The IT sector stays a brilliant spot within the Australian job market heading into 2025, boasting probably the most optimistic 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 outshines different industries
The IT hiring outlook outpaced different Australian sectors, together with well being care and life sciences (+21%), financials and actual 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 share of employers anticipating to cut back employees from the share anticipating to extend hiring. A optimistic determine signifies extra employers plan to rent than minimize jobs.
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However, the IT sector’s internet employment outlook has barely declined — dropping 1% since This fall 2024 and a pair of% in comparison with final 12 months.
A world phenomenon: IT leads in hiring outlook
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 for the reason that earlier 12 months.
Australia’s IT sector trails behind some Asia-Pacific friends, rating thirty sixth globally with its +11% general employment outlook. Within APAC, Australia positioned fifth, behind India (+40%), China (+29%), Singapore (25%), and Japan (15%).
Asia-Pacific’s general regional hiring outlook recorded a stronger hiring outlook (+27%), although this represents a 3% decline in contrast with the identical interval final 12 months.
Challenges persist regardless of optimistic outlook
Despite the promising numbers, securing an IT position in Australia is probably not simple. A tightening labour market means extra competitors for roles, with stories displaying a rising variety of job seekers relative to the variety of marketed positions.
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A survey from the on-line jobs web site SEEK discovered that job functions per advert within the info and communications sector have greater than doubled since 2022. This means there are nonetheless jobs for these looking, however they don’t seem to be as plentiful as they as soon as have been.
A Gartner HR survey launched in December 2024 discovered that 39% of Australian job seekers reported difficulties discovering a job, whereas solely 25% felt ample jobs matched their expertise.
Opportunities with mid-sized employers
For IT professionals searching for alternatives, mid-sized firms could provide the very best prospects. ManpowerGroup famous that employers with 250-999 workers reported the best hiring intentions, with a internet employment outlook of +17% for 2025. In comparability, bigger employers with 1000-4,999 workers reported a extra modest outlook of +7%.
Salaries are anticipated to stay comparatively secure in 2025
IT recruitment corporations say Australian IT workers are anticipated to proceed incomes among the highest salaries obtainable within the nation, although wage will increase could stay modest.
According to recruiter Blue Wave Digital:
- Front-end 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.
- Data scientists: $120,000-$160,000 for mid-level roles; $170,000+ for senior positions.
- Cybersecurity 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 Salary Outlook 2025 predicts that wage will increase throughout the Australian financial system — not particularly IT — will stay at 4% in 2025.