Top 8 Jobs in Australia for Americans

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Australia is with no doubt, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Composed of diverse landscapes, culture, and wildlife, the lifestyle you’re able to enjoy makes it not only a fantastic vacation destination but a wonderful place to call your home.

If you ever choose to move from America overseas to the land down under after obtaining a visa, one of the first things that should be on your agenda is obtaining a job in Australia as a US citizen. Luckily, you’re not in this hunt alone. In fact, there are as many as 300,000 US citizens who also reside in the country.

A healthy number of Americans looking to migrate over means that there are plenty of highly demanded jobs in Australia for US citizens spanning across many different sectors. In essence, you can move over without worrying about limiting your job selection.

Despite the COVID pandemic, Australia’s successful handling of the situation has helped the economy retain a sense of normalcy unlike what the world is mostly experiencing, so the job market is relatively more stable. Even if you see that you’re not qualified for a certain career, you can quickly take a course to obtain any certifications or qualifications you need to succeed and apply.

In Australia’s job market, you’ll also experience excellent salaries across the board that can make for a very comfortable lifestyle. If it’s city life that you’re looking for in your big move, note that all the options below are available jobs in Sydney, Australia for US citizens.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 8 jobs in Australia for Americans.  

Nursing and Healthcare

Especially with the rise of the pandemic, nurses, medical staff, and healthcare professionals have been in more demand than ever in Australia. The need also stems from a high number of current nursing and medical staff in the country who are reaching the retirement age. Because hospitals need people who can quickly replace those positions and strengthen the healthcare industry, that’s where you may potentially come in. For as many years as you want to stay in Australia, you’ll never have to worry about your job prospects. The healthcare industry has the best-projected growth and increase over the next 5 years and beyond, which means that there’s a high occupational ceiling for several roles. The most demanded roles in healthcare as of now include registered nurses, caretakers for the disabled and retired, personal care works, and healthcare administration. If you enjoy the work of helping patients to live better and healthier lives, these roles are perfect for you.

Average Salary: $77,154 per year

Teaching

If you have a passion for teaching young students, you might just want to consider becoming a teacher in Australia as an American. Currently, demand is soaring for secondary or high school teachers who can teach math and science subjects. If you’re additionally willing to work as a teacher in designated “Regional Areas” of the country, you’ve got higher prospects at job security. Keep in mind that Australia is presently oversaturated with female primary school teachers in large cities, so see if you can adapt to teach for another grade level. A way to do so if needed is by earning the necessary degrees or taking any qualifying assessments such as the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Whatever you choose to do, you’ll find that there’s a good reason it has the second-highest occupational ceiling.

Average Salary: $51,060 per year

Software Programming and IT

Just as the rise of technology skyrockets around the world, the need is just as critical for Australia to constantly modernize. To keep up with the growing tech output, Australia has found a demand for software developers who are well versed in various skills, such as user experience, front and back-end development, mobile, design, and full-stack developers. Software development is increasing at such a pace that according to a report in 2019, 9 of the most advertised careers in a list of 15 consisted of user experience and software engineering and development positions. Outside of the techie software realm, mainstream enterprise IT constantly has a high occupational ceiling, in classically demanded roles the likes of accounting and finance.

Average Salary: $104,416 per year

Construction and Trade

As more buildings and infrastructure are erected, the means there needs to be a far higher supply of construction workers and trade and technician jobs in Australia for US citizens. Not only will there be a higher necessity for the workers who construct, but also electricians, plumbers, joiners, and carpenters who’ll furnish the infrastructure and continually repair it. If you consider yourself a fit person or would like to get more physically in shape, this career path could be very rewarding for you. In most cases, training is necessary. Upon completion, all you need to do is obtain your white card which permits you to work in various construction roles in Australia, from laborers to site managers, supervisors, and surveyors.

Average Salary in Construction: $100,000 per year

Average Salary as an Electrician: $84,854 per year

Automobile Trade and Engineering Workers

With over 19.8 million registered motor vehicles in Australia since early 2020, motor mechanics are in higher demand than ever as the national fleet of cars grows at around 1.5 percent a year. If you specialize in any of the following areas or are interested in training to become an automotive electrician, automatic transmission mechanic, brake mechanic, or automotive air-conditioning mechanic, you’ve got a high chance of obtaining a job quickly upon your move. Beyond the automobile industry, there are lots of industrial trade jobs that deal with metal and various raw materials. You could potentially become a metal machinist, panel beater, welder, fitter and metal fabricator, or a sheet metal worker. In whatever state you choose to reside in, the specialization most demanded can vary. The bigger the city, the more easily you can find a grouping of all specializations, like trade jobs in Sydney, Australia for US citizens.

Average Salary as a Motor Mechanic: $58,500 per year

Engineers

Engineering is still one of the most popular and high-demand jobs in Australia for Americans, no matter your specialization. From mechanical and industrial engineering to electronics and transport engineering, there is a huge range and variety of courses you can take for training to better your prospects, like the Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses. Once you become skilled and well-qualified, your employment prospects are excellent. That’s because Australia has experienced a widespread shortage of engineers, and especially in areas with large growth in resources and mining, like Queensland or Western Australia. This means that US citizens like yourself stand in a crucial position to make up for Australia’s skill shortage and have the opportunity to earn one of the highest salaries in any field. For an additional boost to your name, you can join the professional association for engineers in Australia, called Engineers Australia. By taking at least one accredited program, you’re eligible to receive membership. This ensures that the courses you take meet the highest of standards so that employers know right off the bat that you’re skilled and knowledgeable.

Average Salary: $107,322 per year

White Collar Jobs

In general, white-collar jobs are receiving a big boost in demand. If any of your interests lie in a number of roles such as accounting, marketing, advertising, law, and much more, you’re likely to find great employment opportunities. Not only is that true, but also the great prospect of earning a high wage. Lawyers and attorneys, for example, are among some of the very top earners in Australia, earning an average of $184,958 per year across all specializations. That means that you could earn even more than Chief Executive Operators and Managing Directors. Be sure to keep in mind that Australia also has experienced a shortage in marketing talent, especially in CRM and loyalty management. If you’re interested in learning more about data analytics and driving essential performance for online sites and businesses, you’re about to enter a very lucrative and growing job market in Australia as a US citizen.

Average Salary as a Marketer: $72,435 per year

Tourism and Hospitality

Tourism has always been one of Australia’s high-growth sectors, predicted to greatly increase over the next two decades. Hospitality is predicted to grow just as well over the next three years. Even though the pandemic has thrown a wrench in some of these prospects, hitting the industry hard, Australia’s handling of the virus has produced a rise in domestic tourism. The means if you find a passion and enjoyment for meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and some traveling, you’ve still got a great opportunity to find a career in tourism and hospitality. Specifically, in Australia, the tourism sector employs lots of workers to help manage leisure activities for people. In this role, you could potentially be a tourism advisor, a travel attendant, a tour guide, or a visitor information officer. On the other hand, the hospitality sector employs workers to provide accommodation and food and beverage services. If you could see yourself in roles such as being a barista, a chef, a restaurant manager, a hotel manager, and more, you’ve got many choices to choose from in the realm of hospitality. You can gain experience either through real-life vocational practice or by taking VET courses. Naturally, you can find lots of these job opportunities in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne as a US citizen.

Average Salary for Tourism: $100,000 per year

Average Salary for Hospitality: $70,008 per year

In conclusion, if you’re looking for jobs in Australia as a US citizen, that means you have a wealth of opportunities in store. From nursing to engineering to tourism and hospitality, you’ll never find a lack of jobs across all sectors and industries that pay highly lucrative salaries. Even though you’re an American, you’ll find that you can quickly adapt to a wonderful lifestyle and career path in Australia.