Canberra recruitment for professional, technical and trade roles
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help Canberra businesses, contractors and community organisations hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people. Canberra is the national capital; for us it is part of the regional work we do across the ACT, the nearby NSW towns and beyond.
Canberra at a glance
- of recruiting ACT employers had difficulty filling a role
- 35%
- Year to August 2026, against 44% nationally.1
- of ACT workers are in public administration and safety
- 26%
- 70,400 of 273,100 employed people, four-quarter average to February 2026.2
- growth in ACT health care and social assistance jobs
- 12.6%
- Year to February 2026, while public administration and safety fell 12%.2
- unemployment rate, ACT
- 4.2%
- Modelled estimate, June quarter 2026.3
Who are Canberra's biggest employers?
Government is by far the largest employer, followed by professional, scientific and technical services, health care, education and construction.2 The Australian Public Service had 68,451 staff in the ACT at 30 June 2026, down from 70,051 a year earlier.4 Canberra Health Services, which serves the ACT and surrounding Southern New South Wales, runs Canberra Hospital, the provider of trauma services and most major medical and surgical services.5
For a private business, that means competing with large public employers for office, finance, technical and ICT staff. We help by setting out what your role offers that a government job may not, such as the work itself, flexibility or a faster path to responsibility.
Employed people in the five largest industries, ACT, four-quarter average to February 2026.2
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Public administration and safety | 70,400 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 38,000 |
| Health care and social assistance | 37,700 |
| Education and training | 26,800 |
| Construction | 17,600 |
Which jobs are most advertised in Canberra?
ICT professionals were the most advertised occupation group in the ACT by a wide margin, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, and medical practitioners and nurses.6
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Australian Capital Territory, three-month average to September 2026 (4,643 a month across all occupations).6
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| ICT professionals | 508 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 340 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 228 |
| Corporate managers | 221 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 204 |
| Carers and aides | 186 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 183 |
How hard is it to hire in Canberra?
Of the 396 ACT employers in a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 47% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 35% of those had difficulty filling a role, below the 44% nationally.1
The reasons given most often were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without the technical skills, applicants without enough experience, and the working conditions or hours.1 Many of the people you want are already in work, often in government, so we approach them directly and are specific about the role, the pay range and the flexibility you offer.
Roles we recruit in Canberra
Open a role type for demand, shortage, pay and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are from the 2026 list (ANZSCO 2022 coding, to match the job-ad and earnings groups); we count an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
ICT and digital
Software developers, systems and network staff, data and cyber professionals, and ICT project staff for private firms and government contractors.
- Demand
- The ACT averaged 508 online job ads a month for ICT professionals and 103 for engineering, ICT and science technicians, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- Software Engineer is rated not in shortage on the 2026 list.7
- Clearances
- If the role needs a security clearance, tell us the level and whether the person must already hold it. We record what candidates hold but don't grant, verify or sponsor clearances.
- What to put in your brief
- The technology stack, the clearance level, whether the work is on site or hybrid, and the pay range.
Business, finance and administration
Accountants, finance officers, office managers, administrators and business professionals.
- Demand
- The ACT averaged 340 online job ads a month for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, 178 for business, finance and human resource professionals, 132 for office managers, administrators and secretaries and 100 for numerical clerks.6
- Shortage
- Accountant (General) is rated not in shortage on the 2026 list.7
- What to put in your brief
- The systems, the experience level, the hours and the flexibility you can offer against government employers.
- How we help
- We look for people with relevant experience, including people moving from the public service, and talk with them about how your role differs.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, health administration and management staff, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Hospitals
- Canberra Hospital and North Canberra Hospital are both in Canberra.8
- Growth
- Health care and social assistance employs 37,700 people in the ACT, and that number grew 12.6% in the year to February 2026.2
- Demand
- The ACT averaged 228 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 186 for carers and aides and 158 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals.6
- Shortage
- On the 2026 list, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Midwife, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Aged or Disabled Carer are rated in shortage nationally, and Enrolled Nurse in regional areas.7
- What to put in your brief
- Registration, the setting, the shifts and the supervision on offer.
Trades and construction
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and mechanics for builders, maintenance contractors and service businesses.
- Demand
- The ACT averaged 74 online job ads a month for construction trades, 61 for automotive and engineering trades and 57 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades.6 Construction employs 17,600 people in the ACT.2
- Shortage
- Electrician (General), Plumber (General), Carpenter and Motor Mechanic (General) are rated in shortage nationally on the 2026 list.7
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week with industry, tool and licence allowances, from 1 July 2026, for a licensed electrician (Electrical worker grade 5) employed by an electrical contracting business, which is what the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers.9 National median for full-time electricians: $2,191 a week (May 2025).10
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licence, the sites, the hours and the pay range.
Engineers and technical staff
Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers, drafters and technicians, from graduates to project leads.
- Demand
- The ACT averaged 60 online job ads a month for engineers, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer and Civil Engineering Draftsperson are rated in shortage nationally on the 2026 list.7
- Pay
- Award minimum: $34.57 an hour for a graduate engineer with a four or five-year degree (Professional Employees Award, level 1.1, from 1 July 2026), for professional engineering duties that the award covers.11 National median for civil engineering professionals: $59 an hour (May 2025).12
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline, the project type, any clearance and who will supervise a graduate.
Hiring graduates in Canberra
Canberra has the Australian National University at Acton,13 the University of Canberra at Bruce14 and UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy and a city campus,15 so many graduates finish their degrees locally. You may be competing with government graduate programs, so tell us what your first year offers and who will guide them, and we put it to them clearly.
How we help you hire in Canberra
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Commuting and relocation
Canberra and Queanbeyan form one urban area of 521,049 people, and we search on both sides of the border.16 Tell us where the working day starts and any travel, and we include it in the search.
If your preferred candidate is moving to Canberra, we raise housing, timing and any relocation support you offer early in the process.
If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Canberra?
Experienced professionals, tradespeople, graduates and people moving to Canberra can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want, any clearance you hold and when you could start, and we'll talk with you about suitable roles.
Talk to us about your next Canberra hire
Tell us about the role, any clearance and when you need someone to start.
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 roles does Hire Australia recruit in Canberra?
Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for Canberra employers, from graduates to experienced people. That includes ICT and digital staff, accountants and administrators, nurses, allied health and support workers, electricians and other trades, and engineers and technicians. Tell us the experience and any clearance the role needs, and we search for it.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Canberra?
Less often than nationally, but it still happens. In the year to August 2026, 35% of recruiting ACT employers had difficulty filling a role, against 44% across Australia. A lack of suitable applicants and missing technical skills were the main reasons.1 Hire Australia approaches people already in work and is clear about what your role offers.
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. Briefing Hire Australia on a Canberra role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have a Canberra office?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Canberra and the nearby NSW towns. We work by phone and video with you and with candidates, and our search starts with people who live, study or work in the Canberra region, along with people planning a move there.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or contractors in Canberra?
No. Hire Australia doesn’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors in Canberra. We recruit people into permanent roles that you employ directly, on your payroll from the first day. We search for and screen candidates, introduce the ones who match your brief, and you decide who to hire and make the offer.
Can Hire Australia find candidates who already hold a security clearance?
Yes, where the role needs one. Tell Hire Australia the clearance level and whether candidates must already hold it, and we ask candidates what they hold and include that in the shortlist. We don't grant, verify or sponsor clearances; that process stays between you, the candidate and the vetting agency.
Sources (16)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: snapshot update, Australian Capital Territory combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026; ACT 396 employers, weighted; Capital Region employment region 460, unweighted; small samples, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Industry profile, Australian Capital Territory. Published 15 April 2026. Data: Four-quarter average to February 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed LGA data files (ASGS 2025), June quarter 2026. Released 9 October 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Public Service Commission, APS Employment Data 30 June 2026, release tables. Released 30 September 2026. Data: 30 June 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Canberra Health Services, About us. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by GCCSA and SA4 regions, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- healthdirect (Australian Government), Hospitals in Canberra, ACT 2600. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 [MA000025]. Data: From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation profile: Electricians. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Professional Employees Award 2020 [MA000065]. Data: From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation profile: Civil Engineering Professionals. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian National University, Campuses and facilities. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- University of Canberra, Home page (Bruce campus). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- UNSW Canberra, UNSW Canberra (Australian Defence Force Academy and Canberra City campus). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates by Significant Urban Area, 2001 to 2025. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑