Visualising the ever-shifting landscape of engineering employment across Australia, now and into the future.
The engineering labour market is experiencing significant shifts, with demand for engineering skills fluctuating across time points, disciplines and regions.
Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and migration trends have influenced the engineering employment landscape, with the nation’s commitment to net zero set to shape demand for engineering skills as sectors rush to decarbonise.
These insights and more were captured in Engineers Australia’s biannual Australian Engineering Labour Market Overview, designed to offer a snapshot of the engineering labour market over time – with create providing a visual summary of the key highlights.
1. The post-pandemic boom for engineers is waning
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, engineers weren’t in particularly high demand, Engineers Australia Acting Chief Engineer Bernadette Foley FIEAust CPEng EngExec said.
“Vacancies had lulled around below the index level for the better part of a decade,” she told create. “But post-COVID, they remain at an elevated rate.”
Demand surged, with current vacancies 16.8 per cent higher than they were in January 2006.
Civil engineers are by far and large the most in demand, accounting for almost half of all vacancies, followed by industrial, mechanical, production, mining and electrical engineers.
But the engineering labour market remains volatile, with ups and downs in vacancies recorded over the last year.
The market forces that determine the demand for engineers are dependent on the government and the private sector, Foley said.
“The increase in vacancies arising from COVID-19 is passing, and future demand for engineers very much depends on the priorities of our government and business in terms of investing in local manufacturing and capability, and the net-zero transition,” she said.
2. Skill demand (and shortage) vary depending on where you live
The demand for engineers, as measured by vacancies, is strongest where our largest population centres are – in states such as Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
In jurisdictions such as Tasmania and the Northern Territory, the demand for engineering skills is lower.
“It depends on where you are in the country as to what the labour market is doing,” Foley added.
The ACT, Tasmania and Western Australia, the mining capital of Australia, have recorded the highest recent indexed vacancy rates.
While some areas are facing engineering shortages, with vacancies for engineers tending to follow population concentration, others are not, Foley said.
“Much like the urbanisation of Australians generally, the work is done in cities even though the outputs may actually be in the country,” she said.
3. Skilled migration is recovering, but that doesn’t guarantee a job in engineering
Border closures due to COVID-19 had a significant impact on Australia’s supply pool of qualified engineers.
However, Australia’s engineering workforce is experiencing a significant boost, with both temporary and skilled migration levels way surpassing pre-COVID levels.
(Data from the above graph has also been drawn from the Department of Home Affairs Permanent Migration Program (Skilled & Family) Outcomes Snapshot and the Temporary Work (skilled) visas holders pivot table report)
This resurgence is playing a vital role in addressing workforce pressures, and has likely contributed to easing vacancy levels across the sector – with three quarters of qualified engineers coming from overseas.
But the year of arrival and how the broader economy is faring is the biggest determinant for how well a migrant engineer integrates into the workforce, according to Foley.
“The year you arrived in Australia has a huge bearing on whether or not you work in engineering. If you arrived here before 2011, there were great opportunities. If you arrived between 2013 and 2016, it was much harder.”
4. Engineers are well paid, but be careful of comparisons
Overall, engineering is a well-paid occupation, with an average salary of $127,099 as of 2024. Salaries vary widely by discipline, with mining engineers earning the highest average income, and ICT support and test engineers at the lower end of the spectrum.
But certain engineering fields have experienced significant wage growth of late, emphasising the heightened demand for specialised skills, including maintenance and reliability engineers.
The demand for core skills is also reflected in engineering pay packets, with leadership roles and management positions recording strong growth.
But when comparing salaries with other high-paid professions, such as law and medicine, engineers don’t often come out on top.
“Around 31 per cent of legal professionals are in the top income band, compared to 14 per cent of engineers and 25 per cent of doctors,” Foley said.
5. Construction demand is easing
The latest data on engineering construction activity in Australia reveals a notable shift.
Back in September 2022, there was a peak in construction driven by post-COVID stimulus and a favourable economy.
But ever since then, the commencement of new engineering projects has been on a downward trend.
Between March and June 2023, the volume of work completed surpassed that of new projects initiated – a pattern that has persisted this year.
The west and east coast of Australia collectively accounted for 88.2 per cent of new projects initiated in the quarter ending 14 March 2024, highlighting the critical role these states play in the nation’s infrastructure development.
But, given the number of infrastructure projects in the pipeline, there will be a future demand for engineers in the short term – particularly in electricity generation and transmission.
This is a key indication of the progress in the works for the energy transition and the demand for workers, including engineers, in that space.
6. Engineering demand is set to surge with Australia’s net-zero transition
Australia’s 2050 net-zero commitment provides a clear roadmap for the future demand for engineers, particularly in sectors driving decarbonisation and clean energy. According to current government projections, the electricity sector’s decarbonisation will peak by 2030, with a gradual slowdown through 2035 and 2050.
Sectors such as transport and stationary energy, currently accounting for double the emissions of electricity, are expected to accelerate their emissions reduction efforts from 2030 – with the demand for engineering expertise also rising to meet increasingly ambitious emissions reduction targets.
