Sunshine Coast and Noosa recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers from Caloundra and Maroochydore to Nambour and Noosa hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, starting with people who already live on the Coast or want to build a career here.
Sunshine Coast at a glance
- of working residents are in health care and social assistance
- 18%
- 28,814 of 160,291 employed residents of the Sunshine Coast council area, August 2021.1
- of recruiting employers had difficulty hiring
- 48%
- Employers across the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast survey region who were recruiting, year to August 2026, against 47% in the rest of Queensland.2
- unemployment rate, Sunshine Coast council area
- 3.3%
- Modelled estimate for the June quarter 2026; Noosa 3%.3
- population growth in a year
- 2%
- The Sunshine Coast council area reached 381,957 people at 30 June 2025, up 7,659.4
Who are the Sunshine Coast's biggest employers?
Health care is the Coast's largest employer of local residents, followed by construction and retail.1 Sunshine Coast University Hospital at Birtinya is a tertiary teaching hospital serving the Sunshine Coast and Gympie, alongside the Sunshine Coast Health Institute.5 Builders, engineering firms, schools and professional practices hire from the same pool of qualified people.
Employed residents by industry, five largest industries, Sunshine Coast council area, August 2021.1
| Industry | Employed residents |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 28,814 |
| Construction | 19,438 |
| Retail trade | 15,697 |
| Education and training | 14,175 |
| Accommodation and food services | 13,273 |
Which jobs are most advertised on the Sunshine Coast?
The Sunshine Coast averaged 3,218 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026. Care and health roles sit near the top of the list, beside sales and front-office jobs.6
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Sunshine Coast SA4, three-month average to September 2026.6
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 260 |
| Carers and aides | 254 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 214 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 192 |
| Food trades workers | 138 |
| Health diagnostic and therapy professionals | 117 |
How hard is it to hire on the Sunshine Coast?
Employers across the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast survey region were busy hiring in the year to August 2026: 55% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 48% of those had difficulty filling a role. In the rest of Queensland the figure was 47%.2
The main reasons employers gave were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without the technical skills, the working conditions or hours, and too few applicants.2 We look for people with the skills the job needs and talk through the hours and the location before we introduce anyone.
Where is the Sunshine Coast growing?
Caloundra West and Baringa added 1,980 people in the year to June 2025, growth of 9%, and Landsborough grew 5.2%.7 The Caloundra South development area is planned to provide about 20,000 homes and 15,000 jobs once developed.8
Growth on this scale brings steady work for builders, civil contractors, electricians and plumbers, and a rising need for nurses, teachers, allied health and support workers in the new suburbs. Tell us where your next project or service is going and we plan the search around it.
Which roles do we recruit on the Sunshine Coast?
Each role type below shows recent job-ad demand, the 2026 shortage rating, pay where a clear benchmark exists, local training and the details we ask for. We treat an occupation as in shortage when the 2026 national list rates it short nationally or in regional areas.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered nurses, allied health professionals and health managers and administrators, plus support workers: assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Size of the sector
- 28,814 Sunshine Coast residents worked in health care and social assistance in August 2021, 18% of employed residents.1
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 254 online job ads for carers and aides, 192 for medical practitioners and nurses and 117 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- The 2026 national list rates aged-care registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers as in shortage.9
- Local training
- The Sunshine Coast Health Institute brings learning, research and clinical practice together beside the university hospital.10
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification and registration the role needs, the shifts, the setting (hospital, aged care, community or home visits) and who will supervise.
Trades and construction
Qualified electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics for builders, civil contractors, maintenance businesses and workshops.
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 99 online job ads for automotive and engineering trades, 71 for construction trades and 43 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- Electricians, carpenters, plumbers and diesel motor mechanics are all rated in shortage nationally in 2026.9
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week for a licensed electrician (Electrical worker grade 5, including industry, tool and licence allowances) under the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award, where it covers the work, from 1 July 2026.11 Market median: $2,191 a week for full-time electricians nationally, May 2025.12
- Local training
- TAFE Queensland's Nambour campus has a trade training centre.13
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, the licence and tickets the work needs, residential or commercial work, the sites you cover and the pay range.
Engineers and technical staff
Graduate and experienced civil and structural engineers, drafters, surveyors and technical officers for consultancies, councils, builders and infrastructure teams.
- Demand
- Employers advertised for engineers 44 times a month and for engineering, ICT and science technicians 79 times a month, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Shortage
- Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers, and the civil draftspersons who work with them, are all on the 2026 national shortage list.9
- Supervision
- Professional engineering work in Queensland needs a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) to do it or directly supervise it.14
- Local projects
- New communities such as Caloundra South need roads, drainage and services designed and delivered over many years.8
- 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, office managers, administrators and HR staff, from graduates to experienced people, for professional practices, councils and growing businesses.
- Size of the sector
- 9,846 residents worked in professional, scientific and technical services in August 2021.1
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 74 online job ads for business, finance and HR professionals, 67 for numerical clerks and 51 for office managers, administrators and secretaries, three-month average to September 2026.6
- Pay (accountants)
- Award coverage depends on the duties and the employer, and some accounting roles are award free, so we agree the pay range with you before the search.
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, the experience level, who the person reports to and the work arrangements.
Hiring graduates on the Sunshine Coast
Many graduates want to stay on the Coast after they finish, and the region trains its own. UniSC's main campus is at Sippy Downs,15 and TAFE Queensland teaches at Mooloolaba and Nambour.16 Tell us who will guide a graduate through the first year, and we talk with candidates about that support and the work.
How we help you hire on the Sunshine Coast
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel, rosters and relocation
The region stretches from Caloundra in the south to Noosa Shire in the north, home to 59,551 people,4 and inland to the hinterland towns around Nambour and Maleny. Tell us where the working day starts and whether the role covers several sites, and we check that the travel works for each candidate.
If your preferred candidate is moving to the Coast, we raise the practical side of the move early, including where they plan to live and 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 on the Sunshine Coast?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, recent UniSC and TAFE graduates and people moving to the Sunshine Coast or Noosa can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the kind of work you're after and how far you can travel, and we'll call you about suitable roles.
Talk to us about your next Sunshine Coast hire
Send us the role, the location and your start date, and we'll come back to you about the search.
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 on the Sunshine Coast?
Hire Australia recruits professional, technical and trade staff for Sunshine Coast and Noosa employers at every level, from graduates to experienced people. That covers health professionals and support workers, qualified tradespeople, engineers and technical officers, and accountants and office staff. Give us the role and the level, and we look for people who match it.
Is it hard to recruit staff on the Sunshine Coast?
Often, yes. In the year to August 2026, 48% of recruiting employers across the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast survey region had difficulty filling a role, against 47% in the rest of Queensland. The main reasons were a lack of suitable applicants, missing technical skills, the working conditions or hours, and too few applicants.2 Hire Australia searches for people with the skills and a reason to work on the Coast.
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 Sunshine Coast or Noosa role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office on the Sunshine Coast?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across Queensland and regional Australia, including the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and the hinterland. Our search starts with people who live, study or work on the Coast, along with candidates planning a move there, and we talk with you by phone or video.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, 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. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Can I register with Hire Australia if I'm planning to move to the Sunshine Coast?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and where on the Coast you'd like to work. We'll talk with you about suitable Sunshine Coast and Noosa roles and about the practical side of the move, such as where you plan to live.
Sources (16)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census 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: Regional Snapshot update, Queensland combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 260 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Queensland Health, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, facility performance page. 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 ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: Year to 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Economic Development Queensland, Caloundra South Priority Development Area. Data: Planned at full development. 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 ↑
- TAFE Queensland, Sunshine Coast Health Institute. 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 ↑
- TAFE Queensland, Nambour campus. 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 ↑
- University of the Sunshine Coast, UniSC locations (Sunshine Coast campus, Sippy Downs). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE Queensland, Mooloolaba campus. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑