Rockhampton and Gladstone recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Rockhampton, Gladstone, Yeppoon, Biloela and the Central Highlands hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, for hospitals and services, the port and processing plants, and the coal mines inland.
Rockhampton and Gladstone at a glance
- of recruiting employers in Central Queensland had difficulty
- 52%
- Year to August 2026, against 47% across regional Queensland: among the hardest regions in the state to hire in.1
- of workers in the region are in mining
- 12%
- 15,000 of 128,300 employed people, four-quarter average to February 2026. Only health care employs more.2
- of resource workers in the Central Highlands were contractors
- 52%
- 5,775 of 11,010 workers in June 2025. Direct hires compete with contract rates.3
- of jobs in Rockhampton are in health care and social assistance
- 21%
- 9,838 of 47,211 local jobs in 2024/25, against 17% across Queensland.4
What drives the economy around Rockhampton and Gladstone?
Each centre has its own employers. Rockhampton is the region's health, services and transport hub: Central Queensland Health, the public health service, had 5,229 staff (4,113 full-time equivalent) at 30 June 2026 and runs hospitals in Rockhampton, Gladstone, Yeppoon, Emerald and Biloela.5 Transport, postal and warehousing provides 6.6% of Rockhampton's jobs, against 5.3% across Queensland.4
Gladstone runs on its port and processing plants. The Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port, handling more than 30 products led by coal, LNG, alumina and aluminium, with LNG export wharves on Curtis Island.6 In August 2021, aluminium smelting and alumina production were the two largest detailed industries among Gladstone's working residents.7 Inland, 11,010 people worked in the resource industry in the Central Highlands in June 2025.3
Employed people in the five largest industries, Fitzroy employment region (Central Queensland SA4), four-quarter average to February 2026.2
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 17,400 |
| Mining | 15,000 |
| Manufacturing | 11,400 |
| Retail trade | 11,400 |
| Education and training | 10,900 |
Which jobs are most advertised in Central Queensland?
Automotive and engineering trades, such as fitters, diesel mechanics and welders, had the most online job ads in the region, ahead of nurses and doctors, drivers and sales staff.8
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Central Queensland SA4, three-month average to September 2026. All occupations: 2,223 a month.8
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Automotive and engineering trades | 192 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 143 |
| Drivers and storepersons | 137 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 125 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 121 |
| Carers and aides | 117 |
| Mobile plant operators | 74 |
How hard is it to hire in Rockhampton and Gladstone?
Harder than in most of Queensland. Of the 109 Central Queensland employers who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 54% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 52% of those had difficulty filling a role, against 47% across regional Queensland.1
The reasons were mostly about supply: a lack of suitable applicants, too few applicants, applicants without enough experience, and the working conditions or hours.1 Rentals are tight too: 48 of the 50 Queensland regions tracked had rental vacancy rates of 2.5% or less in the September quarter 20269, and Gladstone's rate fell over the quarter.
When the local pool is thin, the search has to reach further. We look across Central Queensland and beyond for people with the experience you need and a reason to make the move, and we are clear with them about the roster, the site and housing from the first call.
Which roles do we recruit in Rockhampton, Gladstone and the Highlands?
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.
Trades and maintenance
Qualified fitters, boilermakers and welders, electricians, diesel mechanics and instrument technicians for processing plants, port operations, workshops and shutdown crews.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 192 online job ads a month in the region, the largest occupation group, and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades 58, three-month average to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- Fitters, diesel motor mechanics and electricians are all rated in shortage in 2026.10
- Pay (fitters)
- Award minimum: $1,119.10 a week (Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award, C10 tradesperson level I, from 1 July 2026), where that award covers the role; mine-site work falls under the mining awards.11 Market median: $2,606 a week (full-time metal fitters and machinists nationally, May 2025).12
- Local training
- TAFE Queensland has campuses in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Biloela, with courses in trades and engineering.13
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, the tickets and licences the site needs, the plant or equipment, the roster, shutdown work and the pay range.
Mining and resources
Mine maintenance trades, plant operators, supervisors and technical staff for coal mines and contractors in the Central Highlands and Banana shire.
- Size
- In June 2025, 11,010 people worked in the resource industry in the Central Highlands and 4,150 in Banana shire.3
- Demand
- The region averaged 74 online job ads a month for mobile plant operators and 65 for machine and stationary plant operators, three-month average to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- Miners are rated in shortage in regional areas in 2026.10
- Health checks
- Queensland coal mine workers need a health assessment when they enter the industry and at least every five years.14
- What to put in your brief
- The mine or contract, the roster and camp or drive-in arrangements, the tickets and medicals the site needs, and whether the role is permanent with the site employer.
Engineers and technical staff
Graduate and experienced mechanical, electrical, civil and process engineers, drafters and technical officers for processing plants, ports, councils and contractors.
- Demand
- Employers in the region advertised for engineers 66 times a month and for engineering, ICT and science technicians 63 times a month, three-month average to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- Mechanical, civil, electrical and mining engineers are all rated in shortage in 2026.10
- 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; black coal and council roles fall outside it.15 Market median: $59 an hour (civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025).16
- Supervision
- In Queensland, professional engineering work must be carried out by, or under the direct supervision of, a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ).17
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline, the plant or asset, the experience level and, for a graduate, who will review their work.
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.
- Size of the sector
- Health care and social assistance is the region's largest industry, with 17,400 workers, four-quarter average to February 2026.2
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 143 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 65 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals and 117 for carers and aides, three-month average to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage in 2026, and enrolled nurses in regional areas.10
- Local training
- CQUniversity teaches in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald,18 and TAFE Queensland's Central Queensland campuses offer health courses.13
- What to put in your brief
- The registration the role needs, the shifts, the town and who will supervise.
Business, logistics and administration
Accountants, payroll and finance officers, logistics and supply staff, office managers and administration staff, from graduates to experienced people.
- Demand
- Drivers and storepersons averaged 137 online job ads a month in the region, general-inquiry clerks and receptionists 121 and business, finance and HR professionals 42, three-month average to September 2026.8
- Local industry
- Transport, postal and warehousing is a larger share of jobs in Rockhampton (6.6%) than across Queensland (5.3%), 2024/25.4
- 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 Central Queensland.
Hiring graduates in Central Queensland
CQUniversity teaches in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald,18 so graduates from the region's own campuses are close at hand. A graduate learns your plant, your clients and your standards from the start. Tell us who will review their work in the first year, and we talk with graduates about that support and their plans in Central Queensland.
How we help you hire in Rockhampton and Gladstone
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Yeppoon, the Central Highlands, rosters and relocation
The region spreads well beyond its two cities. Livingstone shire, which includes Yeppoon and the Capricorn Coast, has 43,668 people, the Central Highlands 29,481 (Emerald is the main town) and Banana shire, around Biloela, 15,144.19 Unemployment was 1.9% in Livingstone, 2.5% in Banana and 2.9% in the Central Highlands in the June quarter 2026, against 4.1% in Rockhampton and 4.6% in Gladstone.20
Mine and plant roles often run on fly-in fly-out or drive-in drive-out rosters. Tell us the roster, the departure point, the camp or housing arrangements and any vehicle, and we build them into the search and discuss them with every candidate.
If your preferred candidate is moving to Rockhampton or Gladstone, 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 Rockhampton, Gladstone or the Highlands?
Experienced tradespeople, engineers, health professionals and office staff, recent CQUniversity and TAFE graduates, and people planning a move to Central Queensland can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and the rosters and towns that suit you, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Rockhampton or Gladstone hire
Tell us about the role, the site or town 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 Rockhampton and Gladstone?
Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for Rockhampton, Gladstone and Central Highlands employers at every level, from graduates to experienced people. That covers fitters, electricians and diesel mechanics, plant operators and mine maintenance staff, engineers and technical officers, nurses and allied health, 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 Rockhampton and Gladstone?
Yes, more than in most of Queensland. In the year to August 2026, 52% of Central Queensland employers who were recruiting had difficulty filling a role, against 47% across regional Queensland. The main reasons were too few suitable or experienced applicants.1 Hire Australia searches across the region and beyond for people with the experience your role needs.
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 Rockhampton, Gladstone or Central Highlands role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia recruit for mine sites in the Central Highlands?
Yes, for permanent roles the mine operator or contractor employs directly, such as maintenance trades, supervisors, engineers and technical staff. In June 2025, 52% of the Central Highlands resource workforce were contractors.3 Hire Australia builds the roster, camp and travel arrangements into the search, and you employ the person directly.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or shutdown crews in Gladstone?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, temps or shutdown crews in Gladstone or Rockhampton, 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 Central Queensland?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, the rosters you can work and whether you prefer Rockhampton, Gladstone, the coast or the Highlands. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and the practical side of the move, including housing.
Sources (20)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers’ needs: Regional Snapshot update, Fitzroy. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026; 109 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Fitzroy Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Bowen Basin resource industry workforce, 2025. Published 31 July 2026. Data: June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- economy.id (National Institute of Economic and Industry Research), council economic profile, Rockhampton: Employment (total) by industry, 2024/25. Data: 2024/25; modelled estimates, revised each release. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service Annual Report 2025-2026. Data: At 30 June 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Gladstone Ports Corporation, Port of Gladstone. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census All persons QuickStats: Gladstone. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021. Accessed 29 October 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 ↑
- Real Estate Institute of Queensland, Healthy vacancy rates kept at bay, says REIQ. Data: September quarter 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 - Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award [MA000010]. Published 29 July 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 3232 Metal Fitters and Machinists. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE Queensland, TAFE Queensland, Central Queensland campus locations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Business Queensland (Queensland Government), Coal Mine Workers' Health Scheme (page last updated 6 December 2022). 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 ↑
- CQUniversity, Our locations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed LGA unemployment rates (ASGS 2025), June quarter 2026. Released 9 October 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑