Top 20 Occupations In Demand Nationally

While skills shortages are currently observed in a wide range of occupations, there are several key areas, notably caring occupations and digital and data occupations, where shortages may be more pressing.

The Skills Priority List (SPL) provides a point–in-time assessment of occupations in shortage. Combining the SPL with other data sets produced by Jobs and Skills Australia, such as job vacancies and five-year employment projections, provides an estimate of some of the economy’s key skills needs.

This list, like the SPL, represents a diverse mix of occupations including, health care, digital, construction and engineering professionals, as well as traditional trades workers. It is important to recognise, however, that there are many, many more occupations of key significance to the economy and the wellbeing of Australians.

The table below provides a list of the top 20 occupations in demand nationally using:

the national 2022 SPL skills shortage ratings;
job vacancies data from the IVI (monthly average of internet job vacancies during the three-month period from October to December 2022 inclusive); and
projected growth in national employment over the five years to November 2026.

Here are the top 20 occupations in Australia for 2022, ordered by the number of internet vacancies for each respective occupation.

Best 20 occupations in demand nationally

No.	Occupation	IVI job ads*
1	Registered Nurses	8,377
2	Software and Applications Programmers	6,269
3	Aged and Disabled Carers	4,642
4	Child Carers	4,277
5	Construction Managers	4,230
6	Motor Mechanics	3,924
7	Retail Managers	3,777
8	Chefs	3,725
9	Generalist Medical Practitioners	3,352
10	Metal Fitters and Machinists	3,137
11	ICT Business and Systems Analysts	3,053
12	Civil Engineering Professionals	2,871
13	Electricians	2,839
14	Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers	2,493
15	Contract, Program and Project Administrators	2,392
16	Advertising and Marketing Professionals	2,265
17	Physiotherapists	1,262
18	Gardeners	1,015
19	Mining Engineers	957
20	Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists	942

Skills Priority List top 10 in National Shortage

Some of the most in-demand jobs in shortage in Australia for immigrants:

ANZSCO Code	Occupation	Priority
121311	Apiarist	High
132511	Research and Development Manager	High
133111	Construction Project Manager	High
133112	Project Builder	High
133211	Engineering Manager	High
139914	Quality Assurance Manager	High
141311	Hotel or Motel Manager	High
141411	Licensed Club Manager	High
142111	Retail Manager (General)	High
142114	Hair or Beauty Salon Manager	High

With Low to Medium Future Demand Nationally

From the National Skills Commission’s Skills Priority List.

Occupation Code	Occupation	Shortage	Future Demand
111111	Chief Executive or Managing Director	No Shortage	Medium
111211	Corporate General Manager	No Shortage	Medium
121111	Aquaculture Farmer	No Shortage	Medium
121311	Apiarist	Shortage	Medium
121312	Beef Cattle Farmer	No Shortage	Low
121313	Dairy Cattle Farmer	No Shortage	Low
121314	Deer Farmer	No Shortage	Low
121315	Goat Farmer	No Shortage	Low
121316	Horse Breeder	No Shortage	Low
121318	Pig Farmer	No Shortage	Low

Notes: IVI data are October to December 2022 monthly average
Source: National Skills Commission, Skills Priority List, 2022; National Skills Commission, Employment outlook Industry and occupation trends over the five years to November 2026, 2022; JSA, Internet Vacancy Index, December 2022.

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