Healthcare jobs rising: key learnings from a job site's data

Australian healthcare jobs are on the rise. Drilling down into its own data and survey findings, a job site’s senior economist draws out some key learnings.

Indeed data highlights that the healthcare sector is one of our country’s biggest drivers of employment. In fact, over the past year, around 57% of Australia’s job gains came from healthcare and social assistance alone. Yet, despite these figures, tens of thousands of healthcare roles remain unfilled across Australia — a fact that’s unlikely to come as a surprise to anyone working in the industry.

Also highlighted by the data is that registered nurses and disability support workers remain among the hardest positions to fill, consistently ranking in the top 10 vacancies across states. New South Wales is experiencing a particularly significant demand for registered nurses, while Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania are also reporting high numbers of job postings in health care — from clinical nurses to general practitioners.

Beyond doctors and nurses, the allied health sector is also facing mounting workforce challenges. Physiotherapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs) and other allied health professionals are in high demand across the board as Australia’s ageing population and an increasing prevalence of chronic conditions drive the need for more rehabilitative and supportive care services.

What the healthcare industry can expect

It’s clear that competition for skilled healthcare professionals is intensifying — making it more important than ever for healthcare employers to focus on attracting and retaining top talent. This demand is almost certain to remain high in the next few years and beyond, driven both by an ageing population and strong population growth generally. In fact, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows Australia’s population growth is currently sitting at a healthy 2.1% — up from just 0.1% at the peak of COVID-19 — influenced by a combination of overseas migration and new births.

Adding to this, our population is currently older than it’s ever been before, with around 29% of people aged 55 or older. As Australia’s population continues to grow and age, our healthcare needs are only going to increase — placing even more pressure on our healthcare workforce across the country. And as young families and new migrants increasingly seek affordable housing opportunities in regional areas, the demand for healthcare in these communities will escalate.

Regional hospitals, clinics and allied health services will need to compete with those in larger cities to attract and retain skilled health professionals — a considerable challenge in an already competitive labour market. In addition to this, a growing cohort of older Australians will drive greater demand for aged care and home care services, chronic disease management, preventative health programs and rehabilitative care.

Allied health fields like PT, OT and speech pathology can also expect to see increased demand, with an ageing population inevitably leading to higher rates of chronic health conditions, disability and age-related illnesses, all of which will likely require allied health support to maintain independence and quality of life. At the same time, rising awareness and diagnosis of mental health conditions and neurodiversity across all age groups will further increase the need for certain allied health services, with psychologists, OTs and speech pathologists likely to be in hot demand.

How healthcare employers can attract talent

Findings from a recent Indeed survey reveal Australian employees’ top priority for 2025 is to boost their earning capacity — unsurprising in a persistent cost-of-living crisis and uncertain economy. This suggests that when it comes to attracting and retaining talent, salary remains the biggest influencing factor. Employers should therefore aim to review pay regularly to ensure competitiveness, particularly in allied health fields where private roles may offer higher remuneration than public or not-for-profit sectors.

Including pay information in job ads can also help attract talent. In fact, survey data revealed 65% of job seekers believe salary transparency is essential in a job ad. Compared to other industries, healthcare employers tend to rank high for salary transparency — in 2024, around 61% of nursing job ads included pay information — but if the labour market continues to tighten, this number may well increase as healthcare employers seek to stand out from their competitors.

What those entering the industry can expect

For those considering a career in health care — whether school-leavers or those looking to switch careers — the current job market presents a wealth of opportunity. Health care is, and will continue to be, one of Australia’s most stable industries, with demand for skilled professionals only set to increase in the next five years and beyond. Nursing and medical graduates can expect strong employment prospects across the board, with growing demand in regional areas. Allied health graduates can likely expect the same, particularly in PT, OT and mental health services.

As a consequence of widespread talent shortages, early career professionals may also find faster pathways to leadership roles — a fact that may help to attract ambitious candidates. For those looking to change careers, the healthcare industry offers many different entry points — like vocational training, university pathways and government-supported retraining initiatives. Allied health assistant roles, for example, provide a stepping stone into professional practice, allowing career-changers to gain experience before pursuing further study.

Australia’s demand for healthcare talent isn’t likely to ease any time soon — and the challenge for healthcare employers will continue to be how they meet this demand. Employers who proactively adapt to workforce challenges — by offering competitive salaries and career development opportunities — will be best positioned to attract and retain skilled professionals, both now and into the future.

*Callam Pickering is Senior Asia–Pacific Economist at Indeed.

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