Northern Rivers recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, Casino, Kyogle and the Tweed hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, including employers in Tweed Heads who compete with the Gold Coast for the same people.
The Northern Rivers at a glance
- of the region's people live in Tweed Shire
- 38%
- 101,044 of 265,824 people across six council areas, 30 June 2025.1,2
- of online job ads were for nurses, doctors, carers and aides
- 20%
- 287 of 1,448 ads a month, three-month average to September 2026.3
- of recruiting employers had difficulty hiring
- 32%
- North Coast employers recruiting or who had recruited in the past month, year to August 2026, against 44% in the rest of NSW.4
- unemployment rate, City of Lismore
- 4.7%
- Modelled estimate for the June quarter 2026, against 2.9% in Ballina and 3.3% in the Tweed.5
Who are the Northern Rivers' biggest employers?
Health is the region's largest employer. The Northern NSW Local Health District employed 7,319 staff across 32 sites in 2024-25,6 and in 2025-26 it recruited 484 permanent registered nurses and 94 permanent enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing.7 Tweed Valley Hospital, a $723.3 million hospital with capacity for 430 beds, opened in May 2024,8 and Lismore Base Hospital is the region's level five referral hospital.9
Beyond health, each council area has its own economy. Manufacturing is Richmond Valley's second-largest industry,10 and Casino's Nammoona precinct is home to the Northern Co-operative Meat Company, Riverina Stock Feeds and DTM Timber.11 Agriculture is Kyogle's largest industry, and professional, scientific and technical services employed 9% of working Byron Shire residents in 2021.10
Where do employers hire across the Northern Rivers?
The six council areas run from the Tweed on the Queensland border to Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Casino. Unemployment ranged from 2.9% in Ballina to 5.8% in Kyogle in the June quarter 2026.5
Estimated resident population at 30 June 2025,1 modelled unemployment rates for the June quarter 2026,5 and selected major industries of employed residents in August 2021.10
| Council area | Residents, 30 June 2025 | Unemployment, June quarter 2026 | Largest industries of residents, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tweed (Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah) | 101,044 | 3.3% | Health care 17%; construction 12% |
| Lismore | 43,642 | 4.7% | Health care 21%; education 11% |
| Ballina | 48,603 | 2.9% | Health care 19%; education 11% |
| Byron (Byron Bay, Mullumbimby) | 38,784 | 4.0% | Health care 14%; accommodation and food 13% |
| Richmond Valley (Casino) | 24,044 | 5.5% | Health care 16%; manufacturing 12% |
| Kyogle | 9,707 | 5.8% | Agriculture 18%; health care 16% |
Which jobs are most advertised in the Northern Rivers?
The region averaged 1,448 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026. Nursing and care roles led.3
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Richmond - Tweed SA4, three-month average to September 2026.3
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 150 |
| Carers and aides | 137 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 113 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 108 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 86 |
| Hospitality, retail and service managers | 59 |
| Food trades workers | 52 |
How hard is it to hire in the Northern Rivers?
It depends on the role. Of the 86 North Coast employers who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 32% of those recruiting or who had recruited in the past month had difficulty filling a role, against 44% in the rest of NSW. The reasons they gave most were working conditions or hours, the regional location, and applicants lacking experience or technical skills.4
Trades are tighter. The region's March 2026 jobs plan says rebuilding after the February 2022 flood and ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in 2025 is driving demand for skilled construction and trades workers.12 For trade roles we start the search early and look across the whole region.
Hiring in the Tweed, next door to the Gold Coast
Tweed Heads is part of one urban area with the Gold Coast, home to 761,634 people in June 2025,13 so Tweed employers recruit in a market that crosses the state border. The region's jobs plan also expects incentives to draw local tradespeople to Queensland for the construction program ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Games.12 Tell us where the work is based and whether people living on the Gold Coast would suit you, and we search on both sides of the border. Our Gold Coast guide covers the Queensland side.
Which roles do we recruit in the Northern Rivers?
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, midwives, allied health professionals, health managers and administrators, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers.
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 150 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 137 for carers and aides and 44 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, 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.14
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Kingscliff has a simulated hospital and an aged and disability home-care space,15 and Southern Cross University trains nurses, midwives and occupational therapists at its Gold Coast campus in Coolangatta.16
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification and registration the role needs, the setting, the shifts, and whether the role is in the Tweed, Lismore or a smaller town.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their registration, the shifts they can work and where in the region they want to live, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Trades and construction
Qualified carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and builders for new construction, flood repair and maintenance work.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 35 online job ads a month, construction trades 18 and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades 18, three-month average to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Electricians, carpenters, metal fabricators and diesel and motor mechanics are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.14
- 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).17 Market median: $2,191 a week (full-time electricians nationally, May 2025).18
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Wollongbar, between Lismore and Ballina, has engineering and electrotechnology workshops.19
- What to put in your brief
- Whether the work is new building, flood repair or maintenance, the licence class, and whether candidates living over the border suit you.
Agriculture and food processing
Farm and orchard managers, agronomists, processing-plant engineers, maintenance tradespeople and quality and safety staff for macadamia, horticulture and meat-processing businesses.
- The industry
- The Northern Rivers and Bundaberg together grow 80% of Australia's macadamias, and the Northern Rivers has several hundred growers and several large processing plants.20
- Local economies
- Agriculture employed 18% of working Kyogle residents and manufacturing 12% in Richmond Valley in 2021.10
- Local training
- TAFE NSW Wollongbar has an agricultural mechanical workshop and a horticulture plant nursery.19
- What to put in your brief
- The farm, orchard or plant base, the season and shifts, the machinery and food-safety systems used, and who the person reports to.
Engineers, business and professional services
Graduate and experienced engineers, drafters, accountants, planners and administration staff for councils, contractors and professional practices.
- Demand
- Business, finance and HR professionals and numerical clerks each averaged 24 online job ads a month, engineers 16 and engineering, ICT and science technicians 21, three-month average to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers and civil engineering draftspersons are rated in shortage nationally in 2026, as are taxation accountants; general and management accountants are not.14
- Pay (engineers)
- 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.21 Market median: $59 an hour (civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025).22
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline or systems, the experience level, who reviews the person's work and the town the role is based in.
Graduates in the Northern Rivers
Southern Cross University's Lismore campus has a science and engineering precinct with facilities for civil and mechanical engineering,23 and its Gold Coast campus, just over the border, trains nurses, midwives and occupational therapists.16 Tell us who will guide a graduate in their first year, and we talk with graduates about that support and their plans in the region.
How we help you hire in the Northern Rivers
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel, rosters and relocation
Distances are short by regional standards. Lismore is within 40 minutes of Byron Bay, 35 minutes from Ballina Byron Gateway Airport and 75 minutes from Gold Coast Airport.24 Tell us where the working day starts and how much travel the role involves, and we build it 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. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in the Northern Rivers?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, Southern Cross University and TAFE NSW graduates and people moving to the Northern Rivers can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and which towns suit you, from the Tweed to Casino, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Northern Rivers hire
Tell us about the role, the town it's based in 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 the Northern Rivers?
Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for Northern Rivers employers at every level, from graduates to experienced people. That covers nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, health support workers, qualified tradespeople, engineers, accountants and office staff, and managers and technical staff in agriculture and food processing. Tell us the experience the role needs and we search for people who have it.
Is it hard to recruit staff in the Northern Rivers?
It depends on the role. In the year to August 2026, 32% of North Coast employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty, against 44% in the rest of NSW.4 Construction and trades are tighter, because flood and cyclone rebuilding is adding demand for skilled workers.12 Hire Australia searches across Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Casino and the Tweed for people with the right skills.
Do you recruit for Tweed Heads employers who compete with the Gold Coast?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits for employers across the Tweed, including Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah. Tweed Heads shares one urban area with the Gold Coast, so we search for people on both sides of the border who want to work in the Tweed, and talk with them about the travel and the role before we introduce 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 Northern Rivers role costs nothing, wherever the job is based, from the Tweed to Casino.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Lismore?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, Casino, Kyogle and the Tweed. Our search starts with people who live, study or train in the Northern Rivers or just over the border, 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 the Northern Rivers?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which towns suit you, from the Tweed to Lismore and Casino. We'll talk with you about suitable Northern Rivers roles and about the practical side of the move, such as where you plan to live.
Sources (24)
- 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, 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 ↑
- Northern NSW Local Health District, 2024-25 In Review. Annual review 2024-25: "We employ 7,319 staff across 32 sites." The district also covers the Clarence Valley. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Northern NSW Local Health District, 2025-26 In Review. Annual review 2025-26: recruited 484 permanent registered nurses and 94 permanent enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Northern NSW Local Health District, Historic boost for health services: new Tweed Valley Hospital officially opened. News, May 2024: $723.3 million hospital with capacity for 430 beds. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Northern NSW Local Health District, Lismore Base Hospital. Hospital page (undated): "a regional referral, Level 5 base hospital". 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 ↑
- Richmond Valley Council, Casino Industries Activation. Council project page (undated): names the Northern Co-operative Meat Company, Riverina Stock Feeds and DTM Timber at Nammoona. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan: North Coast Employment Region (March 2026). Plan dated March 2026: flood and cyclone rebuilding driving demand for construction and trades; expected pull of tradespeople to Queensland. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area, Remoteness Area, CED and SED, 2001 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, Kingscliff campus. Campus page: simulated hospital setting; aged and disability home care space; automotive and carpentry workshops. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Southern Cross University, Gold Coast campus. Campus page: at Coolangatta next to Gold Coast Airport; nursing, midwifery and occupational therapy. 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, Wollongbar campus. Campus page: between Lismore and Ballina; agricultural mechanical, engineering and electrotechnology workshops. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Macadamia Society, 5 surprising facts about Australia's 2 main macadamia growing regions. Industry body article, 8 August 2024: Northern Rivers and Bundaberg account for 80% of production; several hundred growers. 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 ↑
- Southern Cross University, Lismore campus. Campus page: science and engineering precinct with facilities for civil and mechanical engineering. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Lismore City Council, Lismore economic profile. Council page (undated): within 40 minutes of Byron Bay; 35 minutes from Ballina airport; 75 minutes from Gold Coast airport. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑