. A psychologist on the 5+1 internship or a higher degree pathway holds provisional registration and must work under an approved supervisor.7 Hire Australia recruits provisional psychologists when the employer can name the supervisor and the supervision arrangements, and we put those details to candidates early.
Are psychologists hard to recruit in regional Australia?
Clinical Psychologist, Educational Psychologist and Psychologists nec are rated in shortage nationally for 2026; Organisational Psychologist is not.1 Only 24% of psychology job ads with a location were for regional areas in the three months to September 2026, below the share for all jobs.2 Hire Australia reaches psychologists who would move to your area as well as those already nearby.
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 psychology role Hire Australia recruits, from provisional psychologists to team leaders.
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 (17)
- 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 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, 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, 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 ↑
- Psychology Board of Australia, Registration. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Psychology Board of Australia, Provisional registration. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Psychology Board of Australia, Endorsement (area of practice endorsement). 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 ↑
- 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 ↑