Toowoomba and Darling Downs recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Toowoomba and across the Darling Downs hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, for health, agriculture and agribusiness, construction and professional services, whether the job is in a city office or out on properties.
Toowoomba and the Darling Downs at a glance
- of workers are in health care and social assistance
- 15%
- 23,800 of 156,800 employed people, four-quarter average to February 2026.1
- of workers are in agriculture, forestry and fishing
- 14%
- 22,300 people, the region's second-largest industry.1
- of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role
- 48%
- Darling Downs employment region, year to August 2026, against 47% across the rest of Queensland.2
- unemployment rate, Darling Downs employment region
- 3.7%
- Three-month average to August 2026, below Queensland's 4.5%.3
Which industries employ the most people on the Downs?
Health care and agriculture each employ more than 22,000 people. Education, retail and construction follow, with 13,600 to 15,000 each. Many employers need people for both town-based and on-farm work.
In May 2026 the Queensland Government signed an agreement for the main works on the new Toowoomba Hospital at the Baillie Henderson campus, planned with at least 538 overnight beds.4 The region's Local Jobs Plan reports unmet demand for skilled workers in health care, transport, agriculture, manufacturing and hospitality, and strong demand for construction workers on renewable energy projects and hospital upgrades.5
Employed people in the five largest industries, Darling Downs employment region (Toowoomba and Darling Downs–Maranoa SA4s), four-quarter average to February 2026.1
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 23,800 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 22,300 |
| Education and training | 15,000 |
| Retail trade | 14,100 |
| Construction | 13,600 |
Where do employers hire on the Downs?
Toowoomba is by far the largest centre. Warwick, Dalby, Goondiwindi and Roma each anchor their own council area, and unemployment ranged from 2.3% in Maranoa to 3.9% in the Western Downs in the June quarter 2026.6
Estimated resident population of each council area at 30 June 2025 (preliminary), with the Toowoomba and Warwick urban areas,7,8 and modelled unemployment rates for the June quarter 2026.6
| Council area | Main centre | Residents, 30 June 2025 | Unemployment rate, June quarter 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toowoomba Regional | Toowoomba (urban area 153,781) | 186,276 | 3.6% |
| Southern Downs | Warwick (urban area 16,197) | 38,064 | 3.7% |
| Western Downs | Dalby | 35,452 | 3.9% |
| Maranoa | Roma | 13,370 | 2.3% |
| Goondiwindi | Goondiwindi | 10,438 | 3.2% |
Which jobs are most advertised in Toowoomba?
Automotive and engineering trades are the fourth most advertised group in and around Toowoomba, and the second across the rest of the Downs and Maranoa, including Warwick, Dalby and Roma.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Toowoomba SA4, three-month average to September 2026.9
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Carers and aides | 85 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 80 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 79 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 70 |
| Other labourers | 60 |
| Drivers and storepersons | 57 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 55 |
Which roles do we recruit in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs?
Open a role type for demand, training, pay and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are national ratings for 2026; we count an occupation as in shortage if it is rated in shortage nationally or in regional areas.
Agriculture and field support
Agronomists, agricultural technicians and engineers, and agribusiness and farm services staff, from graduates to experienced people.
- Size of the sector
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing employs 22,300 people across the region.1 In the Western Downs, beef cattle farming was the largest single industry of employment in 2021.10
- Demand
- Agronomists, agricultural and agritech technicians, agricultural engineers, irrigation technicians and veterinarians are all rated in shortage nationally for 2026.11
- What to put in your brief
- The base, the properties or areas visited, early starts, vehicle and licence needs and who reviews the person's work in the field.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about fieldwork, travel and their connection to the region, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Trades
Qualified diesel mechanics, electricians, fabricators and other tradespeople for agricultural machinery, construction, manufacturing and service businesses.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 70 online job ads a month in and around Toowoomba and 71 across the rest of the Downs and Maranoa.9 Diesel motor mechanics, electricians, metal fabricators and agricultural mechanics are rated in shortage nationally for 2026.11
- Local training
- TAFE Queensland's East Toowoomba campus teaches trades.12
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, the licence and tickets, the equipment and any agricultural machinery the person will work on, and the experience you expect.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their licences, tickets and the machinery they have worked on, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, 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 employs 23,800 people across the region.1 Hospitals, social assistance, residential aged care and schools were among Toowoomba's leading industries in 2021.13
- Demand
- Registered nurses (aged care), aged and disabled carers and disability support workers are rated in shortage nationally for 2026, and enrolled nurses in regional areas.11 Carers and aides were the most advertised occupation group in the Toowoomba region, at 85 job ads a month.9
- What to put in your brief
- The qualification and registration the role needs, the shifts, the setting (hospital, aged care, disability or community) and who will supervise.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their qualifications, registration, shift patterns and where they want to live, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Business, IT and engineering
Accountants, administration and IT staff, and engineers, from graduates to experienced people, for practices, councils, contractors and service organisations.
- Local study
- The University of Southern Queensland has a campus in Toowoomba.14
- Demand
- Civil and electrical engineers are rated in shortage nationally for 2026; general accountants are not.11
- Pay
- Where the Professional Employees Award covers the role, the minimum for a graduate engineer with a four-year degree is $68,538 a year (Level 1 Graduate professional, pay point 1.1, from 1 July 2026). Council roles can fall under a different award.15 As a guide to typical market pay, civil engineers' median full-time earnings were $2,217 a week nationally in May 2025.16
- What to put in your brief
- The systems or software you use, who reviews the person's work, and for engineering roles the discipline and who will supervise.
- How we help
- We talk with candidates about their discipline, the software they use and the supervision they have had, then introduce the people who best match your brief.
Hiring graduates on the Downs
A graduate learns your systems from the start and can grow with your business. Agronomists and agricultural technicians are in shortage nationally,11 and UniSQ's Plant Agricultural Science major includes courses in agronomy, soil science and precision agriculture.17 Tell us whether the role is in town or in the field, and we talk with graduates about the work and the support you offer.
How we help you hire on the Downs
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and keep it moving. More on how we work with employers.
Fieldwork, travel and relocation
The Downs covers a lot of ground. Dalby is about 85 kilometres west of Toowoomba along the Warrego Way.18 The Western Downs is home to 35,452 people,7 and an estimated 2,500 workers from outside the area were on shift there in June 2025, many in the energy sector.19
Tell us the base, the areas the person will visit, early starts, vehicle and licence needs and any overnight stays. We discuss them with candidates during screening. If your preferred candidate is moving to the region, we talk with them about where to live in relation to the base and raise any relocation support you offer early.
The region also has skilled migrants whose qualifications and experience are not yet fully used in local jobs.5 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work on the Downs?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, UniSQ and TAFE students, and people coming home or moving to the Downs can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us whether you'd like to work in Toowoomba, another Downs town or out on properties, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next hire on the Downs
Tell us about the role, the base town and any fieldwork, 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.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs?
About half of the employers who recruit there find it hard. In the year to August 2026, 48% of recruiting employers in the Darling Downs employment region reported difficulty, close to the 47% across the rest of Queensland.2 The reasons given most often were a lack of suitable applicants, the regional location, and applicants lacking technical skills or experience. Hire Australia, a regional recruitment specialist, searches for people with the right experience who want to work on the Downs.
Can you recruit for field roles outside Toowoomba?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits for roles based anywhere on the Darling Downs, including Warwick, Dalby, Goondiwindi and Roma, and for jobs that travel between properties. Tell us the base, the areas the person will visit and how often. We discuss the travel, vehicle and licence needs and any overnight stays with candidates during screening.
Do you recruit both university and TAFE graduates?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits graduates from UniSQ, TAFE and other universities and training providers for Toowoomba and Darling Downs employers, as well as experienced people. We assess each candidate's study, placements and work history against your role, including graduates still finishing their study, and talk with them about the work and the support you offer.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Hire Australia charges Toowoomba and Darling Downs employers on the same basis as everywhere else we recruit. 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.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff in Toowoomba?
No. Hire Australia recruits people that Toowoomba and Darling Downs employers 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 from day one.
Do you have an office in Toowoomba?
Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for regional employers across Australia, including Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. Our search starts with people who live, study or train on the Downs, along with candidates planning a move there. Tell us the base town and any fieldwork, and we build them into the search from the first conversation.
Sources (19)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Darling Downs 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, Darling Downs. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 163 responding employers; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Labour Market Dashboard: Darling Downs Employment Region. Data: August 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Queensland Government (Minister for Health and Ambulance Services), New Toowoomba Hospital reaches another major milestone. Published 27 May 2026. Data: May 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan: Darling Downs Employment Region (December 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 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 ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area, Remoteness Area, CED and SED, 2001 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 29 October 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 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census All persons QuickStats: Western Downs. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List - 6 digit ANZSCO and OSCA. Data: 2026 OSL. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE Queensland, Toowoomba campus. Campus information. Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census All persons QuickStats: Toowoomba. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba campus. Campus information. Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Professional Employees Award 2020 [MA000065], clause 14 Minimum rates. 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: Civil Engineering Professionals. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- University of Southern Queensland, Bachelor of Science (Plant Agricultural Science). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Tourism and Events Queensland, Dalby. Distance from Toowoomba. Accessed 28 October 2026. Back to text ↑
- Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Surat Basin population report, 2025. Published 2 April 2026. Data: June 2025. Accessed 29 October 2026. Back to text ↑