Technicians and Trades Workers
Drainer in South Australia
Drainer is in shortage in South Australia in 2025 — employers across the state are struggling to fill these roles.
How SA compares nationally
The SA picture matches the national one — rated "Shortage" across Australia as a whole.
In shortage nationally, in NSW, in VIC, in QLD, in SA, in WA, in TAS, in NT and in ACT.
Five-year trend in SA
Strong, steady demand. Employers have struggled to fill these roles every year for the last five — a persistent shortage, and a dependable outlook for finding work.
Each dot is one year's SA rating: filled = in shortage (including a regional-only or metro-only shortage), hollow = no shortage.
Our read
Opportunity
StrongIn shortage nationally this year, and it's been short for most of the last five — steady demand, not a blip.
Getting in
Steady buildThe standard route is a diploma or a Certificate III/IV — often an apprenticeship, where you're paid to learn on the job over a few years.
These read the occupation Australia-wide, and they're our analysis of the official data — not a Jobs and Skills Australia rating. How we work these out.
Getting in
Training level 3. Certificate IV, or Certificate III plus at least two years on-the-job training. The training route is the same wherever you live — what changes by state is the demand at the end of it.
Earn while you learn: what would an apprentice earn?
Why it's in shortage — and how hard it is to break in
Not enough people finish the long training
The qualification takes years — a degree or a full apprenticeship / Certificate III or above — so trained people can't appear overnight. Hard to get in quickly, but if you start the training now, you're heading somewhere the queue is short at the other end.
The driver ("Long training gap") is Jobs and Skills Australia's Australia-wide analysis of this occupation's unit group (3341); the plain-English explanation is ours.
Will AI replace it?
Hands-on, in-person work that's hard to automate. This is exactly the kind of non-routine, physical, face-to-face work that AI and automation struggle with most — a safer bet for a long career.
Our editorial read, based on the kind of work (its occupation group) — not a Jobs and Skills Australia rating, and not a prediction.
Skilled migration list
This occupation appears on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) as at 7 November 2025.
Being on the list says nothing about anyone's visa eligibility — it is one condition among many. This is general information, not migration advice. For advice about your circumstances, see the Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation lists or a registered migration agent (OMARA register).
Related occupations in SA
- Airconditioning and Mechanical Services PlumberShortage
- Fire Protection PlumberShortage
- GasfitterShortage
- Plumber (General)Shortage
- Roof PlumberShortage
Ratings shown are for SA, 2025.
Drainer elsewhere
NSW · Victoria · Queensland · WA · Tasmania · NT · ACT
Or see the full national profile for Drainer — including where the shortage sits state by state — or compare it against other occupations.
Know the moment new numbers land
You're already seeing the newest numbers: the 2025 Occupation Shortage List is the government's current release — checked against the source in July 2026 — and apprentice pay rates include the 1 July 2026 increase. When the next list lands, we'll send one note: what moved, what it means. No newsletter, no selling your address.
ANZSCO 334113 · SA ratings from the Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List 2025.