What are the fastest growing industries in Australia?

Understand the benefits of in-demand careers and explore Australia's fastest growing industries.

The race for a high paying job in Australia is on. If you want to earn the average income of just under $90,800 per year, you may need to upskill – and you should probably know what the fastest growing industries in Australia are.

Choosing one of the strongest industries that is predicted to keep growing can afford you a higher wage as well as long-term job security. To make your search easier, we decided to investigate what those industries are, why they remain strong, and what skills you will need to get into related jobs.

Why work in a growing industry?

Before we dive into Australia’s fastest-growing industries, we should ask why it is important to work in one. The main benefits of working in a fast-growing industry are:

• Growing industries are successful and often mean higher annual pay.
• Growing industries require more people to work in them and often mean there are more jobs available.
• The success of a growing industry often results in long-term positions and job security.
• Growing industries are often at the forefront of innovation and can be exciting and interesting to work in.
• Growing industries may offer jobs that are challenging and can provide worthwhile change to the way we live, care for others or even care for the planet.

How much do people earn in Australia?

Australians are known to enjoy higher employment income than other developed nations. One way to get a picture is to compare the minimum wage of Australia to other countries.

In Australia, the current minimum wage is $21.38 AUD per hour compared to the UK’s £9.50 (for those over the age of 23) and the USA’s minimum of $7.25 USD. 

But most people in Australia are not working at this rate. This minimum wage is topped up by industry agreements, making the real minimum wage much higher even for newcomers to a job. This is topped up even further depending on experience, qualifications and other factors.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that the average weekly pay as of May 2022 is a hefty $1,770! You should take these results with a pinch of salt however, because don’t forget, the cost of living in Australia is significantly higher than other developed nations.

What is the average education level in Australia?

Australia enjoys more than just higher wages – they also have one of the highest populations of university-educated residents. In 1989, fewer than 8% of Australian residents boasted a degree, whereas in 2022 that number reached 50.8%.

There are many reasons why Australians may be choosing to take up university places more today, including:

• Degrees can now be completed online which is far more flexible, especially for older workers who want to prepare for a career change while continuing to earn an income.
• Competition for those well-paid jobs is higher and degrees may be needed.
• Locals can benefit from the Australian Federal Government higher education loans (HECS) to pay for their education, which only has to be paid back once they start earning a certain amount.

What are the fastest growing industries in Australia?

Below you will find five of Australia’s fastest-growing industries, along with reasons why they are getting bigger.

1) Healthcare 

Healthcare remains one of the fastest-growing industries around the world and it has been supercharged by our ageing population. It is predicted that by 2041, there will be 6.66 million people over the age of 65 in Australia. 

Although some people have focused on the fact that the ageing population appears to be levelling off, they usually forget that the overall population continues to increase. Ultimately, this means that the percentages may hover around the same mark but the actual number of older people requiring healthcare is still increasing.

2) Renewable Energy

The renewable energy and sustainable living industries are becoming a priority for most countries. From the UK to Australia, more is being invested in this area to preserve ecosystems and help the planet heal. The methods of achieving these goals are drastically different. Thus, there are so many diverse jobs within the renewable energy industry.

If you want to change careers and work in a job that matters, you could start by taking online courses on climate change and then specialise in specific areas like responsible food supply, solar power or even wind farming. 

3) Construction and Engineering

Along with the growing populations mentioned earlier, more Australians need homes and to build communities with schools, leisure centres and many other facilities. After all, from an economic perspective, Australia is a very young country compared to other nations. This creates a demand for more construction and engineering work to be done.

The good news is that there is a wealth of jobs that will become available from this flourishing sector, including architect, building and engineering jobs. Explore our online construction courses to build career-ready skills and earn certificates. 

4) Tourism

Australia is a common addition to most people’s travel bucket list. From unspoiled white beaches and clear water to exciting cities and outback exploration, there is so much to see and do in Australia. This means the tourism industry is always booming and continues to grow year on year.

Despite a temporary hiatus after the pandemic, the tourism industry is booming once again. This means there are lots of Australian jobs in accommodation, tours (especially near the reefs!) and transport.

You can enrol in our culture and tourism course to understand the main definitions and concepts of cultural tourism and progress in the sector that is meant to grow again.

5) Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is an industry that caters to every other industry. With almost every business owning a website and operating online, white hat hackers can provide a service to these companies to keep their customers safe and protect their brand.

If a business is hacked and data is stolen, that information quickly becomes public knowledge and can destroy brands, sometimes causing businesses to fail. The demand for cybersecurity experts is already big but expected to grow as more of our retailers and government departments rely on the internet.

Many cybersecurity workers have some form of computer science degree, but it is not a prerequisite. Some hackers earn jobs by self-teaching the required skills and taking short-term cybersecurity courses.

If this sounds interesting to you, you’ll be pleased to hear that The University of Western Australia offers a free course on agriculture, economics and nature. Find out if your passion lies in agriculture now!

Why is location a key consideration?

One consideration when trying to identify the fastest growing industries in Australia is your location. Australia is huge with different climates, wildlife, ecology and more. Some parts of Australia are even uninhabitable.

What this tells us is the best industries may differ between states. For example, in Western Australia, mining is still big business and offers some incredible paying jobs, whereas there are fewer mines on the east coast.

So, before picking an industry you want to get into, you may want to investigate how it is performing in certain parts of Australia – or ask yourself if you are prepared to move for your preferred job.

Thinking about migrating to Australia for work?

This post may be most useful for Australians already in Australia looking for work and wanting to upskill. But that doesn’t mean non-Australian residents can’t benefit from understanding what the hot jobs are down under.

Just be aware that if you are planning on migrating to Australia for working purposes, you will need to have a working visa. To get a working visa you must receive sponsorship from an Australian employer – and have worked in a job that matches a list of job shortages at the time of application.

This list of jobs that qualify is updated frequently with some professions always staying on it – such as doctors or nurses – while other jobs may fall off or come back on. You should also be aware that some foreign qualifications do not transfer to Australia and you may need an Australian degree or some type of bridging qualification to keep working in your current role when in Australia.

Upskill for the best Australian jobs with FutureLearn

Whether you’re searching for the best paying jobs in Australia from near or far, one way to prepare yourself is with qualifications and certificates provided by Australian universities and recognised by local employers.

At FutureLearn, we’ve partnered with some of the best universities around the world, including stellar Australian universities like Queensland University of Technology, The University of Southern Queensland and many more.

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Search our course library today to upskill with relevant qualifications that can earn you a promotion or new career in Australia!