Brisbane Jobs Boom: Top Sectors Hiring in 2024

Brisbane's job market is the strongest it has been in a generation, driven by the population surge of the post-pandemic migration wave, the infrastructure investment associated with the 2032 Olympic Games, the resources sector royalties flowing through the Queensland economy, and the technology sector's rapid expansion. The city that was once seen as offering limited employment outside the public service, tourism, and resources sectors now has a genuinely diversified job market.

Construction and infrastructure — the 2032 Olympic Games infrastructure programme, the Cross River Rail, the Sunshine Coast rail extension, and the stadium upgrades are generating the largest sustained construction employment boom in Queensland's history. Project management, engineering, quantity surveying, and skilled trades are in exceptional demand.

Technology — Brisbane's technology sector is growing at the fastest rate of any Australian capital city. The Queensland government's technology procurement, Afterpay and other fintech companies' Brisbane offices, and a growing startup ecosystem in the Fortitude Valley tech precinct are driving demand for software engineers, product managers, and data scientists.

Queensland public service — Queensland Health, the Department of Education, Queensland Rail, and the broader QPS provide stable employment across diverse professional categories. The QPS salary scale is generally below the NSW and Victorian equivalents but combined with lower housing costs, the effective financial position is broadly comparable.

Healthcare and aged care — the Herston health precinct (Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Queensland Children's Hospital, QIMR Berghofer) is Brisbane's largest single employment cluster. The aged care sector's workforce shortage creates persistent demand across multiple Brisbane regions.

Where to search — Seek and LinkedIn dominate. The Queensland government jobs portal (smartjobs.qld.gov.au) is essential for public sector roles. Brisbane recruitment agencies (Randstad, HOBAN, Chandler Macleod) have strong Queensland state and local government networks.

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