Tamworth, New England and North West recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Tamworth, Armidale and across the New England and North West hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, for hospitals and health services, mines, farms and agribusiness, and the region's service towns.
The New England and North West at a glance
- of workers are in agriculture, forestry and fishing
- 22%
- 22,300 of 102,600 employed people, the region's largest industry, four-quarter average to February 2026.1
- of online job ads were for doctors and nurses
- 25%
- 358 of 1,405 ads a month, three-month average to September 2026.2
- of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role
- 49%
- Employers recruiting or who had recruited in the past month, New England and North West, year to August 2026, against 44% in the rest of NSW.3
- unemployment rate, Tamworth Regional
- 3.6%
- Modelled estimate for the June quarter 2026, against 4.4% in Armidale Regional.4
Who are the biggest employers in the New England and North West?
Farming is the region's largest industry, with education, health care, retail and construction behind it.1 The hospitals in Tamworth and Armidale are run by Hunter New England Local Health District, which employs around 18,000 people across the Hunter, New England and Lower Mid North Coast.5 Tamworth Hospital's $211 million second stage added medical, surgical and inpatient beds, a day surgery unit and a paediatrics unit.6
In the Gunnedah Basin, Whitehaven Coal's Maules Creek open-cut mine has a workforce of about 700, and its Narrabri underground mine employs around 500 people, most of whom live locally.7,8 Further ahead, the New England Renewable Energy Zone's transmission network, about 305 kilometres long, is expected to reach financial close in 2028 with construction to follow, and its build has an estimated peak workforce of about 1,400.9,10
Employed people in the five largest industries, New England and North West employment region (New England and North West SA4), four-quarter average to February 2026.1
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 22,300 |
| Education and training | 11,600 |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,400 |
| Retail trade | 9,500 |
| Construction | 7,900 |
Where do employers hire across the New England and North West?
Each town has its own economy. Tamworth is the region's service and processing centre, Armidale is a university city, Moree and Narrabri are cropping and cotton country, and Gunnedah is the one council area in the region where mining employed more residents than any other industry in 2021.11 Among the six council areas shown below, unemployment ranged from 3.1% in Gunnedah to 4.9% in Moree Plains in the June quarter 2026.4
Estimated resident population of each council area at 30 June 2025,12 and the largest industry of employed residents in August 2021.11
| Council area | Main centre | Residents, 30 June 2025 | Largest industry of residents, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamworth Regional | Tamworth | 66,403 | Health care, 17% |
| Armidale Regional | Armidale | 29,652 | Education and training, 20% |
| Inverell | Inverell | 18,152 | Health care, 15% |
| Gunnedah | Gunnedah | 13,502 | Mining, 14% |
| Moree Plains | Moree | 12,845 | Agriculture, 24% |
| Narrabri | Narrabri | 12,797 | Agriculture, 18% |
Which jobs are most advertised in Tamworth and the North West?
Health dominates job ads across the region. Medical practitioners and nurses accounted for about one in four online ads in the three months to September 2026, well ahead of any other group, and automotive and engineering trades were the most advertised trade group.2
Online job advertisements by occupation group, New England and North West SA4, three-month average to September 2026.2
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 358 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 167 |
| Carers and aides | 73 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 66 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 57 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 51 |
How hard is it to hire in the New England and North West?
About half of the employers who recruit here find it hard. Of the 86 employers in the region who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 51% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 49% of those had difficulty filling a role, against 44% in the rest of NSW.3
The reason they gave most often was the working conditions or hours, ahead of a lack of suitable applicants and applicants lacking technical skills.3 We raise the hours, roster and on-call arrangements with candidates in the first conversation, so the people you meet have already weighed them up.
Which roles do we recruit in the New England and North 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 358 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 73 for carers and aides and 32 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.13
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Tamworth trains health workers in a simulated hospital setting.14
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification and registration the role needs, the setting, the shifts and on-call arrangements, and who will supervise.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their registration, the shifts they can work and the town they want to live in, 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 in the Gunnedah Basin.
- Size
- Maules Creek has a workforce of about 700 and the Narrabri underground mine around 500, most of whom live locally.7,8
- Local share
- Mining employed 14% of working Gunnedah residents in 2021, more than any other industry there.11
- Shortage
- Diesel motor mechanics, electricians, general fitters, mining engineers and geologists are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.13
- What to put in your brief
- The site, the roster and whether the role is residential or drive-in, the tickets and machinery, and who supervises.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about the roster, the drive to site and the equipment they have worked on, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Agriculture and agribusiness
Agronomists, farm and operations managers, agricultural mechanics and agribusiness staff for cropping, cotton and livestock businesses.
- Size
- Agriculture employs 22,300 people across the region, the largest industry.1 It employed 24% of working Moree Plains residents and 18% in Narrabri in 2021.11
- Local produce
- Gunnedah Shire Council lists grains, cotton and beef cattle as the shire's main agriculture.15
- Shortage
- Agronomists are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.13
- What to put in your brief
- The base town, the properties or areas visited, early starts in the season, vehicle and licence needs and who reviews the person's work.
Trades and engineering
Qualified electricians, diesel and motor mechanics, fabricators and aircraft maintenance staff, and graduate and experienced engineers, for workshops, processors, councils and energy projects.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 57 online job ads a month in the region and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades 23, three-month average to September 2026.2
- 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 Tamworth has an engineering workshop in town and an aircraft workshop at the airport.14,18
- Manufacturing
- Manufacturing was Tamworth Regional's fourth-largest industry of employed residents in 2021, at 9%.11
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their licences, tickets and the work they have done. More on our trades recruitment and engineering and technical recruitment.
Hiring graduates in the New England
Armidale is a university city: education and training was its largest industry in 2021, employing almost one in five working residents.11 Graduates who studied at the University of New England19 or TAFE NSW already know the region. Tell us the support you offer a graduate in their first year, and we talk with them about the work and the town.
How we help you hire in the New England and North West
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel, rosters and relocation
The region spreads out from Tamworth. Gunnedah is about 80 kilometres west,15 and the Gunnedah Basin's two largest coal mines sit 17 and 45 kilometres from Narrabri.7,8 Tell us the base, the roster and any travel to sites, 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 in relation to the base and any relocation support you offer. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in the New England and North West?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, University of New England and TAFE NSW graduates and people moving to the region can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us whether you'd like to work in Tamworth, Armidale or out in the North West, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next New England or North West hire
Tell us about the role, the base town and 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 Tamworth and the New England?
About half of the employers who recruit find it hard. In the year to August 2026, 49% of employers in the New England and North West who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty, against 44% across the rest of NSW. Working conditions or hours were the reason given most often.3 Hire Australia, a regional recruitment specialist, discusses hours and rosters with candidates before you meet them.
Do you recruit for mines and contractors around Gunnedah and Narrabri?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits qualified tradespeople, engineers, geologists and safety staff for mines and contractors in the Gunnedah Basin. Many mine workers here live locally rather than flying in, so tell us the site, the roster and whether the role is residential or drive-in. We discuss the tickets, machinery and travel with candidates during screening.
Do you recruit nurses and allied health professionals in the New England?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health managers and support workers such as assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers for employers in Tamworth, Armidale, Moree and across the New England and North West, from graduates to experienced people.
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 Tamworth, Armidale or North West role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff in Tamworth and the North West?
No. Hire Australia recruits people that Tamworth, Armidale and North 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 Tamworth?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Tamworth, Armidale, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Moree and Inverell. Our search starts with people who live, study or train in the New England and North West, along with candidates planning a move there. We work with you by phone, video and email.
Sources (19)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: New England and North West 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, 86 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. 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 ↑
- NSW Government, About Hunter New England Local Health District. District page: around 18,000 staff across the Hunter, New England and Lower Mid North Coast. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Health Infrastructure NSW, Tamworth Hospital Redevelopment Stage 2. Project page (last updated 16 June 2025), completed: $211 million; added beds, a day surgery unit and a paediatrics unit. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Whitehaven Coal, Maules Creek Mine. Company asset page: open-cut mine 45 km south-east of Narrabri; workforce about 700. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Whitehaven Coal, Narrabri Mine. Company asset page: underground mine 17 km south-east of Narrabri; employs around 500 people, most living locally. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- EnergyCo NSW, New England REZ network infrastructure project. Project page: about 305 km of transmission; financial close expected in 2028, with construction to follow. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- EnergyCo NSW, Frequently asked questions: Workforce accommodation, New England Renewable Energy Zone. FAQ dated September 2026, page 2: estimated peak workforce of about 1,400 for the network build. 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 ↑
- 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, Tamworth (Janison Street) campus. Campus page: engineering workshop and simulated hospital setting. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Gunnedah Shire Council, Gunnedah stats. Council page (undated): around 80 km west of Tamworth; grains, cotton and beef cattle; coal and natural gas. 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, Tamworth (Rentell Street) campus. Campus page: aircraft workshop at Hangar 9, Rentell Street, Tamworth. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, National Register: University of New England. Provider register entry. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑