Working in IT in Australia has once again hit the high-demand charts with a dearth of talent available in the industry. This need has been driven my multiple factors:
- Zero migration during COVID has left the workforce in Australia lacking key skills
- University graduate numbers are down, also a function of COVID
- COVID has forced many industries to accelerate their digital transformation plans, with remote working now commonplace. The workers to facilitate these plans, simply aren’t available.
Today we’re going to answer your top 4 questions regarding working in IT in Australia. Our research can act as a guide to navigating the IT jobs market in the era of COVID.
1. Working in IT: What Roles are in Highest Demand?
The Australian Government, in 2021, recognised a skills shortage in the IT sector with new data showing which jobs are in highest demand.
The National Skills Commission (NSC) published the ‘Skills Priority Occupation List’ which measures the existing and expected future demand for skills, across 800 jobs listed under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).
IT jobs accounted for almost 10 percent of jobs in the highest demand category. Thus the government announcing a current national shortage of IT workers.
The specific roles in highest demand from the NSC Priority List are:
- Developer Programmer
- IT Systems Architect
- Software Engineer
- ICT Security Specialist
- ICT Project Manager
- Multimedia Specialist
- Cloud Engineer
- Data Scientist
- IT Consultants
- Telecoms Technician
- Python Developers
Notably, the majority of these roles also feature on the federal government’s ‘Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List’ – the list of jobs our government are actively seeking for global migration to Australia, as part of the their COVID economic recovery plan.
2. How Do I Acquire the Right Skills for Working in IT in Australia?
Industry experience and skills qualifications are key, to commence working in IT in Australia. Evidence of industry track record in the specific discipline goes a long way with employers. Coupled with the right qualifications, and your path to working in IT in Australia will be set.
To position yourself with the right certifications, here’s a guide to relevant courses, suited to the skills most in demand:
IT Systems Architect: Big Data Architect. This Master’s Certification covers over 100 tools and techniques.
IT Manager: Monash Certificate IV in Information Technology is a leading industry qualification.
IT Security Architect: Here are the top five security architect certifications, as ranked by the Infosec Institute in the US.
Cloud Engineer: This course covers over 40 skills and 25 services requiring cloud architect skills.
Data Scientist: The University of Adelaide offers this Masters of Data Science online course.
Python Developers: RMIT online offers this highly recommended Python Programming course.
IT Consultants: Queensland University of Technology offers this Online Graduate Certificate in IT.
Project Managers: there are multiple languages and programs in the field of Project Management. This course covers all the leading skills sets including Lean Six Sigma, Agile Scrum Master and others.
Telecoms Technician: this is a great resource for understanding the qualifications required, and various courses available.
DevOps Engineer: RMIT offers this great DevOps certification.
3. What are the Salaries for the Major In-Demand IT Roles?
IT Systems Architect: Average salary is around $140k. More senior positions attract much higher remuneration. Across multiple recruiting sites in Australia, you’ll find around 1,800-2,000 open roles.
IT Manager: IT Manager isn’t an administrative role, it’s a strategic consulting skill set typically involved in change and transformation management. Senior roles attract around $125k. Vacancies for these roles across various Australian sites, are at approximately 8,000.
IT Security: Experienced IT Security Architects are attracting a salary of around $124k. Demand for this expertise is currently at a record high in Australia.
Cloud Engineers: Another high demand role, Cloud Engineers are currently earning an average of $112k per year. Vacancy rates for Cloud Engineers are at record highs as well.
Data Scientist: The average for the Data Scientist discipline, is $100k in Australia. Position openings across Australia on job sites sit at around 300.
Python Developers: As one of the most popular languages in the IT space Python is a high-demand role in Australia. Salaries are averaging $100k currently, and vacancy rates across jobs sites are currently at approximately 2,500 open roles.
IT Consultants: Irrespective of the state of the economy experienced IT Consultants are always in demand – whether on a full-time or external contractor basis. The average salary for experienced IT Consultants is around $80k and looking across job sites in Australia, there’s around 10,000 current openings.
Project Managers: Talent with the right experience and qualifications in Project Management are always in demand. Current salaries are, on average, $80k per year. Open vacancies are sitting at approximately 600 roles.
Telecoms Technicians: This high demand skill, is currently attracting an average salary of $80k per year. Open positions on Australian sites are currently over 1,200.
DevOps Engineer: This is a very broad based skills set. Average salary is currently $70k and there are over 2,400 open positions.
4. What About Working in IT FOR FOREIGN WORKERS?
We recently published two detailed articles about the requirements for skilled overseas workers, looking to migrate to Australia.
You’ll find these articles here and here.
If you’ve got experience in any of the in-demand IT skills mentioned in today’s article you’re in luck. The process for moving to Australia is quite detailed and specific. So make sure you do your homework before applying.
And Finally…
As our country starts the slow crawl to recovery out of the COVID quagmire, working in IT presents significant opportunity right now. And as we see more industries reemerging from COVID in a phase of digital and technological transformation, this demand will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
As one of the world’s leading providers of contingent worker management solutions, CXC is well positioned to optimise all elements of your contingent workforce strategy. With operations in more than 50 countries across five continents and decades of experience, we can assist with every aspect of your program.
If you are interested in discussing our learnings and insights on working in IT in Australia, and would like to find out more about how we can work together, please contact us.
