Dubbo, Orana and Far West recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Dubbo, across the Orana and out to Broken Hill, Cobar and Bourke hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, for hospitals and health services, mines, energy and construction projects, government and agribusiness.
Dubbo, the Orana and the Far West at a glance
- of workers are in health care and social assistance
- 24%
- 12,600 of 52,400 employed people, the region's largest industry, four-quarter average to February 2026.1
- of online job ads were for doctors and nurses
- 15%
- 148 of 983 ads a month, three-month average to September 2026.2
- of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role
- 50%
- Employers recruiting or who had recruited in the past month, Far West Orana, year to August 2026, against 44% in the rest of NSW.3
- of Cobar's working residents were in mining
- 31%
- 568 of 1,844 employed residents, August 2021.4
Who are the biggest employers from Dubbo to Broken Hill?
Health is the region's anchor. Western NSW Local Health District, which runs Dubbo's hospital, employs around 8,000 people across almost 250,000 square kilometres, including 25 multipurpose services in smaller towns.5 Dubbo Hospital has a new three-storey clinical building from a $150 million upgrade.6 Further west, the Far West Local Health District employs well over 800 clinicians and support staff, with Broken Hill its largest centre.7
The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone raised its first transmission tower in April 2026 and will ramp up from 2028. It is forecast to support 1,850 direct local jobs during construction and about 930 ongoing jobs, and more than a third of the workforce is drawn from the region.8
Employed people in the five largest industries, Far West Orana employment region (Far West and Orana SA4), four-quarter average to February 2026.1
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 12,600 |
| Public administration and safety | 5,400 |
| Retail trade | 5,100 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,000 |
| Construction | 4,000 |
Where do employers hire across the Orana and Far West?
Dubbo is the service centre for a catchment of more than 125,000 people.9 Broken Hill combines a regional hospital with a mining city, Cobar is a mining town, and Narromine, Walgett and Bourke are farming country. Unemployment ranged from 2% in Cobar and 2.1% in Dubbo to 7.6% in Walgett in the June quarter 2026.10
Estimated resident population of each council area at 30 June 2025,11 and the largest industry of employed residents in August 2021.4
| Council area | Main centre | Residents, 30 June 2025 | Largest industry of residents, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubbo Regional | Dubbo | 57,384 | Health care, 19% |
| Broken Hill | Broken Hill | 17,515 | Health care, 22%; mining second |
| Narromine | Narromine | 6,420 | Agriculture, 23% |
| Walgett | Walgett | 5,437 | Agriculture, 26% |
| Cobar | Cobar | 4,019 | Mining, 31% |
| Bourke | Bourke | 2,310 | Agriculture, 18% |
Which jobs are most advertised in Dubbo and the Far West?
Health leads the region's online job ads, and machine operators and automotive and engineering trades also feature, reflecting the mines and projects.2
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Far West and Orana SA4, three-month average to September 2026.2
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 148 |
| Carers and aides | 81 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 71 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 50 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 48 |
| Machine and stationary plant operators | 34 |
How hard is it to hire in Dubbo and western NSW?
Half of the Dubbo and Far West employers who recruit find it hard. Of the 52 employers in the region who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 48% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 50% of those had difficulty filling a role, against 44% in the rest of NSW. The sample is small, so treat the figure as a guide.3
The reasons they gave most often were a lack of suitable applicants and applicants lacking technical skills.3 We screen for the technical skills and tickets your role needs before we introduce anyone.
Which roles do we recruit in Dubbo, the Orana and the Far West?
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 148 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 81 for carers and aides and 30 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, three-month average to September 2026.2
- 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 training
- TAFE NSW Dubbo teaches nursing.13
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification and registration the role needs, the town, the shifts and on-call arrangements, and any accommodation you provide.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their registration, the shifts and what living in the town would involve, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Mining and resources
Qualified diesel fitters, electricians, mechanical fitters, mining engineers, geologists and safety staff for mines and contractors around Cobar and Broken Hill.
- Local share
- Mining employed almost a third of Cobar's working residents in 2021 and was Broken Hill's second-largest industry.4
- Workforce
- Cobar Shire's planning statement says the local workforce is sometimes insufficient for the specialised skills mining needs, and that the shire relies on the external labour market for mining.14
- History
- Broken Hill has seen continuous mining for more than 137 years, with zinc and lead concentrates railed to Port Pirie.15
- Shortage
- Diesel motor mechanics, electricians, general fitters, mining engineers and geologists are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.12
- What to put in your brief
- Whether the role is residential, drive-in or fly-in, the roster, the accommodation, and the tickets and equipment.
Energy, construction and engineering
Qualified electricians and electrical linesworkers, and graduate and experienced electrical and civil engineers and project staff, for energy, construction and infrastructure work.
- Projects
- The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone is forecast to support 1,850 direct local jobs during construction.8
- Shortage
- Electricians and civil, electrical and mechanical engineers 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).16 Market median: $2,191 a week (full-time electricians nationally, May 2025).17
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Dubbo has an engineering workshop, and TAFE NSW Broken Hill teaches electrotechnology, engineering, fabrication and welding.13,18
- What to put in your brief
- The licence class, any high-voltage experience, the site and roster, and the accommodation arrangements.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their licences, tickets and project experience. More on our trades recruitment and engineering and technical recruitment.
Government, business and community services
Administrators, finance and HR staff, accountants and community professionals, from graduates to experienced people, for councils, state agencies and community organisations.
- Size
- Public administration and safety employs 5,400 people, the region's second-largest industry,1 and it employed 15% of working Bourke residents in 2021.4
- Demand
- Legal, social and welfare professionals averaged 71 online job ads a month and business, finance and HR professionals 19, three-month average to September 2026.2
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, the reporting lines, the town and how much travel the role involves.
- How we help
- We look for people with relevant study or experience and talk with them about the work and life in the town.
Agriculture and agribusiness
Agronomists, farm and station managers, agricultural mechanics and agribusiness staff for cropping and grazing businesses.
- Local economies
- Agriculture employed 26% of working Walgett residents, 23% in Narromine and 18% in Bourke in 2021.4
- Shortage
- Agronomists are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.12
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Dubbo specialises in agriculture and heavy vehicles.13
- What to put in your brief
- The base, the properties visited and the distances, vehicle and licence needs, and who reviews the person's work.
Hiring graduates in western NSW
The University of Sydney's Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health places students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work, with campuses in Broken Hill, Bourke and Wentworth.19 A student who has completed a placement out west already knows the work. Tell us the support you offer in the first year, and we talk with graduates about the work and the move.
How we help you hire in Dubbo, the Orana and the Far West
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel, rosters and relocation
Distances shape most hires out west. Broken Hill is 1,160 kilometres west of Sydney and about 500 kilometres from Adelaide,20 and it keeps South Australian time, half an hour behind Dubbo.21 Cobar is about 700 kilometres north-west of Sydney.14
Tell us the base, the roster, any fly-in or drive-in arrangements and the accommodation you provide, and we build them into the search. When a candidate is relocating, we talk with them about the town and the move early on. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Dubbo or the Far West?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, graduates and people ready for a move to Dubbo, Broken Hill or a smaller western town can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and how far you are willing to go, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Dubbo or Far West hire
Tell us about the role, the town or site, the roster 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.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Dubbo and western NSW?
For about half of employers, yes. In the year to August 2026, 50% of Far West Orana employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty filling a role, against 44% across the rest of NSW, most often because of a lack of suitable or technically skilled applicants.3 Hire Australia, a regional recruitment specialist, screens for those skills from the start.
Do you recruit for roles in Broken Hill and Cobar?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for employers in Broken Hill, Cobar and other western towns, including health, mining and council roles. Tell us the roster, the accommodation and any travel. Broken Hill keeps South Australian time,21 so we allow for the half-hour difference when we arrange interviews.
Do you recruit electricians and engineers for energy and construction projects around Dubbo?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits qualified electricians, electrical linesworkers and graduate and experienced engineers for contractors and businesses working on the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone and other projects. Tell us the licence class, any high-voltage experience, the site and the roster, and we build them into the search.
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 Dubbo, Orana or Far West role costs nothing, however remote the job is.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff in Dubbo?
No. Hire Australia recruits people that Dubbo, Orana and Far West employers employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors, 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 from day one.
Do you have an office in Dubbo?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Dubbo, Broken Hill, Cobar, Bourke, Narromine and Walgett. Our search starts with people who live, study or train in western NSW, along with candidates planning a move there. We work with you by phone, video and email.
Sources (21)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Far West Orana Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. 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, 52 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. 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 ↑
- NSW Government, About Western NSW Local Health District. District page (undated): around 8,000 staff; almost 250,000 square kilometres; 25 multipurpose services. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Health Infrastructure NSW, Dubbo Hospital redevelopment stages 3 and 4. Project page (last updated 16 June 2025), completed: $150 million upgrade with a new three-storey clinical building. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government, About Far West Local Health District. District page (undated): well over 800 clinicians and support staff; care across 194,949 square kilometres. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- EnergyCo NSW, First transmission tower raised in the Central-West Orana REZ (media release). Release dated 2 April 2026: forecast 1,850 direct local construction jobs and about 930 ongoing; over a third of the workforce from the region. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Dubbo Regional Council, Regional economic development. Council page (last edited 29 October 2026): regional city servicing a catchment of over 125,000. 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, 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 ↑
- 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, Dubbo (Myall Street) campus. Campus page: specialises in agriculture, heavy and light vehicles, construction and nursing; engineering workshop. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Cobar Shire Council, Cobar Shire Local Strategic Planning Statement. Statement dated May 2020: about 700 km north-west of Sydney; the shire relies on the external labour market for mining. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Perilya, Broken Hill operations. Operations page: continuous mining for over 137 years; zinc and lead concentrates railed to Port Pirie. 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, Broken Hill (Kaolin Street) campus. Campus page: carpentry, fabrication and welding, electrotechnology and engineering; electrotechnology and engineering workshops. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- The University of Sydney, Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health. Department page: student placements in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work; Broken Hill, Bourke, Wentworth. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Broken Hill City Council, Broken Hill social and affordable housing project: expression of interest. Council document, 20 July 2020: Broken Hill is 1,160 km west of Sydney; Adelaide about 500 km. Used for distances only. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Definitions of time and how time is regulated. Last updated 8 April 2022: Broken Hill keeps Australian Central Standard Time, unlike the rest of NSW. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑