The most in-demand jobs in South Australia (2026 read)

289 occupations are officially in demand in South Australia — the second-highest count of any state — according to the 2025 Occupation Shortage List from Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), released October 2025 and the latest available. SA also eased the least of any state from 2024, and it has the most professional occupations in shortage in the country: 138.

The numbers

From the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, South Australia ratings:

• 289 occupations in shortage out of 916 rated — 263 statewide, 25 in regional SA specifically (the most regional-shortage ratings of any state), 1 metro-only
• 2024 → 2025: 307 → 289, a drop of just 18 — the smallest easing of any jurisdiction
• By group: 138 professional occupations (the highest of any state), 96 trades, 22 community and personal service, 20 machinery operators and drivers
• 18 occupations in shortage in SA but not nationally

What's in demand in South Australia

Trades — 96 occupations. The full national core holds in SA: electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, carpenters, bricklayers, stonemasons, plasterers, tilers, motor mechanics, diesel mechanics, panelbeaters, fitters, welders, metal fabricators, airconditioning mechanics, bakers, butchers, hairdressers, cabinet makers. Browse them with the SA filter at /occupations.

Health, in depth — including its leadership. Beyond the nurses, midwives, dentists and allied health roles short across the country, SA's distinct list reaches up the ladder: Nurse Educator, Nurse Researcher, Nurse Manager and Nursing Clinical Director are all in shortage here (several specifically in regional SA) despite not being in national shortage. Our read: SA doesn't just need nurses — it needs the senior people who train and run nursing.

Engineering and tech. Electronics, industrial and mechanical engineers plus cyber security analysts are short in SA but not nationally — a familiar signature for a state with defence and advanced-manufacturing ambitions. (That last clause is our read, not JSA's.)

Regional SA. Twenty-five occupations are short specifically in regional SA — the most of any state — including chefs, cafe and restaurant managers, family day care workers and several nursing roles.

The wider bench. SA is also short of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, sonographers, radiographers, retail pharmacists, ambulance officers, intensive care paramedics, aged and disabled carers and child care workers — all of them short in every other jurisdiction too, so the qualification isn't an Adelaide-only bet. The machinery and driving lane holds as well: truck drivers, bus drivers, crane operators, excavator and grader operators and train drivers all carry SA shortage ratings.

What an SA parent can do with this

Take your kid's two or three genuine interests to /occupations, filter by South Australia, and check each occupation's rating and five-year trend before anyone declares a winner. If a trade shortlists, ask the school about a school-based apprenticeship — SA runs them like every state, so a Year 10–12 student can earn and train without leaving school. And if your kid leans toward health, SA's data suggests thinking a rung higher than usual: with even nurse educators and nurse managers rated short here, a nursing start has unusually clear headroom in this state.

Our read

SA's list is deep, senior, and stubborn. It has the country's biggest professional shortage count, the most regional-shortage ratings, and it barely eased while every other state loosened. For a family, that reads two ways: a kid starting an apprenticeship or a nursing degree here is walking toward demand, and a career-changer's experience is worth more in a market this tight.

What this doesn't tell you

One rating spans Adelaide, Whyalla and the Riverland; only the metro/regional split narrows it. Shortage ratings measure hiring difficulty in 2025 — not the number of jobs, not wages. "Barely eased" is one year-over-year movement, not a law of nature. Check any occupation's five-year trend before treating a badge as a plan.

FAQ

What jobs are most in demand in South Australia?

Trades (96 occupations in shortage on the 2025 list), health at every level — from enrolled nurses to nursing clinical directors — teachers, and engineers (electronics, industrial and mechanical are short in SA despite not being in national shortage).

Why does South Australia have so many shortages?

The list doesn't say why, and we won't guess beyond what's visible: SA holds the highest professional-shortage count in the country (138 occupations) and eased least from 2024 (−18, versus −41 to −62 in the eastern states). JSA's shortage-driver research points at training pipelines and retention as common causes nationally.

What's in shortage in regional South Australia?

Twenty-five occupations carry a regional-shortage rating in SA on the 2025 list — the most of any state — including chefs, cafe or restaurant managers, enrolled nurses, registered nursing specialties, nurse educators and managers, and family day care workers.

How current is this data?

It's the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, released October 2025 by Jobs and Skills Australia — the latest official assessment. The next list is due late 2026.