The IT sector stays a vibrant spot within the Australian labor market heading into 2025, boasting probably the most constructive employment outlook of any financial sector. Recruitment agency ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey for Q1 2025 revealed that the Australian IT sector has a internet employment outlook of +27%, main all different sectors.

IT outperforms different industries

The IT hiring outlook outpaced different Australian sectors together with healthcare and life sciences (+21%), finance and property (17%), and transport, logistics and automotive (17%). The IT sector exceeded the nationwide internet employment outlook of +11% for the quarter.

The outlook rating is calculated by subtracting the proportion of employers who anticipate to cut back staffing from the proportion who anticipate to extend hiring. A constructive determine signifies extra employers plan to rent than to chop jobs.

SEE: How you can put together for the way forward for IT jobs in Australia

Nonetheless, the IT sector’s internet employment outlook fell barely – down 1% since This fall 2024 and a pair of% in comparison with final yr.

A worldwide phenomenon: IT leads in hiring prospects

Globally, IT continues to dominate hiring developments. ManpowerGroup reported that the worldwide IT internet employment outlook throughout 42 nations stands at +37%, a 2% enhance from the earlier yr.

Australia’s IT sector lags behind some friends in Asia Pacific, rating thirty sixth globally with its total employment outlook of +11%. Inside APAC, Australia positioned fifth, behind India (+40%), China (+29%), Singapore (25%) and Japan (15%).

Asia Pacific’s total native rental outlook recorded a stronger rental outlook (+27%), though this represented a 3% lower in comparison with the identical interval final yr.

Challenges persist regardless of constructive outlook

Regardless of the promising numbers, touchdown an IT position in Australia might not be simple. A tighter job market means extra competitors for roles, with reviews displaying a rising variety of job seekers relative to the variety of marketed positions.

SEE: Why now could be a very good time to upskill for tech jobs

A survey of the on-line job web site SEARCH discovered that job purposes per commercial within the data and communications sector have greater than doubled since 2022. This implies there are nonetheless jobs for these trying, however they aren’t as plentiful as they as soon as have been.

A Gartner HR survey launched in December 2024 discovered that 39% of Australian job seekers have skilled issue discovering workwhereas solely 25% felt that sufficient work matched their abilities.

Alternatives with mid-sized employers

For IT professionals in search of alternatives, mid-sized corporations might provide one of the best prospects. ManpowerGroup famous that employers with 250-999 staff reported the very best hiring intentions, with a internet employment outlook of +17% for 2025. As compared, bigger employers with 1,000-4,999 staff reported a extra modest outlook of +7%.

Salaries are anticipated to stay comparatively steady in 2025

IT recruitment companies say Australian IT staff are anticipated to proceed to earn a few of the highest salaries obtainable within the nation, though wage will increase might stay modest.

Based on recruiter Blue Wave Digital:

• Main Software program Builders: $100,000-$140,000 for mid-level roles; $150,000+ for senior positions
• AI/ML engineers: $130,000-$180,000 for mid-level expertise; $200,000+ for senior positions.
• Knowledge scientists: $120,000-$160,000 for mid-level roles; $170,000+ for senior positions.
• Cyber ​​Safety Analysts: $100,000-$140,000 for mid-level roles; $150,000+ for senior positions.
• Cloud Engineers: $120,000-$150,000 for mid-level roles.

Mercer’s Australian Wage Outlook 2025 predicts that wage will increase throughout the Australian financial system – not particularly IT – will stay at 4% in 2025.