2022 Skills Priority List

2022 Skills Priority List

This story was first published on Monday 31 October 2022.
If you wish to use this content, please contact media@skillscommission.gov.au to confirm that the information is still current.

The National Skills Commission’s 2022 Skills Priority List (SPL) has been released and is now available as a digital interface that allows people to filter and search for jobs that are in high demand.

The SPL is released annually and identifies occupations in Australia that are in shortage, while also providing an assessment of future demand.

This year’s list reveals shortages in 286 occupations, compared to 153 in 2021. The number of jobs advertised reached 309,900 in August 2022, which is a 42 per cent increase from August 2021.

Employees that are in high demand are primarily health care professionals and teachers, however a list of the top 20 occupations (based on both current shortage and projected future employment growth) also shows that there are shortages in information technology and construction sectors.

Top 20 occupations in demand

*Based on a combination of skills shortages, current job vacancies and projected employment growth over the next five years

Internet Vacancy Index job ads

(June to Aug 2022 monthly average)

Registered Nurses

9,266

Software and Applications Programmers

7,841

Aged and Disabled Carers

5,101

Construction Managers

4,984

Child Carers

4,549

Motor Mechanics

4,316

Retail Managers

4,244

Chefs

4,141

ICT Business and Systems Analysts

3,830

Metal Fitters and Machinists

3,565

Cooks

3,438

Electricians

3,396

Civil Engineering Professionals

3,268

Contract, Program and Project Administrators

2,842

General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers

2,306

Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers

2,253

Physiotherapists

1,482

Mining Engineers

1,048

Gardeners

1,038

Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers

868

For the full Skills Priority List see https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/skills-priority-list.