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Location of jobs in Australia

job-locationsWhere is your job in Australia? Yu must research where your profession is ‘based’ in Australia. You might favour a town or city, but remember that your chances of finding a job will be greater in the region where your industry is based. You should not think that job opportunities do not exist outside of the locations below, but these are the main areas where the industries operate.

Jobs in Australia’s major cities

Employment in Sydney, NSW

Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), is Australia’s largest city and economy, generating almost a quarter of Australia’s GDP. It is home to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), the Reserve Bank of Australia and most of Australia’s largest companies. All of the top 20 foreign banks have their Australian headquarters in Sydney. After finance, manufacturing is the next biggest industry in the city. Retail is the largest employer in Sydney, with almost 11 per cent of the population working in the sector. As well as Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD), Parramatta, in the city’s west, and Chatswood, in the northern suburbs, are sizeable commercial centres.

Employment in Melbourne, VIC

Melbourne, Victoria, is Australia’s second largest city and vies with Sydney for the title of Australia’s business centre. Two of Australia’s ‘Big Four’ banks (ANZ and National Australia Bank) and many superannuation funds are based there. It is also the home of the automotive industry (Ford, Holden and Toyota) and Australia’s largest company, BHP Billiton. Many technology companies, particularly biotech, also have their Australian offices in Melbourne. It is the location of Australia’s largest port.

Employment in Brisbane, QLD

Brisbane, Queensland, is the third largest city in Australia with a population of 1.1 million. It has one of the busiest ports in Australia and has benefited from the recent ‘resources boom.’ The Queensland Government has recently invested heavily in biotechnology research.

Employment in Adelaide, SA

Adelaide, South Australia, is Australia’s manufacturing centre, although the healthcare industry is the state’s largest employer. It has a sizeable automotive industry and is a A$1 billion per year manufacturing base for defence technology. South Australia is also the country’s largest producer of wine.

Employment in Perth, WA

Perth, Western Australia, has Australia’s fastest growing economy thanks to the current high demand around the world for iron ore, coal, oil, gas, and other mineral resources. The resources boom has led to low unemployment rates and more jobs in retail, construction and service industries.

Employment in Canberra, ACT

Canberra, ACT, is Australia’s capital city and the centre of Federal Government departments and administration. Communications services is a growing industry in the ACT as well.

Employment in Newcastle, NSW

Newcastle, NSW, is the second largest city in the state and the largest coal port in the world. There are a number of large coal mines in the Newcastle region. The nearby Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s largest wine growing areas.

Gold Coast, Queensland

Gold Coast, Queensland, with miles of beautiful beaches, theme parks and warm, sunny climate is a one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations. The Gold Coast is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.


Industries & locations within Australia

find-a-job-in-australiaAgriculture – Agriculture is conducted in all states and territories.

Arts and culture – large cities such as Sydney and Melbourne

Automobile industry – South Australia and Victoria

Biotechnology – Melbourne and Brisbane

Dairy farming – Victoria, NSW

Finance – Mainly Sydney and Melbourne, bit also other mainland capitals such as Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Government – Canberra (federal) and state and territory capital cities

Health care – all regions

Hospitality/tourism – all regions

Information Technology – Sydney and Melbourne

Insurance – All capital cities. The largest firms are based in Sydney or Melbourne.

Investment banking – Sydney and Melbourne

Journalism/media – Sydney and Melbourne

Law – All capital cities. The largest firms are based in Sydney or Melbourne.

Manufacturing – Adelaide

Mining – all states and the Northern Territory.

Oil and gas – Western Australia, Queensland and Bass Strait (water between Victoria and Tasmania).

Teaching – all regions

Telecommunications – Sydney and Melbourne. Australia’s largest telecommuncations (telco) company, Telstra, is based in Melbourne.


Finding a job

Many jobs are not advertised and you may find our sections on networking and volunteering helpful. Our partner ANZ also has helpful information about searching for a job and the process you will go through such as the application process and tips for what to expect at a job interview, find out more.


You may consider listing your resume with a recruitment agency. In most cases you don’t pay the recruitment firm as they are paid by the companies when they recruit staff. If you want to start your search online there are a number of helpful websites, the Australian Government runs a site called Job Search, which lists jobs in various industries and also has hints and tips for finding the right job.

There are also a number of private job sites such as Seek and Career One that you can search online.