Bendigo and Loddon Campaspe recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Bendigo and across Loddon Campaspe, from Castlemaine and Kyneton to Echuca on the Murray, hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Bendigo at a glance
- of recruiting Bendigo employers had difficulty filling a role
- 48%
- Year to August 2026, above the 42% across regional Victoria.1
- of the Bendigo region's people live in the City of Greater Bendigo
- 73%
- 126,568 of 173,769, 30 June 2025.2,3
- of the region's workers are in health care and social assistance
- 19%
- 16,000 of 82,100 employed people, four-quarter average to February 2026.4
- of online job ads were for medical practitioners and nurses
- 11%
- 102 of 908 a month, three-month average to September 2026.5
Who are Bendigo's biggest employers?
Health care is the region's biggest industry, with 16,000 workers in the Bendigo employment region in the year to February 2026.4 Bendigo Health has around 5,400 staff and a catchment covering a quarter of Victoria, from its three main campuses in Bendigo.6
That reach shapes hiring well beyond health: clinical, technical and office staff in Bendigo often work across a wide district, and the people we approach need to be comfortable with that.
Employed people in the five largest industries, Bendigo employment region (Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander, Loddon and Macedon Ranges), four-quarter average to February 2026.4
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 16,000 |
| Retail trade | 9,700 |
| Construction | 7,500 |
| Education and training | 6,900 |
| Manufacturing | 6,400 |
Which jobs are most advertised in Bendigo?
Nurses and doctors topped the Bendigo region's online job ads in the three months to September 2026, ahead of carers and aides, out of about 908 ads a month.5 Echuca's ads are counted in the neighbouring Shepparton region.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Bendigo statistical region (SA4), three-month average to September 2026.5
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 102 |
| Carers and aides | 95 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 60 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 55 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 53 |
| Health diagnostic and therapy professionals | 48 |
How hard is it to hire in Bendigo?
Harder than in most of regional Victoria. Of the 75 Bendigo employers who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 36% were recruiting or had recently recruited, and 48% of those had difficulty filling a role, against 42% across regional Victoria.1
The reasons they gave most often were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without the technical skills, too few applicants and the location.1 So we go looking for people rather than waiting for applications, including people with ties to central Victoria who now work elsewhere.
Which roles do we recruit in Bendigo and Loddon Campaspe?
Each role type lists local demand, its 2026 shortage rating (short nationally or in regional areas), pay where both figures exist, training nearby and what to put in 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.
- Demand
- Bendigo averaged 102 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 95 for carers and aides and 48 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, three months to September 2026.5
- Local employer
- Bendigo Health runs a 778-bed service with around 5,400 staff.6
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; enrolled nurses are short in regional areas.7
- Local training
- Bendigo TAFE has campuses in Bendigo, Castlemaine and Echuca,8 and La Trobe University has a Bendigo campus.9
- What to put in your brief
- The registration needed, the ward or service, the roster and the supervision you provide.
Trades and construction
Qualified electricians, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers and fabricators for construction, manufacturing and maintenance.
- Demand
- Monthly online job ads in the Bendigo region averaged 36 for automotive and engineering trades and 11 for construction trades, three months to September 2026.5
- Shortage
- Motor mechanics, diesel motor mechanics, electricians and plumbers are all rated in shortage nationally in 2026.7
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week (Electrical worker grade 5, licensed, with industry, tool and licence allowances) from 1 July 2026, where the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers the job.10 Market median: $2,191 a week for full-time electricians across Australia, May 2025.11
- Local training
- Bendigo TAFE's Charleston Road campus is one of its two Bendigo sites.8
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, licence and tickets, whether the work is on site or in a workshop, the pay range and the experience you need.
Engineers and technical staff
Graduate and experienced engineers, drafters and technical officers for infrastructure, manufacturing and council projects.
- Demand
- Employers in the Bendigo region advertised for engineers 14 times a month and for engineering, ICT and science technicians 17 times, three months to September 2026.5
- Shortage
- Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.7
- 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 and black coal roles fall outside it.12 Market median: $59 an hour for civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025.13
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline, the stage of the projects, your design software and who will review a graduate's work.
Business, finance and administration
Accountants, finance officers, HR and administration staff for professional practices, community organisations and service businesses.
- Demand
- The Bendigo region averaged 19 online job ads a month for business, finance and HR professionals and 60 for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, three months to September 2026.5
- Shortage
- Taxation accountants are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; general accountants are not.7
- Local study
- La Trobe University's Bendigo campus is one of its four regional campuses.9
- What to put in your brief
- Your systems, the reporting line, the hours and the level of experience.
How we help you hire in Bendigo
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel and relocation in Loddon Campaspe
The region stretches from the Macedon Ranges (54,464 people) and Mount Alexander (20,939, including Castlemaine) to Campaspe on the Murray (37,954, including Echuca) and Loddon Shire (7,718).2 Unemployment ranged from 1.7% in Macedon Ranges to 5.2% in Loddon in the June quarter 2026.14
If the role covers several towns, tell us the base, the travel and the vehicle arrangements, and we cover them with candidates early. When your preferred person is relocating, we talk with them about the move and any support you offer before an offer is made. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work around Bendigo?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, La Trobe and Bendigo TAFE graduates and people moving to central Victoria can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and how far you can travel, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Bendigo hire
Tell us about the role, the town it's based in 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.
Does Hire Australia recruit in Echuca and Castlemaine as well as Bendigo?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits for employers across Bendigo and Loddon Campaspe, including Castlemaine, Kyneton, Heathcote, Echuca, Rochester and the Loddon towns. We recruit professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, and we tailor each search to the town the role is based in and the travel it involves.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Bendigo?
Yes, more than in most regional areas. In the year to August 2026, 48% of recruiting Bendigo employers had difficulty filling a role, against 42% across regional Victoria. The most common reasons were a lack of suitable applicants, missing technical skills, too few applicants and the location.1 Hire Australia searches actively for people with the skills you need.
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. There is no charge from Hire Australia for discussing a Bendigo, Castlemaine or Echuca role, and nothing to pay before the search starts.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Bendigo?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers throughout regional Australia, including Bendigo and Loddon Campaspe. We begin each search with people who live, study or train in central Victoria and with candidates who want to move there, after we have talked with you about the role and the town.
Does Hire Australia offer labour hire in Bendigo?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles, and we don’t offer labour hire or temporary staff in Bendigo. Candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce those who fit, and you make the offer and employ them from their first day.
Can I register with Hire Australia if I want to move to Bendigo?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your experience, the work you want, when you could start and the towns around Bendigo you're considering. We'll talk with you about suitable roles in central Victoria and about the practical side of the move.
Sources (14)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State Snapshot update, Victoria combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 75 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. 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 ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates and components by SA2, 2024 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Industry profiles, Victoria combined: Employment Region Industry profiles. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by GCCSA and SA4 regions. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: Three-month average to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Bendigo Health, About Bendigo Health. 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 ↑
- Victorian Skills Authority, TAFE and training providers in Bendigo, Echuca and surrounds. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- La Trobe University, Campuses. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑