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Carpenter recruitment for regional employers

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help builders, civil and commercial contractors, joinery manufacturers, councils and housing providers across Australia hire qualified carpenters and joiners, from framers and fit-out carpenters to formworkers and site leading hands. We work out with you whether the role needs a licence in your state, because for carpentry that depends on who holds the contract.

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Illustrative image: a worker in a hard hat and safety glasses uses a nail gun on a timber frame, free hand on her hip.

Carpenter hiring at a glance

Carpenters and joiners are in national shortage. Ads for them have eased over the past year, but the shortage rating stands.

national rating for Carpenter and Joiner in 2026
Shortage
Carpenter and Joiner are each rated in national shortage on their own. In shortage means rated S or R.1
online job ads a month for carpenters and joiners
1,041
Three-month average to September 2026, down from 1,137 a year earlier.2
of carpenter ads with a location were for regional areas
31%
317 of 1,030 ads; all located job ads were 29% regional.3
people work as carpenters and joiners
149,600
February 2026, nationally.4

What does a carpenter do, and which qualification do they hold?

Carpenters and joiners study drawings, erect framework, panelised systems and roof framing, lay sub-floors and floorboards, fit cladding and door and window frames, and assemble wood into structures and fittings; many also build concrete formwork.5

The national trade qualification is CPC30326 Certificate III in Carpentry, a new release in September 2026.6 Every carpenter on a construction site also needs a construction induction card, the white card.7

Does a carpenter need a licence in each state?

In most states an employed carpenter needs no individual licence. The licence or registration attaches to contracting for building work above a set value, or to supervising it, and each state sets its own threshold.

Licence or registration for carpentry and building work, by state and territory, as published by each regulator on 1 November 2026.

State or territoryLicence or registrationWhen it applies
QueenslandQBCC licence to contract for building work valued over $3,3008Employees of a licensed contractor usually need none; supervisors and nominees do8
New South WalesContractor licence for residential building or trade work, including carpentry, over $5,0009A qualified supervisor certificate is the licence type for supervising the work9
VictoriaRegistration as a Domestic Builder (limited to carpentry) to contract for carpentry on homes10Required for a major domestic building contract, over $10,00010
South AustraliaBuilding work contractor's licence for the business doing the work11Carpenters doing specified building work need $10,000 in net assets, or a restricted subcontractor licence11
Western AustraliaBuilding contractor registration for the business, for permit work within the Building Services Board's jurisdiction12Applies to work valued at $20,000 or more, or $50,000 or more for a Class 10a building such as a shed; an employed carpenter isn't the registered party12
TasmaniaCarpenter is not a licensed occupation; builder licences cover those running building work13,14A Certificate III in carpentry counts towards a builder licence's experience14
Northern TerritoryRegistration as a residential building contractor15Applies to residential work valued at $25,000 or above15
Australian Capital TerritoryNo licence: carpenters don't currently need one16Builders do need a licence16
All states and territoriesConstruction induction white card before starting work on a construction site7Ask to see it at interview

What does a carpenter earn?

Where the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 covers the role, a qualified carpenter (Level 3, CW/ECW 3) on weekly hire must be paid at least $1,214.04 a week on residential work and $1,227.47 on other building work, from 1 July 2026, including the industry and tool allowances.17 The award covers on-site building, civil and engineering construction work.18

Market pay is well above those minimums. Carpenters and joiners had median full-time earnings of $1,760 a week, or $45 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.4 Site allowances, travel and overtime vary by project, so we agree the full package with you before we approach anyone.

Where are carpenters in demand?

Queensland and New South Wales carry the most carpenter job ads. Across Australia, ads eased from 1,137 to 1,041 a month in the year to September 2026, although the trade stays in shortage.1,2 Regional areas held 317 of the ads with a location.3

Online job ads for carpenters and joiners by state (three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier) and each state's share of the trade's employment (February 2026).2,4

State or territoryJob ads a month, September 2026A year earlierShare of national employment
Queensland292233819.2%4
New South Wales25232532.3%
Victoria17716529.9%
Western Australia1761748.2%
South Australia76766.3%
Australian Capital Territory26181.2%
Northern Territory22230.6%
Tasmania20172.4%

What to tell us about your carpentry role

Tell us the work: housing, commercial fit-out, civil formwork, bridges or joinery, and whether the person frames, fits out, builds formwork or makes components in a workshop. Say whether they will supervise others or run sites, and whether your state needs them to hold a licence or registration for that.

Then the practical details carpenters ask about: the projects lined up, travel between sites, the hours and rostered days off, tools and a vehicle, and the rate and site allowances.

How we help you hire a carpenter

You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.

  1. Step 1

    Understand the role

    We talk with you about the type of carpentry, the projects ahead, any supervision duties and whether a licence applies in your state.

  2. Step 2

    Source and screen

    We talk with carpenters about the work they have done, framing, fit-out or formwork, their tickets and white card, and where they want to work.

  3. Step 3

    Introduce suitable people

    We introduce the candidates who best match your brief, so you decide who to interview.

  4. Step 4

    Coordinate the hire

    We coordinate the next steps and keep both sides informed through interviews and the offer. You employ the person directly.

Travel, projects and relocation

Tell us the projects ahead, where they are and any travel or accommodation they involve. We describe the project pipeline, the travel and the accommodation in the first conversation.

We start with carpenters who already live in your region, then widen the search to those ready to move. Tell us about relocation help or housing, and we will put it in front of candidates.

If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Looking for carpentry work in the regions?

Register with Hire Australia and tell us the carpentry you do, your qualification and tickets, any licence you hold and where you would like to work. We will talk with you about regional roles that fit.

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Talk to us about your next carpentry hire

Tell us the projects, the location and when you need the carpenter to start.

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.

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A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

Good to know.

Does an employed carpenter need a licence?

Usually not. In Queensland most employees of a licensed contractor need no licence, and the ACT says carpenters don't currently need one; licences in most states attach to contracting above a set value, such as $5,000 in New South Wales.8,9,16 Hire Australia checks whether your role includes contracting or supervision that needs one.

What is the award minimum for a carpenter?

Where the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 covers the role, a qualified carpenter on weekly hire must be paid at least $1,214.04 a week on residential work and $1,227.47 on other building work from 1 July 2026.17 The median was $1,760 a week in May 2025.4 Hire Australia agrees the rate with you first.

How hard is it to recruit a carpenter in a regional area?

Carpenter and Joiner is rated in national shortage for 2026,1 even though ads eased to 1,041 a month in the three months to September 2026, 317 of them for regional areas.2,3 Hire Australia starts regional carpentry searches with people who already live near your projects.

Does Hire Australia recruit joiners and formworkers?

Yes. Joiner is rated in national shortage for 2026 in its own right,1 and building concrete formwork is part of the carpentry trade.5 Hire Australia recruits workshop joiners, fit-out carpenters and formworkers for permanent roles, and asks about the materials, machinery and project types they know.

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 fee terms are the same whether Hire Australia recruits a framer for a builder or a leading hand for a civil contractor.

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 (18)

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  2. 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 ↑
  3. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional (regional includes Newcastle and Geelong). Counts ads. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  4. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (descriptions, earnings, employment and state tables). Median full-time earnings: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, non-managerial adult employees. Employment and state shares: February 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  5. Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022 – Unit Group 3312 Carpenters and Joiners. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
  6. training.gov.au, CPC30326 Certificate III in Carpentry. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
  7. Safe Work Australia, Working on a construction site (construction induction white card). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  8. QBCC, When you need a licence. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
  9. NSW Government (Building Commission NSW), Carpentry work licences (page updated 23 June 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  10. Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria), What is domestic building work? (information sheet). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  11. Government of South Australia (Consumer and Business Services), Building work contractor's licence (page updated 19 October 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  12. Government of Western Australia (Building Services Board), Builders registration (page updated 14 September 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  13. Consumer Affairs Tasmania, Licensed occupations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  14. Consumer Affairs Tasmania, Builder licence (page updated 5 August 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  15. Building Practitioners Board (Northern Territory), Practitioners (page updated 1 October 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  16. ACT Government (City and Environment Directorate), Construction licences. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  17. Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide: Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020]. Published 2 July 2026. Rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026; Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) carpenter, weekly hire, including industry and tool allowances. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  18. Fair Work Commission, Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020 [MA000020]. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑