Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Braidwood recruitment
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Queanbeyan, Googong, Bungendore, Braidwood and across the Queanbeyan-Palerang council area hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people. Queanbeyan-Palerang is in New South Wales, on Canberra's border, and we cover it in our Australian Capital Territory guides.
Queanbeyan-Palerang at a glance
- of employed residents worked in public administration and safety
- 26.2%
- August 2021, by place of residence; the largest industry.1
- worked in construction
- 11.6%
- Employed Queanbeyan-Palerang residents, August 2021.1
- of recruiting employers in the Capital Region had difficulty hiring
- 37%
- Employment region including Canberra and nearby NSW, year to August 2026.2
- unemployment rate, Queanbeyan-Palerang
- 1.4%
- Modelled estimate, June quarter 2026, against 4.2% in the ACT.3
A New South Wales council in the Canberra region
Queanbeyan-Palerang had 67,633 residents at 30 June 2025.4 It sits in New South Wales, but Queanbeyan and Canberra are counted as one urban area of 521,049 people,5 and the official employment-region boundaries put Queanbeyan-Palerang with the ACT in one Capital Region employment region.6 The ACT and NSW governments run a cross-border public transport working group with Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.7
For a local employer, that means candidates and competitors on both sides of the border. Residents' industry figures are by where people live, not where they work, so the large public administration share does not by itself show where those people work. We search on both sides and talk with candidates about where they would rather work.
What do Queanbeyan-Palerang residents work in?
Government, construction, health care and professional services employ the most residents.1 Queanbeyan Hospital and Health Service and the Braidwood Multipurpose Service are part of the Southern NSW Local Health District.8
Share of employed Queanbeyan-Palerang residents in the four largest industries, August 2021, by place of residence. Industry results from the August 2026 count were not yet published at 1 November 2026.1
| Industry | % of employed residents |
|---|---|
| Public administration and safety | 26.2% |
| Construction | 11.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 9.7% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 7.8% |
Which jobs are advertised in NSW around Canberra?
Online job ads are published for the NSW Capital Region as a whole, which covers Queanbeyan-Palerang, Goulburn, Yass and the Upper Lachlan, and also the South Coast and Snowy Monaro. There, medical practitioners and nurses were the most advertised occupation group, followed by legal, social and welfare professionals and by carers and aides.9 Canberra's own job ads are counted separately.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Capital Region (NSW), three-month average to September 2026 (1,453 a month in all).9
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 284 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 166 |
| Carers and aides | 112 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 67 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 66 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 65 |
How hard is it to hire in Queanbeyan?
The national employer survey reports the Capital Region employment region, which takes in Canberra as well as the NSW towns around it. Of 460 responding employers in the year to August 2026, 47% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 37% of those had difficulty filling a role, against 44% nationally.2
The main reasons were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without the technical skills or enough experience, and the working conditions or hours.2 With unemployment at 1.4%, many suitable people are already employed, so we approach them directly and make the case for your role.
Roles we recruit in Queanbeyan-Palerang
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.
Construction and building trades
Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other trades for builders and maintenance contractors in Queanbeyan, Googong and Bungendore.
- Local industry
- Construction employed 11.6% of working Queanbeyan-Palerang residents in August 2021, the second-largest industry.1
- Demand
- The NSW Capital Region averaged 67 online job ads a month for automotive and engineering trades, 21 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades and 15 for construction trades, three-month average to September 2026.9
- Shortage
- Electrician (General), Plumber (General) and Carpenter are rated in shortage nationally on the 2026 list.10
- 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.11 National median for full-time electricians: $2,191 a week (May 2025).12
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licence, the sites on either side of the border, the hours and the pay range.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health administration and management staff, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Local services
- Queanbeyan Hospital and Health Service and the Braidwood Multipurpose Service are local public health services.8
- Demand
- The NSW Capital Region averaged 284 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 112 for carers and aides and 44 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals.9
- Shortage
- On the 2026 list, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Aged or Disabled Carer are rated in shortage nationally, and Enrolled Nurse in regional areas.10
- What to put in your brief
- Registration, the setting, the shifts and whether the role covers Braidwood or other sites.
Professional, technical and office roles
Accountants, administrators, engineers, drafters and technicians for local businesses, councils and contractors.
- Local industry
- Professional, scientific and technical services employed 7.8% of working residents in August 2021.1
- Demand
- The NSW Capital Region averaged 27 online job ads a month for business, finance and human resource professionals, 20 for engineers and 24 for engineering, ICT and science technicians.9
- Pay (graduate engineers)
- 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 the award covers; it doesn't cover council employees covered by another award.13 National median for civil engineering professionals: $59 an hour (May 2025).14
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline or systems, the experience level, any hybrid work and the flexibility you can offer against Canberra employers.
- How we help
- We look for people with relevant experience who live nearby and talk with them about the commute and the role.
How we help you hire in Queanbeyan-Palerang
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Commuting and relocation
Tell us where the working day starts, whether the role covers Bungendore or Braidwood as well as Queanbeyan, and any travel into Canberra. We include it in the search and check candidates are comfortable with it.
If your preferred candidate is moving to the area, we raise housing, timing and any relocation support you offer early.
If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Queanbeyan or Bungendore?
Tradespeople, health and office professionals, engineers and graduates can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and the towns you can reach on either side of the border, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about a role in Queanbeyan-Palerang
Tell us about the role, the town and your timing.
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 Hire Australia recruit differently for Queanbeyan because it is in NSW?
No. Hire Australia recruits for Queanbeyan-Palerang employers in the same way as for Canberra employers: permanent roles you employ directly, with the same terms. Queanbeyan-Palerang is in New South Wales, so check NSW rules on payroll tax and workplace matters with your own adviser; we don't give that advice.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Queanbeyan?
Often, because so few people are out of work: modelled unemployment was 1.4% in the June quarter 2026.3 Across the Capital Region, 37% of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026. Hire Australia approaches people already in work on both sides of the border.
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 role in Queanbeyan, Bungendore or Braidwood costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Queanbeyan?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Queanbeyan-Palerang and Canberra. We work by phone and video with you and with candidates, and our search starts with people who live, study or work around Queanbeyan and Canberra, along with people planning a move there.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire in Queanbeyan?
No. Hire Australia doesn’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors in Queanbeyan-Palerang. 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 I register with Hire Australia for work in Queanbeyan?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which towns you can reach, in NSW or the ACT. We'll talk with you about suitable roles in Queanbeyan, Googong, Bungendore and Braidwood, and nearby in Canberra.
Sources (18)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021, G54 Industry of employment by age by sex, Local Government Areas. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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 Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates and components by LGA. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. 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 ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Data sources and quality: Correspondence Table 2, Local Government Areas within Employment Regions. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- ACT and NSW Governments, ACT and NSW Memorandum of Understanding for Regional Collaboration: Joint Progress Report 2020-2022. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Southern NSW Local Health District, Our hospitals and facilities. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- TAFE NSW, Locations. 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 ↑