Tasmania’s Job Market: What Opportunities for Expats?

Published on April 23, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Tasmania often remains in the shadow of Sydney or Melbourne when discussing professional expatriation to Australia. Yet, this island state with its temperate climate and lower cost of living is one of the most active in seeking talent from abroad. An aging population, workforce shortages in key sectors, and wages that are now competitive with the rest of the country: all the ingredients are in place for Tasmania to become a genuine gateway to the Australian market.

A Small Economy… With Big Skill Needs

Tasmania has the most modest economy of the Australian states if you look at gross product per capita. But this smaller size should not obscure two important realities: the sector structure is very diverse, and demographics are creating a talent shortage that widely opens the door to expatriates.

Just over 520,000 people live on the island, with about 220,000 in the Hobart metropolitan area. The population is aging: approximately 32.7% of the workforce is already 50 or older, and projections suggest around 100,000 departures from the labor market in the next fifteen years. Tasmania also has the lowest proportion of residents born overseas in the country, which intensifies pressure in certain occupations.

Medium-term economic growth will depend in part on the arrival of skilled migrants and new entrepreneurs. This orientation is reflected in visa policy, but also in how the economy is structured around a few leading sectors.

Local authorities

The Pillars of the Tasmanian Economy

Several industries drive growth and employment at the state level:

The agri-food sector illustrates this economic weight well: just the production of berries, vegetables, cherries, and apples generated nearly $337 million in economic impact in 2018‑19, while meat and dairy products already represented $1.49 billion in net revenue in the early 2010s.

In Hobart, the employment landscape is even clearer. In 2023/24, the city had 67,492 jobs, a strong increase from 2018/19. Three sectors dominate: health care and social assistance (22% of jobs), public administration and safety (16%), and education and training (nearly 11%). Scientific, technical, and business services professions are also growing rapidly.

This structure is essential for an expatriate: it indicates where job offers are concentrated and where foreign profiles will have the best chance of finding sustainable employment.

Wages in Tasmania: Lower Than Sydney, But Suited to the Cost of Living

A common deterrent for candidates considering Tasmania is the idea that wages are significantly lower than in the rest of the country. The figures show that earnings are indeed below those of Sydney or Perth, but they exist in an environment where the cost of living – particularly housing – is notably lower.

How Does Tasmania Fit into the Australian Wage Landscape?

At the national level, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for 2025 gives a weekly average of $2,010 for a full-time adult (excluding overtime). Tasmania sits below this, at around $1,793 per week for a full-time worker, making it, along with South Australia, one of the lowest-paying states in the country.

On an annual basis, several sources indicate an average salary of around $83,000 Australian dollars for Tasmania, compared to over $100,000 for New South Wales or the Australian Capital Territory. Median income data confirms this gap: the median wage in Tasmania is around $67,600 per year, while the national average exceeds $90,000.

Another key point: wage growth remains dynamic nationwide. In 2025, the ABS measured an annual increase of 4.4 to 4.5% in average weekly earnings. In some sectors, annual increases exceed 5%, driven by labor shortages and inflation. Skilled workers settling in Tasmania benefit from this overall context.

Average Salary in Hobart and Purchasing Power

To judge Tasmania’s real attractiveness, one must look not only at gross salary, but at net income and its local purchasing power. Cost-of-living data for Hobart indicates an average net salary between $5,270 and $5,530 per month after tax, or over $63,000 per year net.

Compared to typical expatriate expenses, this income level is far from negligible. It can be compared to some expense categories in Hobart:

With a net income around $5,500, a single person renting a 1-bedroom apartment outside the city center and using public transport still has a comfortable margin for food, leisure, and savings. For a family, the main item to watch remains private international schooling (up to $30,000 to $43,000 per year for an international primary school), but local public schooling remains free or very affordable.

Hobart vs. Sydney Comparison: What an Expatriate Really Sees

Tasmania’s real strength becomes apparent when comparing Hobart to Sydney. Including rent, the cost of living in Sydney is about 21 to 22% higher than in Hobart. Rent alone is over 60% higher, and some estimates suggest Hobart is overall 20% cheaper than Sydney for a comparable lifestyle.

The price differences are telling:

Ultimately, an expatriate prioritizing a good quality of life, access to nature, a calmer environment, and a controlled budget finds an attractive compromise in Tasmania, even if the prospect of “record” salaries remains more the domain of Sydney, Melbourne, or the Australian Capital Territory.

Where Are Jobs Created in Tasmania?

To build a credible professional project, one must identify the truly promising sectors. Recent employment statistics for the Hobart and Southern Tasmania region, supplemented by visa data, shed light on the fields where expatriates currently have the most opportunities.

The Five Heavyweights of Employment

In the Hobart + Southeast region, five industries account for over half of the jobs and are mostly growing:

Health care and social assistance, already the top employer in 2023, saw growth of nearly 16% in one year before stabilizing at a high level in 2025. Public administration benefits from the concentration of state services in Hobart, while retail trade remains a major job provider, including for youth. Education and construction complete this picture, with recurring needs for teachers, trainers, tradespeople, and site managers.

Age and Gender Breakdown: A Challenge for Replacements

Census data shows that some industries already rely heavily on workers nearing the end of their careers. This is particularly visible in:

– health care and social assistance, where nearly one-fifth of the workforce is over 55;

– education and training, also rapidly aging;

– public administration.

Conversely, the youngest sectors (accommodation & food services, retail trade, construction) employ a significant proportion of 15‑24 year olds. For an experienced expatriate, this can mean accessible supervisory or management roles, provided they bring sharp managerial or technical skills.

An Economy Dominated by “Small Businesses”

An often-underestimated feature of the Tasmanian market is the overwhelming dominance of small structures: 97% of local businesses are small companies. This means two things for expatriates:

– employment isn’t found only in a few large groups, but also in a multitude of SMEs, micro-enterprises, and agricultural or tourism operations;

– entrepreneurship and business acquisition are real options, particularly in rural or semi-urban areas where successors are sought to ensure continuity of services.

This reality has been integrated into the Tasmanian nomination program, which includes a specific pathway for business operators (Tasmanian Business Operator) and values migrants already running a profitable business locally.

In-Demand Sectors: Where Are Expatriates Really Needed?

Beyond broad statistical categories, the Tasmanian government publishes detailed lists of occupations in shortage via the Tasmanian Skilled Occupations List (TSOL), the Tasmanian Onshore Skilled Occupation List (TOSOL), and a “Critical Roles List.” These lists draw from Jobs and Skills Australia research and target occupations eligible for visas 190 (Skilled Nominated) and 491 (Skilled Work Regional).

Health, Education, and Social Services: Top Priority

Visa data is unambiguous. Of the 490 skilled work visas granted in Tasmania at the end of June 2025 (excluding family), 210 concerned health care and social assistance. The following occupations are among the most sought-after:

– registered nurses (all specialties: aged care, medical, intensive care, psychiatric, pediatric, community health, operating theater, etc.);

– general practitioners and resident medical officers;

– specialists (psychiatrists, emergency physicians, surgeons of various disciplines, obstetricians, gynecologists, radiologists, oncologists, etc.);

– hospital and retail pharmacists;

– physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, podiatrists, radiographers, medical technologists, and other allied health professions.

These roles mostly require registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or a specific assessing authority (Australian Physiotherapy Council, Speech Pathology Australia, etc.). Experience in Australia or in countries with “mutual recognition” (UK, Canada, Ireland, USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong) is highly valued.

Education follows the same logic. Tasmanian authorities are actively seeking:

– early childhood teachers;

– primary, middle, and secondary school teachers;

– special education teachers (special needs, disability, etc.);

– vocational education teachers and university lecturers.

Again, candidates with experience in comparable education systems (UK, Canada, USA, New Zealand, South Africa, some European and Asian countries) and an excellent level of English are strongly favored.

Agriculture, Agrifood, and Culinary Trades

The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Agrifood sectors account for about 80 skilled work visas in the latest data, but their real weight is likely greater if one includes some occupations classified elsewhere (processing, logistics, industrial maintenance).

Tasmanian occupation lists cite a host of agricultural occupations: cattle, sheep, and goat farmers, poultry producers, mixed crop and livestock farmers, fruit, nut, and vegetable growers, viticulturists, aquaculturists, foresters, agronomists, agricultural consultants, agronomy or aquaculture researchers, etc.

Construction, Engineering, and Technical Trades

As in the rest of Australia, construction and engineering suffer from a chronic shortage of skilled labor. Tasmania is no exception. Official lists include:

– civil, geotechnical, structural, and transport engineers;

– electrical, mechanical, industrial, chemical, environmental, mining, petroleum, and naval engineers;

– architects, urban planners, surveyors, cartographers, technical drafters, civil and mechanical engineering technicians;

– the full range of building trades: bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, plasterers, tilers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, air-conditioning mechanics, painters, glaziers, etc.

In some cases, registration with Engineers Australia or skills assessment by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is required. For trades with a strong practical component, Tasmanian employers highly value hands-on experience and the ability to adapt to Australian safety standards.

Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and Digital

Even if Tasmania isn’t perceived as a major global IT hub, the need for digital skills is felt here as elsewhere. The TSOL highlights:

These occupations align with national trends, where profiles in cybersecurity, data science, software engineering, or IT project management can expect salaries among the highest in the market, even if the wage premium in major cities remains slightly higher than in Hobart.

Tourism, Hospitality, and Food Services

Tourism is a pillar of the Tasmanian economy, particularly in the state’s south (Hobart, Tasman Peninsula, Bruny Island) and north (Launceston, Cradle Mountain, east coast). In-demand occupations here are numerous:

– managers of hotels, motels, cafes, restaurants;

– chefs, sous chefs, cooks;

– waitstaff, receptionists, event coordinators;

– specialists in tourism marketing and customer experience.

Organizations like Tourism Tasmania, Visit Northern Tasmania, or various sector-specific job portals have set up dedicated platforms for jobs in tourism and hospitality, facilitating connections between employers and candidates, including international ones.

Tasmania’s Nomination Program: A Powerful Lever for Expatriation

To turn a professional project into a long-term settlement, it’s not enough to identify an in-demand occupation. One must also master the pathways to temporary or permanent residence. Tasmania has a very structured nomination program for this, centered around two key visas: the 190 (permanent, Skilled Nominated) and the 491 (provisional, Skilled Work Regional).

190 vs. 491: Two Complementary Entry Gates

The visa 190 is a permanent residence visa granted after state nomination. It offers 5 additional points on the points test used by the federal government (age, English, experience, studies, etc.). The visa 491 is a regional visa for 5 years, also backed by a nomination, which grants 15 points and later allows application for permanent residence via the visa 191, provided one has lived and worked in a designated regional area (all of Tasmania is classified as regional) for a specified period.

For recent years, the allocation of places granted by Canberra to Tasmania reflects the program’s importance:

For 2025‑26, the figures mentioned are the places remaining on a given date, but they illustrate the program’s overall volume.

A “Registration of Interest” System and Internal Points

The Tasmanian procedure happens in two stages. First, the candidate submits a Registration of Interest (ROI) on the Migration Tasmania platform. Then, if deemed competitive, they are invited to apply for an official nomination, which will be forwarded to the federal Department of Home Affairs for a final decision on the visa.

The ROI is assessed using an internal points system, distinct from the federal points test. This score determines placement into a priority category:

– Gold Pass: 1,000 points or more;

– Green Pass: 250 points or more;

– Orange Pass: below 250 points, with an “Orange Plus” subgroup for those who cumulate certain attributes (25 points or more of Orange Plus).

Among the attributes that earn the most points:

– well-paid employment in Tasmania (at least $57,000/year) closely related to the skills assessment;

– an occupation on the critical roles list (health, teaching, certain technical functions);

– significant duration of work in Tasmania (several months or even years);

– an advanced English level (Proficient or Superior);

– a profitable personal business in Tasmania;

– long-term presence in the territory (several years of residence).

The Four Main Nomination Pathways

The program is structured around several “pathways”, with different requirements depending on the targeted visa (190 or 491):

1. Tasmanian Skilled Employment (TSE): for those already working in Tasmania. 2. Tasmanian Skilled Graduate (TSG): for graduates who studied locally. 3. Tasmanian Established Resident (TER): for long-term residents already integrated into the local market. 4. Tasmanian Business Operator (TBO): for entrepreneurs running a local business.

– work in Tasmania in a role directly related to one’s skills assessment (same 3-digit ANZSCO group);

– earn at least $57,000 per year (approx. $28.85 per hour);

– have accumulated 9 to 15 months of experience in this job depending on whether it’s a priority occupation or not.

Criteria are slightly more flexible for the 491 (shorter durations or salaries slightly above the national minimum wage) but remain focused on genuine anchoring in the local labor market.

Documents and Proofs: A Requirement for Seriousness

As everywhere in Australia, administrative rigor is the norm. Candidates must prove every declared element: employment contract, pay slips, tax statements, superannuation statements, proof of residence (lease, bills, bank statements), degrees, skills assessments, employer certificates, etc.

Using a registered migration agent is not mandatory but can help secure the application and avoid errors leading to refusal. In any case, Migration Tasmania insists on one point: any false declaration leads to rejection and may be reported to the federal level.

Living and Working in Tasmania as an Expatriate: Advantages, Constraints, and Integration

Beyond visas and occupation lists, an expatriate’s daily experience in Tasmania is defined by quality of life, work culture, and the ability to build a network.

Cost of Living: A Major Asset for Long-Term Settlement

As we’ve seen, Hobart is regularly ranked as Australia’s cheapest capital city. Dining prices are slightly below the national average, grocery shopping is around 10% cheaper than in the country’s most expensive cities, and public transport is much more affordable than in Sydney (a monthly pass costs less than $105, and single fares remain reasonable).

Professional Culture: An Australian Style, in a Regional Version

Work culture in Tasmania largely reflects Australian codes:

– flat hierarchy, collaborative and consultative management style;

– direct communication, seeking pragmatic solutions rather than speeches;

– strong emphasis on equal opportunity and rejection of showiness;

– ubiquitous humor, including in a professional context, to ease the atmosphere;

– importance given to work-life balance, with respect for time outside work.

In a regional environment like Tasmania, these traits combine with an often even friendlier climate: close-knit relationships, sense of community, frequent interactions outside work. For an expatriate, this means being comfortable with frankness, implicit informality (use of first names) and the relative informality of exchanges, while respecting expected professionalism (punctuality, preparation, meeting deadlines).

Networks, Support, and Integration

Several local and national organizations facilitate migrant integration in Tasmania:

In addition, there are private players specializing in international recruitment to Australia (Konnecting, Working In, Southern Cross Personnel, TSS Recruitment, Techforce, Adecco, and others). Even if they aren’t exclusively focused on Tasmania, they collaborate with local employers in sectors like hospitality, health, engineering, mechanics, agriculture, or manufacturing.

For an expatriate, connecting with these networks upon arrival – or even beforehand, from abroad – is a good way to understand employer expectations, familiarize oneself with the market, and accelerate the job search.

Tasmania or Mainland: How to Decide on Your Expatriation Project?

The big question for many candidates remains choosing between Tasmania and major Australian cities. On one hand, Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane promise higher salaries, a larger market, and careers in large international groups. On the other, Tasmania offers more direct access to the skilled migration system, an affordable cost of living, an exceptional natural environment, and less competition density.

To choose, one must consider several parameters.

Financially, an employee in Tasmania earns on average less than in Sydney, but:

– their cost of living is about 15 to 25% lower depending on their housing arrangement;

– they have easier access to a regional visa (491) and state nomination (190);

– the risk of being “lost” in a market saturated with local and international candidates is lower.

On a personal level, it all depends on the lifestyle sought. Tasmania attracts those who prioritize:

– a calmer environment, close to nature;

– family life where one can find housing without long-term debt;

– a community of manageable size where it’s possible to quickly build a network.

Which Profiles Are Most Suited for Tasmania?

Cross-referencing lists of in-demand occupations, economic structure, and visa policies reveals several expatriate profiles particularly well-placed to succeed in their Tasmanian settlement:

For these profiles, the combination of acute labor shortages, advantageous nomination schemes, and attractive living conditions makes Tasmania a credible, even strategic, option for eventually accessing Australian permanent residence.

Conclusion: A Human-Scale Market, A Real Window of Opportunity

The Tasmanian job market lacks the size and visibility of Sydney or Melbourne. Yet, for an expatriate seeking a compromise between career prospects, access to permanent residence, and quality of life, it offers a real window of opportunity today.

Demographics favor new arrivals: with a large part of the local workforce nearing retirement, the expected departures in the next fifteen years will maintain recruitment pressure in health, education, construction, agriculture, public services, and tourism. Rising visa numbers already testify to this shift.

Wages, while still below the national average, combine with a milder cost of living and a less strained urban environment. An expatriate can build a solid professional project here, with real progression prospects, without sacrificing free time or family life.

Finally, Tasmania has built a sophisticated nomination program that rewards candidates genuinely invested in the local economy: those already working there, studying there, creating or acquiring a business there. For expatriates ready to commit long-term, adapt to Australian professional culture, and develop a local network, it’s a gateway to Australia that deserves close consideration.

Cyril Jarnias

Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.

On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.

Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.

Find me on social media: