Mildura and Mallee recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Mildura, Swan Hill, Kerang and across the Victorian Mallee hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Mildura and the Mallee at a glance
- of recruiting employers in the Wimmera Mallee had difficulty filling a role
- 52%
- Year to August 2026, the second-highest rate in regional Victoria.1
- of Wimmera Mallee workers are in agriculture, forestry and fishing
- 17%
- 12,700 of 76,800 employed people, the region's largest industry, year to February 2026.2
- of online job ads in north-west Victoria were for medical practitioners and nurses
- 13%
- 116 of 923 a month, three-month average to September 2026.3
- unemployment rate, Mildura Rural City
- 2.7%
- June quarter 2026; 1.9% in Swan Hill.4
What drives employment in Mildura and the Mallee?
Agriculture is the largest employer across the Wimmera Mallee, with 12,700 workers in the year to February 2026, ahead of health care and social assistance on 11,500.2
Mildura Base Public Hospital is the major hospital in the Northern Mallee. When it returned to public hands in 2020, more than 900 existing staff moved across.5
Which jobs are most advertised in Mildura and the Mallee?
The North West statistical region averaged 923 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026.3 It covers the Wimmera as well as the Mallee, so the figures include Horsham and Stawell. Health roles lead, with care, retail and office roles close behind.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, North West statistical region (SA4, covering the Mallee and the Wimmera), three-month average to September 2026.3
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 116 |
| Carers and aides | 78 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 61 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 57 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 50 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 38 |
Which council areas does the Mallee cover?
Mildura is by far the largest council area. Unemployment is low across the Mallee, so we search beyond the local pool, including people in work and people planning a move.
Estimated resident population at 30 June 20256 and smoothed unemployment rate, June quarter 20264, by council area.
| Council area (main towns) | Population | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| Mildura (Mildura, Red Cliffs, Merbein, Ouyen) | 57,309 | 2.7% |
| Swan Hill (Swan Hill, Robinvale) | 20,962 | 1.9% |
| Gannawarra (Kerang, Cohuna) | 10,311 | 2.4% |
| Buloke (Charlton, Donald, Sea Lake) | 5,887 | 1.9% |
Why is it hard to hire in Mildura?
Distance is the main barrier. In a national employer survey for the year to August 2026, 47% of the 106 Wimmera Mallee employers who responded were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 52% of those had difficulty.1
The location was the most common reason, ahead of a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without enough experience and too few applicants.1 That makes the case for the move, the lifestyle and any relocation help part of the search from the first conversation.
Which roles do we recruit in Mildura and the Mallee?
Open each role type for local demand, the 2026 national shortage rating, pay, training and what to put in your brief. We treat an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Agribusiness and horticulture
Agronomists, agricultural technicians, farm and orchard managers, irrigation and food-processing staff, and veterinarians.
- Local employment
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing employed 12,700 people in the Wimmera Mallee in the year to February 2026.2
- Demand
- The North West region averaged 17 online job ads a month for farm, forestry and garden workers, three months to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Agronomists, agricultural and agritech technicians, agricultural research scientists and veterinarians are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.7
- Local training
- SuniTAFE has campuses in Mildura and Swan Hill.8
- What to put in your brief
- The crops or produce, the season the role starts in, the vehicle and travel, and the experience level.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health managers, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers.
- Demand
- North-west Victoria averaged 116 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 78 for carers and aides and 37 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, three months to September 2026.3
- Local employer
- Mildura Base Public Hospital is the major hospital in the Northern Mallee.5
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; enrolled nurses and hospital pharmacists are short in regional areas.7
- What to put in your brief
- The registration, the hospital or service, the roster and how you support staff who are new to the region.
Trades and engineering
Electricians, diesel and motor mechanics, fitters, refrigeration mechanics and engineers for farms, processing plants, councils and construction.
- Demand
- Each month the region averaged 38 online job ads for automotive and engineering trades and 12 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades, three months to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Electricians, diesel motor mechanics, fitters and air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.7
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week for a licensed electrician, Electrical worker grade 5, with industry, tool and licence allowances included, from 1 July 2026, where the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award applies to the job.9 Market median: $2,191 a week for full-time electricians across Australia, May 2025.10
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licences, the equipment, any travel to farms or sites, and whether the work peaks with the harvest.
Business, community and administration
Accountants, finance and office staff, social workers, case managers and counsellors for businesses, councils and community organisations.
- Demand
- The region averaged 57 online job ads a month for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, 50 for legal, social and welfare professionals and 22 for business, finance and HR professionals, three months to September 2026.3
- Shortage
- Taxation accountants are rated in shortage nationally in 2026, and counsellors not elsewhere classified are rated short in regional areas; general accountants and social workers are not.7
- Local study
- La Trobe University has a Mildura campus.11
- What to put in your brief
- Your systems or programs, the reporting line, the hours and any travel to outlying towns.
How we help you hire in Mildura and the Mallee
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Distance, travel and relocation
Mildura is far from the capital cities, so many roles here are filled by people who already live in the Sunraysia district or who choose to move. Towns such as Robinvale, Ouyen and Sea Lake have small local pools.
Tell us where the role is based, the travel it involves and any vehicle, and we set that out with candidates from the start. If your preferred person is relocating, we talk early about housing, family needs and any relocation help you offer. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Mildura or the Mallee?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, La Trobe and SuniTAFE graduates and people thinking about a move to the Mallee can register with Hire Australia. Tell us what work you want and where you could live, and we'll talk with you about suitable roles.
Talk to us about your next Mildura or Mallee hire
Tell us the role, the town and when you'd like the person 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.
Does Hire Australia recruit in Swan Hill and Kerang as well as Mildura?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits for employers across Mildura and the Victorian Mallee, including Red Cliffs, Merbein, Ouyen, Robinvale, Swan Hill, Kerang, Cohuna and the Buloke towns. We recruit professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, and plan each search around how remote the role is.
Why is it hard to recruit staff in Mildura?
Mostly distance. In the year to August 2026, 52% of recruiting Wimmera Mallee employers had difficulty filling a role, and the regional location was the most common reason.1 Hire Australia looks well beyond the district and talks with candidates about the move early, so the people you meet are ready for it.
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. Hire Australia doesn’t charge to discuss a Mildura or Mallee role, and there is no upfront payment.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Mildura?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Mildura and the Mallee. We start with people who live, study or train in the region and along the Murray, plus people in the cities who want a regional move, once we understand your role.
Can Hire Australia supply labour hire or seasonal workers in Mildura?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, seasonal pickers, temps or contractors in Mildura or the Mallee, and candidates are never on our payroll. We find and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you employ them directly from their first day.
Can I register with Hire Australia if I want to move to Mildura?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which Mallee towns would suit you. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and the practical side of moving to the region.
Sources (11)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State Snapshot update, Victoria combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 106 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Premier of Victoria, Mildura Hospital Back In Public Hands (media release, 15 September 2020). 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 ↑
- 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 Mildura, Swan Hill and surrounds. 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 ↑
- La Trobe University, Campuses. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑