Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Woolgoolga, Bellingen and the wider Clarence Valley hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people
Coffs Harbour and the Clarence Valley at a glance
- of the region's people live in the City of Coffs Harbour
- 54%
- 82,109 of 152,331 people, 30 June 2025. The Clarence Valley holds most of the rest.1,2
- of online job ads were for doctors and nurses
- 21%
- 189 of 912 ads a month, three-month average to September 2026.3
- of recruiting Mid North Coast employers had difficulty hiring
- 33%
- Covers Coffs Harbour and Bellingen; recruiting or had recruited in the past month, year to August 2026. Grafton's region: 32%.4,5
- unemployment rate, City of Coffs Harbour
- 3.8%
- Modelled estimate for the June quarter 2026, against 5% in the Clarence Valley.6
Who are the biggest employers in Coffs Harbour and the Clarence Valley?
Health is the biggest employer on both sides of the region. Health care and social assistance employed 19% of working Coffs Harbour residents and 17% in the Clarence Valley in August 2021, and construction about 10% and 9%.7
Coffs Harbour Health Campus is a 357-bed, level five teaching hospital that treats nearly 45,000 emergency presentations a year.8 In Grafton, a $283.8 million rebuild of Grafton Base Hospital is under way, with completion expected in 2029.9 Public administration and safety is the fourth-largest industry among Clarence Valley workers,7 and Clarence Correctional Centre, about 12.5 kilometres south-east of Grafton, opened in 2020 with 600 operational jobs.10
Employed people in the five largest industries, North Coast employment region (Coffs Harbour - Grafton and Richmond - Tweed SA4s), four-quarter average to February 2026.11
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 36,000 |
| Education and training | 20,800 |
| Retail trade | 20,200 |
| Construction | 19,500 |
| Accommodation and food services | 14,700 |
Where do employers hire across the region?
Coffs Harbour is the main centre and takes in Woolgoolga; Grafton, Maclean and Yamba are in the Clarence Valley; Bellingen and Dorrigo sit inland to the south-west. Unemployment ranged from 3.8% in Coffs Harbour to 5% in the Clarence Valley in the June quarter 2026.6
Estimated resident population of each council area at 30 June 2025,1 and modelled unemployment rates for the June quarter 2026.6
| Council area | Main towns | Residents, 30 June 2025 | Unemployment rate, June quarter 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Coffs Harbour | Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga | 82,109 | 3.8% |
| Clarence Valley | Grafton, Maclean, Yamba | 56,874 | 5.0% |
| Bellingen Shire | Bellingen, Dorrigo | 13,348 | 4.3% |
Which jobs are most advertised in Coffs Harbour and Grafton?
Health and community roles lead the region's online job ads. Doctors and nurses, legal, social and welfare professionals, and carers and aides together made up about 41% of the 912 ads a month in the three months to September 2026.3
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Coffs Harbour - Grafton SA4, three-month average to September 2026.3
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 189 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 106 |
| Carers and aides | 79 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 56 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 41 |
| Health diagnostic and therapy professionals | 32 |
How hard is it to hire in Coffs Harbour and the Clarence Valley?
Less often than in much of regional NSW. This guide spans two employment regions.5 In the year to August 2026, 33% of recruiting employers in Mid North Coast, covering Coffs Harbour and Bellingen, had difficulty filling a role; in North Coast, covering Grafton and the Clarence Valley, it was 32%. The rest of NSW was 44%; recruiting means recruiting or having recruited in the past month.4
The reasons employers gave most were working conditions or hours, the regional location, applicants without the experience needed, and applicants without the technical skills.4 When the hours or the location are the sticking point, we raise them with candidates in the first conversation.
Which roles do we recruit in Coffs Harbour and the Clarence Valley?
Open a role type for demand, training, pay and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are the 2026 national ratings; we count an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health administrators and managers, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers.
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 189 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 32 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals and 79 for carers and aides, three-month average to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026, and enrolled nurses in regional areas.12
- Local services
- Coffs Harbour Health Campus runs coronary care with angiography, intensive care, renal dialysis, oncology and a regional psychiatric service.8
- Local training
- TAFE NSW teaches nursing in a simulated hospital at the Coffs Harbour Education Campus.13
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification and registration the role needs, the setting (hospital, aged care, disability or community), the shifts and who will supervise.
Trades and construction
Qualified electricians, refrigeration mechanics, mechanics, carpenters and plumbers for construction, maintenance and service businesses.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 26 online job ads a month in the region, with 8 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades and 8 for construction trades, three-month average to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Electricians, refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics, diesel and motor mechanics and carpenters are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.12
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week where the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers the role (Electrical worker grade 5, including industry, tool and licence allowances, from 1 July 2026).14 Market median: $2,191 a week (full-time electricians nationally, May 2025).15
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Grafton has refrigeration and air-conditioning, electrotechnology and engineering workshops, and the Coffs Harbour Education Campus has engineering and heavy and light vehicle automotive workshops.13,16
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, the licence and tickets the work needs, the equipment, whether the person works between Coffs Harbour and Grafton, and the experience you expect.
Engineers and technical staff
Graduate and experienced civil engineers, project engineers, drafters and technical officers for councils, contractors and infrastructure work.
- Projects
- The $2.2 billion, 14-kilometre Coffs Harbour bypass is due to open to traffic in late 2026, with the project finishing in late 2027.17,18
- Shortage
- Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers and civil engineering draftspersons are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.12
- Pay
- Award minimum: $34.57 an hour where the Professional Employees Award covers the role (graduate with a four- or five-year degree, level 1.1, from 1 July 2026); council roles fall under a different award.19 Market median: $59 an hour (civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025).20
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline, the experience level, the software you use and, for a graduate, who will review their work.
Business, finance and administration
Accountants, payroll and finance officers, administration staff and office managers, from graduates to experienced people, for practices, councils and service organisations.
- Demand
- Business, finance and HR professionals averaged 11 online job ads a month in the region, numerical clerks 12 and general-inquiry clerks and receptionists 41, three-month average to September 2026.3
- Employers
- The NSW Government plans a Coffs Harbour workplace hub for more than 600 staff from six departments, with construction expected to start in late 2026, subject to approvals.21
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, the experience level, who the person reports to and whether the role is in Coffs Harbour or Grafton.
- How we help
- We find people with relevant study or experience and talk with them about the work, the hours and their plans in the region.
Agrifood and horticulture
Farm and packing-shed managers, agronomists, logistics coordinators and maintenance tradespeople for berry and horticulture businesses.
- The industry
- The City of Coffs Harbour describes blueberries as its largest crop.22 In 2021 the North Coast blueberry industry was estimated at $390 million, and New South Wales grew 87% of Australia's blueberries.23
- Shortage
- Agronomists are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.12
- What to put in your brief
- The farm or shed base, the season and hours, the systems and machinery used, and who the person reports to.
- How we help
- We look for people with horticulture, logistics or maintenance experience and talk with them about the seasons, the base and the travel.
Graduates on the Coffs Coast
Southern Cross University's Coffs Harbour campus teaches health, education and marine science to more than 1,200 students,24 and TAFE NSW trains nurses in a simulated hospital on the same education campus.13 Tell us who will guide them in their first year, and we talk with graduates about that support and their plans on the Coffs Coast.
How we help you hire in Coffs Harbour and the Clarence Valley
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel, rosters and relocation
Coffs Harbour is about 540 kilometres north of Sydney and 440 kilometres south of Brisbane.25 The Pacific Highway runs as divided road north from Woolgoolga to Ballina, a 155-kilometre upgrade finished in December 2020, which puts Grafton and the Clarence Valley towns on the same corridor.26
Tell us where the working day starts, the roster and any travel between Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Bellingen, and we build them into the search.
If your preferred candidate is moving to the region, we raise the practical side of the move early, including where they plan to live and any relocation support you offer. Health employers are adding staff accommodation: 36 units for health workers are being built opposite Grafton Base Hospital.27 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Coffs Harbour or Grafton?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, recent Southern Cross University and TAFE NSW graduates and people moving to the Coffs Coast or the Clarence Valley can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and where you can travel, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Coffs Harbour or Clarence Valley hire
Tell us about the role, where it's based 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 experience levels does Hire Australia recruit for in Coffs Harbour and Grafton?
Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley employers at every level, from graduates to experienced people. That covers nurses, allied health professionals and support workers, qualified tradespeople, engineers and technical officers, accountants and office staff, and agrifood managers. Tell us the experience the role needs and we search for people who have it.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Coffs Harbour and Grafton?
Less often than in much of regional NSW. In the year to August 2026, 33% of recruiting employers in the Mid North Coast region, which covers Coffs Harbour, and 32% in the North Coast region, which covers Grafton, had difficulty filling a role, against 44% in the rest of NSW. North Coast employers most often cited working conditions or hours and the location.4 Hire Australia talks through the hours and location with candidates before introducing them.
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 Coffs Harbour or Clarence Valley role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Coffs Harbour?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Woolgoolga, Bellingen, Maclean and Yamba. Our search starts with people who live, study or train on the Coffs Coast and in the Clarence Valley, along with candidates planning a move there. We work with you by phone, video and email.
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.
Can I register with Hire Australia if I'm moving to Coffs Harbour or the Clarence Valley?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and whether you would prefer Coffs Harbour, Grafton or another town in the region. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and about the practical side of the move, such as where you plan to live.
Sources (27)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index: Internet Vacancies, ANZSCO2 Occupations, GCCSA and SA4 Regions - September 2026. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State and Regional Snapshot update, New South Wales combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 107 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Request for Tender for Transition to Work 2022–27. Places by employment region: Mid North Coast (p. 99) includes Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga; North Coast (p. 104) includes Grafton, Yamba and Maclean. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, SALM Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2025) - June quarter 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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 ↑
- Mid North Coast Local Health District, Coffs Harbour Health Campus. Hospital profile (undated): 357 beds, nearly 45,000 emergency presentations a year, level five teaching hospital. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Health, Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment main works underway (media release). Released 21 September 2026: $283.8 million; construction expected to be completed in 2029. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Infrastructure NSW, Clarence Correctional Centre. Project page: up to 1,700 inmates; 600 operational jobs created; opened 25 July 2020; about 12.5 km south-east of Grafton. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: North Coast Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. 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 ↑
- TAFE NSW, Coffs Harbour Education Campus. Campus page: nursing in a simulated hospital; engineering, heavy and light vehicle automotive workshops. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide - Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award [MA000025]. Published 7 August 2026. 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, ANZSCO 3411 Electricians. Data: May 2025, ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (customised report), national median for full-time employees. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE NSW, Grafton campus. Campus page: air conditioning and refrigeration, electrotechnology and engineering workshops. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government, Signs of progress on Coffs Harbour's new bypass (ministerial release). Released 17 February 2026: 14 km bypass due to open to traffic late 2026, completion late 2027; $1.76 billion federal and $440 million NSW funding. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government, Major milestone for Coffs Harbour bypass as project hits halfway point (ministerial release). Released 16 October 2025: the jointly funded $2.2 billion Coffs Harbour bypass. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide - Professional Employees Award [MA000065]. Published 24 June 2026. 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, ANZSCO 2332 Civil Engineering Professionals. Data: May 2025, ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (customised report), national median. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government, Coffs Harbour to get expanded government workplace hub (ministerial release). Released 11 December 2025: more than 600 staff from 6 departments; construction expected late 2026, subject to approvals. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- City of Coffs Harbour, Employment (Relocating to Coffs). Council page (undated): "Our current largest crop comes from the blueberry industry". Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, NSW blueberries. Story dated 24 June 2021: North Coast blueberry industry estimated at $390 million; NSW produced 87% of Australia's blueberries. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour campus. Campus page: courses across health, education and marine science; more than 1,200 students. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- City of Coffs Harbour (profile by .id), Coffs Harbour economic profile: About the area. Council economic profile: about 540 km north of Sydney and 440 km south of Brisbane. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Transport for NSW, Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade (e-book). Published 2021: the 155 km upgrade; final section opened to traffic December 2020. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Health, Key health worker accommodation, Grafton (media release). Released 21 September 2026: 36 one-bedroom units for healthcare staff opposite Grafton Base Hospital. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑