Which occupations are in demand in Australia in 2025? The anchor guide

293 of 1,022 occupations assessed were in national shortage in Australia in 2025. That figure comes from the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It is a point-in-time read, updated annually.

This page lists confirmed nationally shortage-rated occupations by sector, with their ANZSCO 2022 codes. Every rating comes from that official source.

Two different questions

Being in demand can mean two different things, and it is easy to mix them up.

Is my occupation on a visa list? The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) contains 456 occupations that qualify for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Core Skills stream. Being on the CSOL opens a sponsored-visa pathway. It is not a shortage rating.

Is my occupation in shortage? The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates occupations S (national shortage), M (metropolitan), R (regional), or NS (no shortage). This is a separate, annual labour-market read.

An occupation can be on the CSOL and rated NS. Software Engineer (261313) is one example: it is on the CSOL and on the NZ Green List, yet the 2025 list rates it NS in Australia. Only Software Tester (261314) in that family is rated S. Getting the two questions mixed up is a common, costly mistake.

Nationally shortage-rated occupations, by sector

The ratings below are all S (national shortage) on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List.

Health and care

Nursing specialisations dominate this sector. Most sit under the Midwifery and Nursing Professionals group (254).

• Nurse Practitioner (254411) S
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (254412) S
• Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (254415) S
• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) (254422) S
• Aged or Disabled Carer (423111) S
• Child Care Worker (421111) S
• Veterinary Nurse (361311) S

Note: “Registered Nurse” has no single 6-digit code. It splits into specialisations, and the shortage rating varies by specialisation. The group page at 254 lists all of them.

Education

Both ends of the school sector are in shortage. See the School Teachers group (241).

• Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher (241111) S
• Secondary School Teacher (241411) S

Construction and engineering

A broad shortage, from project management through to trades. The Engineering Professionals group (233) covers the professional tier; Construction Trades Workers (33) covers the trades tier.

• Construction Project Manager (133111) S
• Civil Engineer (233211) S

Trades

• Electrician, General (341111) S. See the Electricians group (341).
• Carpenter (331212) S. See the Carpenters and Joiners group (3312).
• Plumber, General (334116) S. See the Plumbers group (334).
• Motor Mechanic, General (321211) S
• Welder (First Class) (322313) S

Technology

Six occupations in the ICT Professionals group (26) are rated S nationally:

• Software Tester (261314) S
• Cyber Security Engineer (261315) S
• Devops Engineer (261316) S
• Cyber Governance Risk and Compliance Specialist (262114) S
• Cyber Security Architect (262117) S
• Cyber Security Operations Coordinator (262118) S

Software Engineer (261313) and Developer Programmer (261312) are both NS on the 2025 list. Do not rely on older articles that say software roles are in shortage in Australia; the 2025 data does not support that claim for those codes.

Food trades

One important distinction here: Cook (351411) is rated S nationally. Chef (351311) is rated R (regional only), not S. See the Food Trades Workers group (35).

• Cook (351411) S
• Chef (351311) R (regional, not national shortage)

Shortage rating vs list membership: keep them separate

Being in shortage (S) and being on the CSOL are two different facts. Many S-rated occupations are also on the CSOL, which means a sponsored employer can use the Core Skills stream of the subclass 482 visa. But list membership and shortage rating are answered by two separate official sources, and they do not always align.

If you want to check an occupation’s current list status and shortage rating together, the occupation pages on this site link both. Start with browse all ANZSCO 2022 codes.

Where to confirm

• Shortage ratings: 2025 Occupation Shortage List, Jobs and Skills Australia
• List membership (CSOL, MLTSSL, others): Home Affairs skill occupation list page
• Your code: search ANZSCO 2022, or if you are not sure which code fits your background, paste your CV into the CV matcher

This page is information only. For advice on whether your occupation and background meet visa requirements, speak to a registered migration agent.