Alice Springs, Central Australia and Barkly recruitment
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and across Central Australia and the Barkly hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Alice Springs and the Centre at a glance
- of employed Alice Springs residents worked in health care and social assistance
- 22.5%
- August 2021, by place of residence; the largest industry.1
- worked in public administration and safety
- 17.4%
- Alice Springs residents, August 2021.1
- of recruiting NT employers had difficulty filling a role
- 58%
- Whole-Territory figure for the year to August 2026; the national figure was 44%.2
- unemployment rate, Alice Springs
- 1.6%
- Modelled estimate, June quarter 2026.3
How do Alice Springs, the Barkly and the desert councils compare?
Alice Springs, with 30,875 residents at 30 June 2025, is the service centre for a very large area.4 Health care is its biggest employer; around it, in the MacDonnell, Central Desert and Barkly council areas, government services, education, health care and farming make up most of the work. Tennant Creek, the Barkly's main town, is about 508 km north of Alice Springs.5
The labour market is very tight in Alice Springs itself, where modelled unemployment was 1.6% in the June quarter 2026, while rates in the surrounding council areas are much higher.3
Population at 30 June 20254, modelled unemployment in the June quarter 20263 and the two largest industries for employed residents in August 2021, by place of residence.1
| Council area | Towns | People | Unemployment | Largest industries for residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Springs | Alice Springs | 30,875 | 1.6% | Health care 22.5%; public administration and safety 17.4% |
| Barkly | Tennant Creek | 7,448 | 8.6% | Public administration and safety 19%; health care 17.6% |
| MacDonnell | Remote communities around Alice Springs | 6,978 | 10.9% | Public administration and safety 25.3%; health care 16.9% |
| Central Desert | Remote communities in the central desert | 4,170 | 17.4% | Public administration and safety 20.2%; education 16.4% |
What are employers in the Centre advertising for?
Job ads are published for the Territory outside Greater Darwin as a single area that includes Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and East Arnhem. Medical practitioners and nurses were by far the most advertised occupation group there, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, and legal, social and welfare professionals.6
Monthly online job ads by occupation group for the NT Outback statistical area (the whole Territory outside Greater Darwin), averaged over the three months to September 2026; 961 a month in total.6
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 125 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 77 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 58 |
| Health diagnostic and therapy professionals | 48 |
| Carers and aides | 42 |
| Food trades | 31 |
| Health and welfare support workers | 31 |
Is it hard to recruit in Alice Springs?
There is no survey result for Alice Springs on its own. For the whole Territory, 58% of employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026. The reasons given most often were a lack of suitable applicants, the location, applicants without the technical skills, and the working conditions or hours.2
With few people out of work in Alice Springs itself, most roles mean attracting someone already working elsewhere or someone moving from interstate. We talk with candidates about the town, the climate, housing and how long they plan to stay before they reach your shortlist.
Roles we recruit in Central Australia and the Barkly
Open a role type for demand, shortage, pay and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are from the 2026 list (ANZSCO 2022 coding, to match the job-ad and earnings groups); 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 administration and management staff, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Demand
- Outside Greater Darwin, job ads averaged 125 a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 48 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, 42 for carers and aides and 31 for health and welfare support workers, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- On the 2026 list, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Midwife, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Aged or Disabled Carer are rated in shortage nationally, and Enrolled Nurse in regional areas.9
- What to put in your brief
- The registration you need, whether the work is in town or in communities, the roster, and what you offer on housing and orientation.
Trades and maintenance
Electricians, diesel mechanics, fitters, plumbers and carpenters for builders, workshops, councils and service providers.
- Demand
- Outside Greater Darwin, the Territory averaged 39 online job ads a month for automotive and engineering trades, 21 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades and 19 for construction trades.6
- Shortage
- On the 2026 list, Diesel Motor Mechanic, Electrician (General), Carpenter, Plumber (General) and Fitter (General) all carry a national shortage rating.9
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week with industry, tool and licence allowances, from 1 July 2026, for a licensed electrician (Electrical worker grade 5) employed by an electrical contracting business, which is what the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers.10 National median for full-time electricians: $2,191 a week (May 2025).11
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licence, whether the work includes travel to communities, the hours, the pay range and any housing help.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about the work, remote travel and life in Alice Springs or Tennant Creek before we introduce them.
Community services, government and office roles
Social workers, community services coordinators, administrators, finance and HR staff for councils, not-for-profits and service providers.
- Local industry
- Public administration and safety was the largest industry for employed residents of the Barkly, MacDonnell and Central Desert council areas in August 2021, and the second largest in Alice Springs at 17.4%.1
- Demand
- Outside Greater Darwin, job ads averaged 58 a month for legal, social and welfare professionals and 77 for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists.6
- Public service
- 774 Australian Public Service staff worked in the NT outside Greater Darwin at 30 June 2026.12
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification or experience, any community travel, cultural competency expectations and the flexibility you can offer.
Hospitality and food trades
Chefs, cooks and hospitality managers for hotels, restaurants, clubs and community kitchens.
- Demand
- Outside Greater Darwin, job ads averaged 31 a month for food trades, 27 for hospitality, retail and service managers and 23 for hospitality workers.6
- Shortage
- Chef is rated in shortage nationally on the 2026 list.9
- What to put in your brief
- The kitchen or venue, the cuisine and volume, the roster, and any staff accommodation.
- How we help
- We look for qualified chefs and managers open to living in the Centre and talk through the roster and housing with them.
Graduates and training in the Centre
Charles Darwin University, which delivers both university and TAFE courses, has an Alice Springs campus and a centre in Tennant Creek,13 and the Batchelor Institute has its Desert People's Centre campus in Alice Springs.14 Our search for graduates also reaches Darwin and other states. If you can describe the supervision and training a graduate gets, we use it when we approach them.
How we help you hire in Central Australia
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Distance, communities and relocation
Tennant Creek is about 508 km north of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway,5 and community-based roles can involve long drives or flights. Where the work is in a community, or the person will visit communities regularly, let us know about permits, housing and how they will travel; we cover these with every candidate we screen.
Tell us, too, whether you help with relocation, flights or housing. With few people out of work locally, we put these details to every candidate who would be moving.
If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Alice Springs or Tennant Creek?
Health professionals, tradespeople, community services and office staff, and graduates can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and whether you live in the Centre or would move there, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about a role in Central Australia
Tell us about the role, the town or community and your timing.
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.
Which areas does Hire Australia recruit for in Central Australia?
Hire Australia recruits for employers in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and across Central Australia and the Barkly, including the MacDonnell and Central Desert council areas. Roles can be professional, technical or trade, at graduate or experienced level. If the job is based in a community, give us the location, any permit needs and the accommodation, so we can build them into the search.
Why is it hard to hire staff in Alice Springs?
Few people are out of work locally: modelled unemployment in Alice Springs was 1.6% in the June quarter 2026.3 Across the Territory, 58% of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026, and location was a main reason. Hire Australia searches interstate and talks through the move early.
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 role in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek or a remote community costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Alice Springs?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Alice Springs and the Barkly. We work by phone and video with you and with candidates, and we start with people who live or work in Central Australia, then search Darwin and interstate for people willing to move.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire in Alice Springs?
No. Hire Australia doesn’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors in Alice Springs or Tennant Creek. Every placement is a permanent role on your own payroll from day one. We do the searching and screening, introduce the people who fit your brief, and the hiring decision stays with you.
Can I register with Hire Australia for work in Alice Springs?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and whether you already live in the Territory. We'll talk with you about suitable roles in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek or nearby communities, and the practical side of moving there.
Sources (14)
- 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 ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: snapshot update, Northern Territory combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026; Northern Territory 241 employers, weighted; Darwin 199, unweighted; small samples, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed LGA data files (ASGS 2025), June quarter 2026. Released 9 October 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates and components by LGA. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Tourism NT, Driving Alice Springs to Darwin. Data: Undated page, read 1 November 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by GCCSA and SA4 regions, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- healthdirect (Australian Government), Hospitals in Alice Springs, NT 0870. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- healthdirect (Australian Government), Hospitals in Tennant Creek, NT 0860. 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 ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 [MA000025]. 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: Electricians. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Public Service Commission, APS Employment Data 30 June 2026, release tables. Released 30 September 2026. Data: 30 June 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Charles Darwin University, Locations: campuses and centres. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Batchelor locations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑