Nowra and Southern Highlands recruitment: trade, technical and professional staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Nowra, Bomaderry, Ulladulla, Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale hire tradespeople, health professionals, engineers and managers, from graduates to experienced people. We start with people who already live in the Shoalhaven or the Highlands, then widen the search to people ready to move.
The Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven at a glance
- of the region's people live in the City of Shoalhaven
- 68%
- 111,755 of 165,285 people; Wingecarribee had 53,840. 30 June 2025.1,2
- unemployment rate in the Southern Highlands (Wingecarribee)
- 1.6%
- Smoothed estimate, June quarter 2026.3
- unemployment rate in the City of Shoalhaven
- 4.6%
- Smoothed estimate, June quarter 2026.3
- of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role
- 42%
- Illawarra South Coast employment region, which includes the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven, year to August 2026.4
Two labour markets, one region
The Shoalhaven is the bigger of the two. Nowra is its centre, with health care, construction, tourism along the coast and the Navy at HMAS Albatross, the Navy's largest operational establishment and its only air station. HMAS Creswell is nearby, in Jervis Bay Territory.5
The Southern Highlands is smaller and much tighter. With unemployment at 1.6%, there are very few people out of work in Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale,3 so most hires there come from people already in a job or from outside the shire.
Who are the region's biggest employers?
Tourism and health care are the two biggest engine industries in both council areas.5 Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District serves the Shoalhaven,6 where funding has been committed to upgrade Shoalhaven Hospital.5 In the Highlands, $124 million has gone into redeveloping Bowral and District Hospital, and manufacturing is one of the shire's engine industries.7
Jobs in each council area's main engine industries, 2021, as set out in each area's regional economic development strategy (2023 update).5,7
| Area and industry | Jobs, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Shoalhaven: tourism | 9,068 |
| Shoalhaven: health care | 6,777 |
| Shoalhaven: construction | 5,039 |
| Shoalhaven: public administration and safety, mainly defence | 4,148 |
| Wingecarribee: tourism | 4,441 |
| Wingecarribee: health care | 3,230 |
| Wingecarribee: manufacturing | 1,566 |
| Wingecarribee: agriculture | 718 |
Which jobs are most advertised in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven?
Nurses, carers and community workers head the region's job ads. Automotive and engineering trades and food trades such as chefs each averaged about 30 ads a month.8
Online job ads a month by occupation group, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven statistical area, three-month average to September 2026 (all occupations: 773).8
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 79 |
| Carers and aides | 66 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 63 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 55 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 43 |
| Health diagnostic and therapy professionals | 32 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 31 |
How hard is it to hire here?
No survey reports this region on its own; it sits in the Illawarra South Coast employment region with Wollongong. There, 42% of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026, and the reasons they gave first were too few suitable applicants and too little experience.4
For the Highlands in particular, the low unemployment rate means a good candidate usually has to be persuaded to move jobs or move house. We find out early what would change their mind, whether that's the work itself, the hours, the pay or the chance to live closer to work.
Which roles do we recruit in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven?
Open a role type for demand, shortage, pay, training and what to put in your brief. We count an occupation as in shortage when the 2026 ratings show it in shortage nationally or in regional areas.
Health, aged care and community services
Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health administration and management staff, social and welfare workers, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Demand
- Medical practitioners and nurses averaged 79 ads a month, carers and aides 66 and legal, social and welfare professionals 63.8
- Shortage
- Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Physiotherapist and Aged or Disabled Carer are each rated in shortage nationally in 2026, and Enrolled Nurse is rated in shortage in regional areas only.9
- What to put in your brief
- The registration needed, the facility, the roster and who supervises.
Trades and construction
Electricians, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics and maintenance tradespeople for builders, councils, defence contractors and service businesses.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 31 ads a month, electrotechnology and telecommunications trades 12 and construction trades 10.8
- Size
- Construction supported 5,039 jobs in the Shoalhaven in 2021.5
- Shortage
- Electrician (General), Carpenter and Plumber (General) are each rated in shortage nationally in 2026.9
- Pay (electricians)
- Where the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers the employer, a licensed electrician at Electrical worker grade 5 earns at least $1,223.11 a week from 1 July 2026, including allowances.10 Full-time electricians nationally earned a median $2,191 a week in May 2025.11
- Licence
- Any electrical wiring work in New South Wales needs a licence or certificate.12
- Local training
- TAFE NSW has locations at Nowra, Ulladulla and Moss Vale.13
Engineering, technical and defence-industry roles
Engineers, technicians and technical officers for councils, manufacturers and the private companies that support defence bases. We recruit civilian staff for employers; we don't recruit for the armed forces.
- Demand
- Engineering, ICT and science technicians averaged 14 ads a month and engineers 9.8
- Defence presence
- Public administration and safety, mainly defence, supported 4,148 jobs in the Shoalhaven in 2021.5
- Pay
- Where the Professional Employees Award covers the role, a graduate engineer with a four or five-year degree earns at least $34.57 an hour from 1 July 2026.14 Civil engineering professionals nationally earned a median $59 an hour in May 2025.15
- Registration
- Professional engineering work on class 2, 3 and 9c buildings in New South Wales needs a registered engineer or one's direct supervision.16
Hospitality and tourism management
Venue, hotel, restaurant and service managers, and qualified chefs, for the coast and the Highlands.
Hiring graduates in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven
The University of Wollongong teaches in both council areas. UOW Shoalhaven has graduates in fields such as social work and commerce,17 and UOW Southern Highlands is home to the university's Graduate School of Medicine and its Doctor of Medicine program for regional Australia.18 TAFE NSW adds campuses at Nowra, Ulladulla and Moss Vale.13 Tell us who will support a graduate in their first year and we'll make it part of every conversation.
How we help you hire in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Distances, moving and support for new staff
Nowra is a 2.5-hour drive south of Sydney,19 and Bowral is 90 minutes from the Sydney CBD and less than two hours from Canberra.20 That puts the Highlands within reach of people prepared to move from south-west Sydney or Canberra.
Both council areas are in the NSW Government's Welcome Experience, which gives free relocation and settling-in help to essential workers in health, aged care, disability, education, early childhood and councils, and their families.21 Tell us about any housing or relocation help you can add. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in the Southern Highlands or Shoalhaven?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us whether you're after the coast or the Highlands, your trade or profession and when you could start. Locals, graduates and people moving from Sydney or Canberra are all welcome, and we'll be in touch about roles that suit.
Talk to us about your next Highlands or Shoalhaven hire
Tell us the role, the town, the hours, the qualifications it needs and when you want the person 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.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Nowra or Bowral?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for regional employers across Australia, including Nowra, Bomaderry, Ulladulla, Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale. We look first for people who live in the Shoalhaven or the Highlands, then for people willing to move from Sydney, Canberra, Wollongong or interstate.
Is it hard to recruit staff in the Southern Highlands?
It often is. Unemployment in Wingecarribee was 1.6% in the June quarter 2026,3 so most good candidates already have a job. Hire Australia looks beyond the shire, talks with people about what would make a move worthwhile, and tells you early about any housing or relocation help they would need.
Does Hire Australia recruit for defence-related employers near Nowra?
Yes, for civilian roles. Hire Australia recruits permanent tradespeople, technicians, engineers and support staff for private employers that work with defence bases in the Shoalhaven, as well as for other local businesses. We don't recruit for the armed forces. Tell us the role and any security clearance the work requires.
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. Hire Australia uses the same terms whether your role is in the Shoalhaven or the Southern Highlands.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or seasonal staff in the Shoalhaven?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, seasonal crews or temps to Shoalhaven or Highlands employers, 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.
Can I register with Hire Australia if I'm planning a move to the Southern Highlands or the Shoalhaven?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us which towns you're considering, your skills and experience and when you could move. We'll talk with you about suitable permanent roles there, and about practical questions such as the commute and any relocation support an employer offers.
Sources (21)
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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, 180 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government (Department of Regional NSW), Shoalhaven Regional Economic Development Strategy - 2023 Update. Data: 2021 (employment); REDS published February 2023. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, About us. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government (Department of Regional NSW), Wingecarribee Regional Economic Development Strategy - 2023 Update. Data: 2021 (employment); REDS published February 2023. 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, 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 29 October 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 ↑
- NSW Government (NSW Fair Trading), Electrical licences and certificates. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE NSW, TAFE NSW locations. 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 (Building Commission NSW), Professional engineer obligations when working on regulated buildings. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- University of Wollongong, UOW Shoalhaven. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- University of Wollongong, UOW Southern Highlands. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Destination NSW (Visit NSW), Nowra. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Destination NSW (Visit NSW), Bowral. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NSW Government, The Welcome Experience. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑