Geelong and Barwon recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Geelong, on the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast, and out to Golden Plains and Colac hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Geelong and Barwon at a glance
- of the Geelong region's people live in the City of Greater Geelong
- 83%
- 295,052 of 355,990 people, 30 June 2025.1,2
- of Barwon workers are in health care and social assistance
- 20%
- 36,400 of 180,300 employed people, four-quarter average to February 2026.3
- of recruiting Barwon employers had difficulty filling a role
- 27%
- Year to August 2026, against 42% across regional Victoria.4
- unemployment rate, City of Greater Geelong
- 5.1%
- Modelled estimate for the June quarter 2026; 1.9% on the Surf Coast.5
Who are Geelong's biggest employers?
Health care employs more people in the Barwon region than any other industry, 36,400 in the year to February 2026.3 Barwon Health alone has more than 8,700 staff and calls itself one of Australia's largest regional employers.6
Public administration and safety also makes the top five,3 and WorkSafe Victoria is based in central Geelong.7 Private employers looking for health, office and technical staff are often competing with these organisations for the same people.
Employed people in the five largest industries, Barwon employment region (Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Queenscliffe), four-quarter average to February 2026.3
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 36,400 |
| Construction | 18,100 |
| Retail trade | 17,700 |
| Education and training | 17,500 |
| Public administration and safety | 12,500 |
Which jobs are most advertised in Geelong?
The Geelong region averaged 1,690 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026, more than any other regional Victorian statistical region.8 Care, health, retail and front-office roles led the list.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Geelong statistical region (SA4), three-month average to September 2026.8
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Carers and aides | 135 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 121 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 121 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 119 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 73 |
| Hospitality, retail and service managers | 68 |
How hard is it to hire in Geelong?
Of the 131 Barwon employers who answered a national employer survey in the year to August 2026, 39% were recruiting or had recruited in the past month. 27% of those had difficulty filling a role, well below the 42% across regional Victoria.4
When Barwon employers did struggle, the reasons they gave most often were applicants without the technical skills, a lack of suitable applicants, too few applicants and the location.4 For roles that need particular skills, licences or software, we look past the people who happen to be applying this month.
Which roles do we recruit in Geelong and Barwon?
Each role type below shows local demand, the 2026 shortage rating, pay where we have both an award and a market figure, local training and what to put in your brief. We count an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Trades and construction
Qualified electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics and fabricators for construction, manufacturing and maintenance businesses.
- Demand
- The Geelong region averaged 58 online job ads a month for automotive and engineering trades, 30 for construction trades and 30 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades, three months to September 2026.8
- 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) from 1 July 2026, where the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers the role.10 Market median: $2,191 a week for full-time electricians nationally, May 2025.11
- Local training
- The Gordon teaches at its Geelong City and East Geelong campuses.12
- What to put in your brief
- The trade, the licence and tickets the work needs, the sites or workshop, the pay range and the experience you expect.
Engineers and technical staff
Graduate and experienced engineers, drafters and technical officers for manufacturing, construction and infrastructure teams.
- Demand
- Geelong employers advertised for engineers 22 times a month and for engineering, ICT and science technicians 36 times a month, three months to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- Civil, electrical and mechanical engineers and civil engineering draftspersons are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.9
- 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).13 Market median: $59 an hour for civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025.14
- Local study
- Deakin University's Geelong Waurn Ponds campus has more than 8,000 students and an industry-standard engineering lab.15
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline, the experience level, the software you use and, for a graduate, who will check their work.
Business, finance and administration
Accountants, payroll and finance officers, HR and office staff, from graduates to experienced people.
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 41 online job ads for business, finance and HR professionals, 34 for numerical clerks and 25 for office managers, administrators and secretaries, three months to September 2026.8
- Local market
- Public administration and safety employs 12,500 people in the Barwon region, so experienced office staff often have public-sector options.3
- Shortage
- General accountants are not rated in shortage in 2026, but taxation accountants are.9
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, the experience level, the hours and who the person reports to.
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 36,400 people in the Barwon region, and Barwon Health has more than 8,700 staff.3,6
- Demand
- Each month Geelong averaged 121 online job ads for medical practitioners and nurses, 65 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals and 135 for carers and aides, three months to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026, and enrolled nurses are rated short in regional areas.9
- What to put in your brief
- The registration the role needs, the shifts, the setting and who will supervise.
Graduates in Geelong
Geelong has a large university campus on its doorstep: Deakin's Waurn Ponds campus alone has more than 8,000 students,15 and The Gordon trains people in the city centre and East Geelong.12 Tell us who will guide a graduate through their first year, and we talk with graduates about that support and their plans to stay in the region.
How we help you hire in Geelong and Barwon
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel and relocation around Geelong and the coast
The Barwon region runs well beyond the city. The Surf Coast has 40,265 people, Golden Plains 26,620 and Colac Otway 22,209.1 Unemployment there is low (1.9% on the Surf Coast and 2.1% in Colac Otway in the June quarter 2026),5 so for a role based in Torquay or Colac we usually search the whole region.
Tell us where the working day starts, any travel between sites and any vehicle, and we discuss them with candidates during screening. If your preferred candidate is moving to the region, we raise the practical side 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 in Geelong?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, recent Deakin and Gordon graduates and people moving to Geelong or the coast can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and where you can travel, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Geelong 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.
Which areas around Geelong does Hire Australia recruit in?
Hire Australia recruits for employers across the Geelong and Barwon region: the City of Greater Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Queenscliff, the Surf Coast from Torquay to Lorne, Golden Plains and Colac Otway. We recruit professional, technical and trade staff at every level, from graduates to experienced people, and we recruit across the rest of regional Victoria too.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Geelong?
Less often than in most of regional Victoria. In the year to August 2026, 27% of recruiting Barwon employers had difficulty filling a role, against 42% across regional Victoria. When they did, the main reasons were missing technical skills and a lack of suitable applicants.4 Hire Australia focuses on the skills the role needs and searches beyond active applicants.
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 Geelong or Surf Coast role costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Geelong?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. Each search starts with people who live, study or train in the Barwon region, along with candidates planning a move there, and we talk with you about the role before we begin.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff in Geelong?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors to Geelong 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 Geelong?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and whether you'd prefer the city, the Bellarine or the coast. We'll talk with you about suitable Geelong roles and about the practical side of the move, such as where you plan to live.
Sources (15)
- 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, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State Snapshot update, Victoria combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 131 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 ↑
- Barwon Health, About us. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- WorkSafe Victoria, Contact WorkSafe. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Victorian Skills Authority, TAFE and training providers in Geelong, Colac and surrounds. 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 ↑
- Deakin University, Deakin campuses in Australia. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑