Cairns and Far North Queensland recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Cairns, Port Douglas, the Tablelands, the Cassowary Coast, Cape York and the Torres Strait hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Cairns and Far North Queensland at a glance
- of jobs in Cairns are in health care and social assistance
- 22%
- 19,531 of 88,958 local jobs in 2024/25, against 17% across Queensland.1
- of jobs in Cairns are in accommodation and food services
- 9.5%
- 8,451 local jobs in 2024/25, against 7% across Queensland.1 It is the second-largest industry across the wider region.2
- of Cairns employers who were recruiting had difficulty
- 44%
- Year to August 2026, against 47% across regional Queensland. The location was the second most common reason.3
- Queensland rental regions had vacancy of 2.5% or less
- 48 of 50
- September quarter 2026. A healthy market sits between 2.6% and 3.5%, so housing is part of every relocation.4
Who are the biggest employers in Cairns and Far North Queensland?
The public health system is the largest employer in Far North Queensland. The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service had 8,217 staff (6,717 full-time equivalent) at 30 June 2026.5 Cairns Hospital is the referral hospital for a catchment of more than 300,000 people, with referrals from as far as Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands.5
Tourism is the region's second engine. Accommodation and food services is its second-largest industry,2 and on the Tablelands agriculture provides 1,494 local jobs, 13.7% of the total against 2.3% across Queensland.6 Employers hiring professional, technical and trade staff compete with all three sectors for the same people.
Employed people in the five largest industries, Cairns employment region (Cairns SA4), four-quarter average to February 2026, of 137,500 employed.2
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 30,100 |
| Accommodation and food services | 13,200 |
| Public administration and safety | 12,300 |
| Construction | 12,200 |
| Education and training | 11,200 |
Which jobs are most advertised in Cairns?
Office and reception roles, nurses and doctors, and sales staff had the most online job ads in the Cairns region, followed by carers, drivers and hospitality managers.7
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Cairns SA4, three-month average to September 2026. All occupations: 2,209 a month.7
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 171 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 165 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 145 |
| Carers and aides | 121 |
| Drivers and storepersons | 101 |
| Hospitality, retail and service managers | 94 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 89 |
How hard is it to hire in Cairns?
Of the 129 Cairns employers who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 57% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month. Of those, 44% had difficulty filling a role, a little below the 47% recorded across regional Queensland.3
The reasons Cairns employers gave most often were a lack of suitable applicants, the location itself, applicants without the technical skills, and the working conditions or hours.3 Housing adds to the location problem: 48 of the 50 Queensland regions tracked had rental vacancy rates of 2.5% or less in the September quarter 20264.
We start with people who already live in the Far North or have a real reason to move there, and we talk about housing, rosters and the location early, before anyone reaches an interview.
Which roles do we recruit in Cairns and the Far North?
Open a role type for demand, pay, training 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 nurses, midwives, 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 165 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 81 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals and 121 for carers and aides, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and aged or disabled carers are all rated in shortage in 2026.8
- Working pattern
- Part-time work is common in the public health system: at 30 June 2026, 46.0% of Cairns and Hinterland health service staff were part-time and 45.9% full-time.5
- Local training
- JCU's Yeinie Building, opened in early 2026 next to Cairns Hospital, hosts multidisciplinary health training,9 and TAFE Queensland's Cairns campus has nursing simulation rooms.10
- What to put in your brief
- The registration the role needs, the shifts, whether part-time suits you, and who will supervise.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their registration, the shifts they can work and their housing plans, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Hospitality and tourism management
Chefs, venue and hotel managers, operations and reservations leads, and experienced hospitality staff for resorts, tour operators and venues from Cairns to Port Douglas.
- Demand
- The region averaged 94 online job ads a month for hospitality, retail and service managers and 81 for food trades workers, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Chefs are rated in shortage in 2026.8
- Local training
- TAFE Queensland's Cairns campus teaches cookery and hospitality in student-run venues.10
- What to put in your brief
- The venue type, covers or rooms, the season you are hiring for, the roster and any staff accommodation.
Trades and maintenance
Qualified electricians, mechanics, fabricators, carpenters and refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics for construction, marine, maintenance and service businesses.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 89 online job ads a month in the region, construction trades 46 and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades 43, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Electricians, diesel motor mechanics, carpenters and plumbers are all rated in shortage in 2026.8
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week (Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award, Electrical worker grade 5, including industry, tool and licence allowances, from 1 July 2026).11 Market median: $2,191 a week (full-time electricians nationally, May 2025).12
- Local training
- TAFE Queensland's Cairns campus teaches automotive, building and construction, electrotechnology and engineering, and has an Advanced Manufacturing Skills Lab.10
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, the licence and tickets the work needs, the sites, the roster, the pay range and the experience you expect.
Engineers and technical staff
Graduate and experienced civil, electrical and mechanical engineers, drafters and technical officers for councils, consultancies and contractors.
- Demand
- Employers in the region advertised for engineers 30 times a month and for engineering, ICT and science technicians 46 times a month, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers are all rated in shortage in 2026.8
- Pay
- Award minimum: $34.57 an hour for a graduate engineer with a four- or five-year degree (Professional Employees Award, level 1.1, from 1 July 2026), where that award covers the role; council roles sit outside it.13 Market median: $59 an hour (civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025).14
- Supervision
- In Queensland, professional engineering work must be carried out by, or under the direct supervision of, a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ).15
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline, the experience level, the software you use and, for a graduate, who will review their work.
Business, finance and administration
Accountants, payroll and finance officers, office managers and administration staff, from graduates to experienced people.
- Demand
- Business, finance and HR professionals averaged 61 online job ads a month in the region, and general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists 171, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Local training
- TAFE Queensland's Cairns campus teaches accounting, business and information technology.10
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, the experience level and who the person reports to.
- How we help
- We find people with the right study or experience and talk with them about the work, the hours and their plans in Cairns.
Graduates in Cairns and the Far North
JCU Cairns has about 2,300 students across its Nguma-bada campus at Smithfield and the Yeinie Building in the city.9 A graduate learns your work and your standards from the start and grows into the role with your team. Tell us who will guide them, and we talk with graduates about that support and their plans to stay in the Far North.
How we help you hire in Cairns
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Port Douglas, the Tablelands, Cape York and relocation
Cairns employers often serve a wide district. Douglas Shire (Port Douglas and the Daintree) has 13,169 people, the Tablelands council area 27,902, Mareeba 24,205 and the Cassowary Coast 30,666.16 Unemployment runs from 4.4% in Cairns and 4.6% in Douglas to 5.6% on the Tablelands, 6.7% on the Cassowary Coast and 7.1% in Mareeba, so the pool of available people changes from town to town.17
Further north, 33,934 people live across Cape York, the Torres Strait and the Gulf communities.18 Thursday Island, the Torres Strait's commercial centre, is about 40 kilometres off the tip of Cape York.19 For fly-in fly-out work or roles in remote communities, tell us the roster, the departure point and the accommodation, and we build them into the search.
If your preferred candidate is moving to Cairns, we raise housing and the practical side of the move early, including 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 Cairns or the Far North?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, recent JCU and TAFE graduates, and people planning a move to Far North Queensland can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and where you can live and travel, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Cairns hire
Tell us about the role, where it's based 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 do you recruit for in Cairns?
Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for Cairns and Far North Queensland employers at every level, from graduates to experienced people. That includes nurses, allied health and support workers, chefs and hospitality managers, qualified tradespeople, engineers and technical officers, and accountants and office staff. Tell us the experience the role needs and we search for people who have it.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Cairns?
Often, yes. In the year to August 2026, 44% of Cairns employers who were recruiting had difficulty filling a role. The most common reasons were a lack of suitable applicants and the location, and rental markets across Queensland remained tight in the September quarter 2026.3,4 Hire Australia searches for people with the right skills and a reason to live in the Far North.
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 Cairns or Far North Queensland role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Which areas around Cairns does Hire Australia cover?
Hire Australia recruits across Far North Queensland: Cairns and its northern beaches, Port Douglas and the Daintree, Atherton, Mareeba and the Tablelands, Innisfail and the Cassowary Coast, and Cape York and the Torres Strait. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane, with no office in Cairns, and we search for people who live in the region or want to move there.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff in Cairns?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, temps or seasonal crews to Cairns 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 from day one.
Can I register with Hire Australia if I'm moving to Cairns?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and where in Far North Queensland you'd like to live. We'll talk with you about suitable Cairns roles and the practical side of the move, including housing, which is tight in the region.
Sources (19)
- economy.id (National Institute of Economic and Industry Research), council economic profile, Cairns: Employment (total) by industry, 2024/25. Data: 2024/25; modelled estimates, revised each release. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Cairns Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers’ needs: Regional Snapshot update, Cairns. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026; 129 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Real Estate Institute of Queensland, Healthy vacancy rates kept at bay, says REIQ. Data: September quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Annual Report 2025-2026. Data: At 30 June 2026; the largest employer in Far North Queensland. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- economy.id (National Institute of Economic and Industry Research), council economic profile, Tablelands: Employment (total) by industry, 2024/25. Data: 2024/25; modelled estimates, revised each release. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by SA4 region, September 2026. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: Three-month average to 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 ↑
- James Cook University, JCU Cairns campus (Nguma-bada, Smithfield, and the Yeinie Building). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE Queensland, TAFE Queensland, Cairns campus. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ), Practice note – Direct supervision. Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: Local Government Areas. 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 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: Statistical Areas. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE Queensland, TAFE Queensland, Thursday Island campus. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑