Machinery Operators and Drivers
Miner in Western Australia
Miner is in shortage in regional Western Australia in 2025 — employers outside the capital are the ones struggling to hire.
How WA compares nationally
The WA picture matches the national one — rated "Regional shortage" across Australia as a whole.
In shortage in regional areas across the country, in regional NSW, in regional VIC, in regional QLD, in regional SA, in regional WA and in regional TAS.
Five-year trend in WA
Demand is outpacing supply. Open roles are growing faster than the people available to fill them. The outlook for getting work in this field is good and improving.
Each dot is one year's WA rating: filled = in shortage (including a regional-only or metro-only shortage), hollow = no shortage.
Regional vs metro in WA
The shortage is in regional Western Australia. Employers outside the capital city are the ones struggling to hire — if you live in a regional area, that's demand right where you are.
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
Quicker startThe standard route is a Certificate II or III — months rather than years, so you can be working sooner.
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 4. Certificate II or III. The training route is the same wherever you live — what changes by state is the demand at the end of it.
Why it's in shortage — and how hard it is to break in
Short of people, but no single clear cause
Jobs and Skills Australia found this group short of workers but couldn't pin the shortage on a single cause — training, suitability and retention signals were mixed.
The driver ("Uncertain") is Jobs and Skills Australia's Australia-wide analysis of this occupation's unit group (7122); the plain-English explanation is ours.
Will AI replace it?
Some parts could be automated; others are harder to replace. Expect AI to take on the routine pieces over time, while the hands-on, judgement-heavy parts stay human. How it lands depends on the specific role.
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 is not on the current 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 WA
Ratings shown are for WA, 2025.
Miner elsewhere
NSW · Victoria · Queensland · SA · Tasmania · NT · ACT
Or see the full national profile for Miner — 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 712212 · WA ratings from the Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List 2025.