Katherine and Big Rivers recruitment for employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Katherine, around RAAF Base Tindal and across the Big Rivers region, including Roper Gulf and Victoria Daly, hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Katherine at a glance
- of employed Katherine residents worked in public administration and safety
- 22.2%
- August 2021, by place of residence.1
- worked in health care and social assistance
- 17.5%
- Katherine residents, August 2021.1
- of recruiting NT employers had difficulty filling a role
- 58%
- Territory-wide, year to August 2026, against 44% nationally.2
- unemployment rate, Katherine
- 2.5%
- Modelled estimate, June quarter 2026.3
What do Katherine residents work in?
Government and Defence, health care, education and construction employ the most Katherine residents.1 RAAF Base Tindal is about 15 km outside the town, and Defence works there include a bulk fuel facility and airfield works.4 Katherine Hospital is in the town.5
Further out the mix changes. Education and farming were the two largest industries for employed Roper Gulf residents, and farming, forestry and fishing employed 29.1% of working Victoria Daly residents.1
Share of employed Katherine residents in the four largest industries, August 2021, by place of residence. The 2026 results by industry were not yet published at 1 November 2026.1
| Industry | % of employed residents |
|---|---|
| Public administration and safety | 22.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 17.5% |
| Education and training | 9.7% |
| Construction | 9.1% |
Which jobs are advertised outside Darwin?
Online job ads are published for the Northern Territory outside Greater Darwin as one area, which takes in Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and East Arnhem. Across that area, medical practitioners and nurses were the most advertised occupation group, ahead of general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, and legal, social and welfare professionals.6
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Northern Territory outside Greater Darwin (NT Outback), three-month average to September 2026 (961 a month in all).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 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 39 |
How hard is it to hire in Katherine?
No employer survey result is published for Katherine on its own. Across the 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, and the location was one of the main reasons, alongside a lack of suitable applicants, technical skills and working conditions or hours.2
For a Katherine role, we start with people already in the town and the wider region, then look to Darwin and interstate. We talk with candidates about the town, the climate, housing and the drive to Darwin before they reach your shortlist.
Roles we recruit in Katherine and the Big Rivers
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.
Trades for Defence, construction and maintenance
Electricians, diesel mechanics, fitters, plumbers and carpenters for builders, workshops, councils and Defence contractors.
- 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, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- Electrician (General), Diesel Motor Mechanic, Fitter (General), Plumber (General) and Carpenter are rated in shortage nationally on the 2026 list.7
- 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.8 National median for full-time electricians: $2,191 a week (May 2025).9
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licence, any Defence site access or security clearance the work needs, the hours, the pay range and any housing help.
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.
- Local demand
- Health care and social assistance employed 17.5% of working Katherine residents in August 2021, and Katherine Hospital is in the town.1,5
- Territory demand
- Outside Greater Darwin, job ads averaged 125 a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 48 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals and 31 for health and welfare support workers.6
- Shortage
- On the 2026 list, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Midwife and Aged or Disabled Carer are rated in shortage nationally, and Enrolled Nurse in regional areas.7
- What to put in your brief
- Registration, the setting (hospital, clinic, aged care or community), any remote travel, and the housing and support you offer.
Government, community services and office roles
Administrators, finance and HR staff, project officers and community services professionals for councils, not-for-profits and service providers.
- Local industry
- Public administration and safety was the largest industry for employed Katherine residents in August 2021, at 22.2%, and education employed 9.7%.1
- Demand
- Outside Greater Darwin, job ads averaged 77 a month for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists and 58 for legal, social and welfare professionals.6
- What to put in your brief
- The systems, the experience level, any travel to communities and the flexibility you can offer.
- How we help
- We look for people with relevant experience who want to live in Katherine and talk with them about the role and the town.
Farming and pastoral support
Station and farm managers, mechanics and experienced farm staff in Victoria Daly, Roper Gulf and around Katherine.
- Local industry
- Farming, forestry and fishing employed 29.1% of working Victoria Daly residents and 16.6% in Roper Gulf in August 2021.1
- Where
- Victoria Daly had 3,356 residents and Roper Gulf 7,597 at 30 June 2025.10
- What to put in your brief
- The property, the season, the machinery and licences, and the accommodation that comes with the role.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about the isolation, the season and the living arrangements before we introduce them.
Graduates and training in Katherine
Charles Darwin University, which delivers both university and TAFE courses, has a Katherine (Rural) campus and the Katherine Training Centre.11 We also look to graduates in Darwin and interstate. Tell us who will guide a graduate in their first year and we cover it when we speak with them.
How we help you hire in Katherine and the Big Rivers
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Distances, communities and relocation
Katherine (11,282 people at 30 June 2025) is about 317 km south of Darwin.10,12 Nhulunbuy is about 730 km away on the Central Arnhem Road, which needs a transit permit from the Northern Land Council.13
Unemployment was 14.8% in Roper Gulf and 10.1% in Victoria Daly in the June quarter 2026.3 If a role is based in a community or involves regular travel to one, tell us the permits, accommodation and travel arrangements, and we put them to candidates during screening.
If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Katherine?
Tradespeople, health and community professionals, office staff and graduates can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and whether you live in Katherine or would move there, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about a role in Katherine
Tell us about the role, where it's based 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 around Katherine does Hire Australia recruit for?
Hire Australia recruits for employers in Katherine, around RAAF Base Tindal, and across the Big Rivers region, including Roper Gulf and Victoria Daly. We fill professional, technical and trade roles, from graduates to experienced staff. For community-based roles, tell us the location, permits and accommodation, and we include them in the search.
Is it hard to recruit in Katherine?
Often. No survey result is published for Katherine alone, but across the Northern Territory 58% of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026, and location was one of the main reasons.2 Hire Australia talks through the town, housing and the move with candidates from the start.
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 Katherine or the Big Rivers costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Katherine?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Katherine and the Big Rivers region. We work by phone and video with you and with candidates, and we start with people who live or work in the region, then search Darwin and interstate for people willing to move.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire in Katherine?
No. Hire Australia doesn’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors in Katherine. We recruit people into permanent roles that you employ directly, on your payroll from the first day. We search for and screen candidates, introduce the ones who match your brief, and you decide who to hire and make the offer.
Can I register with Hire Australia for work in Katherine?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want and when you could start, and whether you already live in the Territory. We'll talk with you about suitable Katherine roles and the practical side of moving there, such as housing.
Sources (13)
- 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 ↑
- Department of Defence, United States Force Posture Initiatives: infrastructure developments. Data: Page read 1 November 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- healthdirect (Australian Government), Hospitals in Katherine, NT 0850. 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 ↑
- 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 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 ↑
- Charles Darwin University, Locations: campuses and centres. 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 ↑
- Tourism NT, Arnhem Way drive. Data: Undated page, read 1 November 2026; transit permit from the Northern Land Council required. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑