Queensland Seeks 50,000 Workers for High-Paying Jobs

Queensland’s got a big dream—thousands of homes, shiny new roads, schools, and hospitals—all by 2032. But there’s one major hiccup: they’re about 50,000 workers short of making it happen.

According to a fresh report from Construction Skills Queensland, the state needs a massive influx of tradies over the next couple of years to keep up with a building boom that’s only getting bigger. Think housing, infrastructure, everything. And if they don’t get the workers? A lot of those projects just… won’t happen.

Here’s the current situation: Queensland has $53 billion worth of construction projects already on the books. That’s set to jump to $77 billion next financial year. And one of the big-ticket goals? 53,000 new homes by 2044. Ambitious, right?

But Kim Hetherington, the director of Construction Skills Queensland, is ringing the alarm bell. “If we were trying to get everything done as we've actually got them on the books currently, we can't get that done,” she said bluntly.

The most in-demand trades right now?

• Carpenters

• Painters

• Electricians

• Plasterers

• Concreters

And there’s also a huge shortage of crane operators, earthmoving plant operators, and structural steel workers. Basically, if you can build it, fix it, or lift it—Queensland probably needs you.

But here’s the good news: the pay is looking sweet. Six figures is on the table, and if you work your way into construction management, you're looking at $300,000 and beyond. Not too shabby for anyone willing to roll up their sleeves.

Housing Minister Sam O'Connor says the state’s not just counting on Queenslanders to fill the gap—they’re actively looking at ways to bring in workers from other parts of Australia and even overseas.

“It’s not just young Queenslanders who need to take up a trade, we’re going to need workers from elsewhere,” he said. “We’re actively looking at housing models for that.”

So if you’ve ever thought about switching careers, packing up for the sunshine state, or jumping into a trade—it might be the perfect time. Queensland’s building a future, but they need hands on deck to get there.