- Date:
- 19 Aug 2026
1 Industry snapshot
Accommodation and food services skills and workforce snapshot
Workforce overview
Victoria’s seventh largest employing industry:
- 231,000 people employed
- 6.1% of the Victorian workforce.
Top employing jobs in the industry:
- Waiters
- Sales assistants (general).
Workforce profile
- A culturally diverse workforce, with nearly half aged under 25
- Over 90 per cent of the people employed in the industry work in the food and beverage services sub-sector
- Almost half of the workforce has completed a post-school qualification
- Many top employing occupations have a high proportion of part-time workers.
Projections
Victoria’s sixth highest growing industry:
- 21,200 new workers expected by 2028
- Growing at a rate of 1.3 per cent per year to 2028, higher than the state average
- Most new workers are projected to enter the food and beverage services sub-sector.
Top growing jobs in the industry are:
- Chefs, +3,500 new workers by 2028
- Waiters, +2,600 new workers by 2028.
Regional outlook
Regions expecting the highest share of new workers:
- Melbourne: Inner metropolitan Melbourne and Western metropolitan Melbourne
- Regional: Barwon and Loddon Campaspe.
Skills demand
The occupations in highest demand in the industry are largely VET aligned:
- Salaries are broadly similar across these roles, but retention levels vary.
Most in-demand industry specific skills:
- Customer service
- Food and beverage.
Skills supply
Popular vocational education and training courses:
- Certificate II in Cookery
- Certificate II in Hospitality.
Popular university study areas:
- Business management
- Management and commerce.
2 Introduction
About the accommodation and food services industry
About these reports
These reports provide a point in time, data-driven overview of the workforce and skills for each industry.
The report does not provide a complete view of workforce dynamics within the industry. Its purpose is to support ongoing efforts to address workforce and skilling demands and to identify opportunities within the accommodation and food services industry.
Report coverage
This report focuses on the accommodation and food services industry and the occupations relevant to the industry, categorised using the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) classification of industries (ANZSIC) and occupations (ANZSCO).
Coverage in this report is limited to employment in the industry and sectors as defined by the ABS, noting some occupations are almost exclusively associated with an industry, such as surgeons in the health services sector, while others, such as accountants, are associated with many industries.
Furthermore, industry classifications rarely encompass the full nature of the work (and therefore skills) associated with a given industry. Therefore, ABS definitions of industries or sectors may not align with the definitions used by an industry association.
Key sectors of the industry
The accommodation and food services industry provides short-term accommodation and food and beverage services across various venues.
The key sectors within the construction industry are:
- Accommodation – includes hotels, motels, serviced apartments, caravan parks, camping grounds and holiday rentals
- Cafes, restaurants and takeaway – includes dine-in restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, takeaways, catering and food trucks
- Pubs, taverns and bars – includes venues providing alcohol and meals for on-premises consumption
- Clubs – includes hospitality and sporting clubs with food, drink and gaming services.
3 Workforce profile
The accommodation and food services is Victoria's seventh-largest employing industry, with a high proportion of young and culturally diverse workers.
Employment
Employment by industry, 2025
- 231,000 Employed1 2025
- 6.1% Victorian employment share
- 7th Share rank.
Employment by industry subdivision, 2025
| Industry subdivision | Number of workers |
|---|---|
| Food and beverage services | 215,000 |
| Accommodation | 16,600 |
Workforce profile
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
Age distribution, 2021
Age profile – industry
| Age | Percentage of workers |
|---|---|
| 15-24 years | 46% |
| 25-49 years | 40% |
| 50 years and over | 15% |
Age profile – all industries
| Age | Percentage of workers |
|---|---|
| 15-24 years | 14% |
| 25-49 years | 57% |
| 50 years and over | 29% |
Sex distribution², 2021
Sex distribution – industry
| Sex | Percentage of workers |
|---|---|
| Female | 53% |
| Male | 47% |
Sex distribution – all industries
| Sex | Percentage of workers |
|---|---|
| Female | 49% |
| Male | 51% |
Highest level of education, 2021
Highest level of education – industry
| Education | Percentage of workers |
|---|---|
| VET | 25% |
| Higher education | 19% |
| No post-school qualifications | 57% |
Highest level of education – all industries
| Education | Percentage of workers |
|---|---|
| VET | 30% |
| Higher education | 41% |
| No post-school qualifications | 29% |
Workforce diversity
First Nations employment, 2021
| Group | Percentage identifying as First Nations |
|---|---|
| Industry | 0.8% |
| All industries | 0.7% |
| Working age population | 0.9% |
Speaks a language other than English³, 2021
| Group | Percentage speaking a language other than English at home |
|---|---|
| Industry | 36.1% |
| All industries | 27.4% |
| Working age population | 34.4% |
Needs assistance with core activities⁴, 2021
| Group | Percentage needing assistance with core activities |
|---|---|
| Industry | 1.0% |
| All industries | 0.9% |
| Working age population | 3.2% |
4 Top employing occupations
Waiters and sales assistants are the top employing occupations in the industry, with a mostly female, part-time employed workforce.
Largest employing occupations within the industry by sex, employed part-time and highest education attainment
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
Number employed by sex², ABS Census 2021
| Occupation | Number of workers | Percentage male | Percentage female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiters | 22,500 | 27% | 73% |
| Sales assistants (general) | 21,800 | 29% | 71% |
| Chefs | 20,800 | 74% | 26% |
| Kitchenhands | 19,900 | 53% | 47% |
| Bar attendants and baristas | 17,300 | 44% | 56% |
| Fast food cooks | 13,000 | 72% | 28% |
| Cafe and restaurant managers | 12,800 | 51% | 49% |
| Cafe workers | 9,300 | 19% | 81% |
| Retail managers | 7,000 | 53% | 47% |
| Cooks | 5,500 | 56% | 44% |
Percentage working part-time, 2021
| Occupation | Percentage working part-time |
|---|---|
| Waiters | 92% |
| Sales assistants (general) | 94% |
| Chefs | 49% |
| Kitchenhands | 91% |
| Bar attendants and baristas | 80% |
| Fast food cooks | 87% |
| Cafe and restaurant managers | 37% |
| Cafe workers | 89% |
| Retail managers | 35% |
| Cooks | 69% |
Highest educational attainment, 2021
| Occupation | Percentage VET | Percentage higher education | Percentage no post-school qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiters | 17% | 18% | 65% |
| Sales assistants (general) | 8% | 5% | 87% |
| Chefs | 59% | 20% | 21% |
| Kitchenhands | 14% | 12% | 74% |
| Bar attendants and baristas | 23% | 19% | 58% |
| Fast food cooks | 12% | 7% | 81% |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| Cafe workers | 17% | 13% | 70% |
| Retail managers | 27% | 25% | 48% |
| Cooks | 34% | 20% | 46% |
5 Workforce projections
The accommodation and food services industry is projected to have 21,200 new workers enter the workforce by 2028.
Workforce projections: 3-year and 10-year outlook
Workforce projections – industry
Time period | Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | ||
2025 to 2028 | 9,100 | 43% | 12,100 | 57% | 21,200 |
2025 to 2035 | 45,300 | 51% | 42,800 | 49% | 88,000 |
Workforce projections – Victoria
Time period | Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Share | No. | Share | ||
2025 to 2028 | 143,000 | 38% | 230,000 | 62% | 373,000 |
2025 to 2035 | 650,000 | 45% | 804,000 | 55% | 1,454,000 |
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
New workers expected⁵ (2025-28) by industry subdivision
Industry subdivision | Number of workers | VET | Higher education | No post-school qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Food and beverage services | 17,300 | 24% | 17% | 59% |
Accommodation | 3,900 | 33% | 30% | 37% |
Occupations with high new workers expected⁵ (2025-28), with direct TAFE study pathways⁶
Occupation | New workers expected5 | TAFE pathways into occupation6 | Available under Free TAFE7 |
|---|---|---|---|
Chefs | 3,540 | Certificate III in Commercial Cookery | ✓ |
Certificate IV in Kitchen Management | ✓ | ||
Certificate III in Catering | - | ||
Waiters | 2,560 | Certificate III in Hospitality | ✓ |
Certificate II in Hospitality | - | ||
Certificate IV in Hospitality | - | ||
Bar attendants and baristas | 1,790 | Certificate III in Hospitality | ✓ |
Certificate II in Hospitality | - | ||
Certificate IV in Hospitality | - | ||
Cafe and restaurant managers | 1,410 | Certificate IV in Hospitality | - |
Diploma of Hospitality Management | ✓ | ||
Hotel and motel managers | 880 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Inner Metropolitan (within metropolitan Melbourne) and Barwon (within regional Victoria) are expecting the highest share of new workers
New workers expected⁵ for accommodation and food services, by region⁸, 2025-2028
New workers expected – industry
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry | 9,100 | 12,100 | 21,200 | 6% |
New workers expected – Metropolitan Melbourne
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan Melbourne | 7,500 | 8,900 | 16,400 | 77% |
Inner metropolitan | 2,300 | 2,200 | 4,500 | 27% |
Western metropolitan | 1,900 | 1,300 | 3,200 | 20% |
Northern metropolitan | 1,400 | 1,400 | 2,800 | 17% |
Southern metropolitan | 870 | 1,600 | 2,400 | 15% |
Eastern metropolitan | 620 | 1,400 | 2,000 | 12% |
Inner south-east metropolitan | 430 | 1,100 | 1,500 | 9% |
New workers expected – Regional Victoria
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regional Victoria | 1,600 | 3,200 | 4,800 | 23% |
Barwon | 600 | 720 | 1,300 | 28% |
Gippsland | 250 | 540 | 790 | 17% |
Loddon Campaspe | 260 | 450 | 700 | 15% |
Central Highlands | 250 | 400 | 650 | 14% |
Ovens Murray | 200 | 360 | 570 | 12% |
Goulburn | 110 | 240 | 350 | 7% |
Great South Coast | -30 | 230 | 200 | 4% |
Mallee | -40 | 180 | 140 | 3% |
Wimmera Southern Mallee | -20 | 90 | 70 | 2% |
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
- 77 per cent of the new workers expected for the industry will be located within metropolitan Melbourne, with Inner metropolitan and Western metropolitan with the highest share of new workers.
- 23 per cent of the new workers expected for the industry will be located within regional Victoria, with Barwon and Gippsland with the highest share of new workers.
6 Top growing occupations
Top growing occupations in the industry vary in skill level requirements, with higher skilled jobs having higher retention rates.
Occupations with the highest new workers expected within the accommodation and food services industry
Occupations with highest new workers expected5 | New workers expected5 | Skill level9 | Annual median earnings10 | Retention rate11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Chefs | 3,500 | 2 | $67,782 | 83.3% |
Waiters | 2,600 | 4 | $62,322 | 64.4% |
Sales assistants (general) | 2,100 | 5 | $56,212 | 74.9% |
Bar attendants and baristas | 1,800 | 4 | $65,000 | 68.6% |
Cafe and restaurant managers | 1,400 | 2 | $69,992 | 76.7% |
Hotel and motel managers | 880 | 2 | Not available | 80.3% |
Cooks | 860 | 3 | $60,960 | 69.8% |
Kitchenhands | 790 | 5 | $60,887 | 66.4% |
Housekeepers | 770 | 5 | $56,576 | 69.2% |
Retail managers | 740 | 2 | $71,214 | 80.8% |
7 Skills needs
Skills in demand within the industry are evolving, with skills such as cost accounting and process improvement and optimisation in growing demand.
Industry-specific skill demand
The most in-demand skills are customer service, food and beverage, and business operations. Communication, initiative and leadership, and personal attributes (e.g. right attitude/mindset) are also important, with over 70 per cent of job advertisements within the industry mentioning one or more of these skills.
Most mentioned industry-specific skills, 2024, as share of job ads
Industry-specific skill | Share of job ads |
|---|---|
Customer service | 35.5% |
Food and beverage | 27.5% |
Business operations | 22.9% |
Occupational health and | 12.9% |
Quality assurance and | 8.3% |
Cleaning and janitorial | 8.0% |
Inventory and warehousing | 6.6% |
Office management | 5.9% |
Events and conferences | 5.7% |
Scheduling | 5.3% |
Growing skills mentions within industry
Skills increasingly being mentioned in job advertisements within the accommodation and food services industry are hospitality services, cost accounting, and process improvement and optimisation.
Note: these exclude industry-specific skills already identified as being in high demand
Growing skills, percentage point difference in job ad mentions 2019 to 2024
Industry-specific skill | % of job ad mentions in 2019 | % of job ad mentions in 2024 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Hospitality services | 0.5% | 3.8% | 3.2% |
Cost accounting | 1.2% | 4.2% | 3.0% |
Process improvement and optimisation | 1.6% | 4.5% | 3.0% |
Business analysis | 0.4% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
General sales practices | 1.5% | 3.9% | 2.4% |
Auditing | 0.7% | 2.7% | 2.0% |
Mental health therapies | 0.0% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
Performance management | 0.3% | 2.0% | 1.8% |
Retail sales | 0.1% | 1.8% | 1.7% |
Employee training | 0.2% | 1.7% | 1.6% |
8 Training activity
Popular courses and study areas linked to this industry include the Certificate II in Cookery (VET) and Business Management (HE).
Government-funded VET courses⁶
The Certificate II in Cookery, Certificate II in Hospitality and Certificate III in Commercial Cookery are among the most popular VET courses in the industry.
Course code | Course name | Available under Free TAFE7 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
SIT20421 | - |
| |
SIT20322 | - |
| |
SIT30821 | ✓ |
| |
SIT30622 | ✓ |
| |
SIT40422 | - |
| |
SIT10222 | Certificate I in Hospitality | - |
|
SIT40521 | ✓ |
| |
SIT30921 | Certificate III in Catering | - |
|
SIT40721 | - |
| |
SIT30722 | - |
|
Clicking the link will take you to the Victorian Skills Gateway(opens in a new window), where you can find further information about the course, entry requirements, training providers and financial supports available
University study areas
Popular university study areas aligned with this industry include business management, business and management, n.e.c. and management and commerce.
FoE code | Field of education (FoE) |
|---|---|
080301 | Business management |
080399 | Business and management, n.e.c. |
080000 | Management and commerce |
081101 | Banking and finance |
080319 | Hospitality management |
080323 | Tourism management |
081199 | Banking, finance and related fields, n.e.c. |
080599 | Sales and marketing, n.e.c. |
080509 | Public relations |
080501 | Sales |
9 Appendix 1: Data notes
1. Employed: Refers to the estimated number of workers in the industry (working one or more paid hours per week) at the close of the financial year. The estimate is derived using the average of past observations.
2. Sex distribution: In the 2021 Census, respondents could select one of three options for the sex question: male, female, or non-binary sex. Census data is only available for responses recorded as male or female.
3. Speaks a language other than English: Refers to individuals who use a non-English language in their household. The ABS collects this data through the Census.
4. Workers who need assistance with core activities: Are workers with a profound or severe core activity limitation in one or more areas of self-care, mobility and communication.
5. New workers expected: Refers to the estimated number of people needed to enter the workforce in each industry, occupation or region over a specified timeframe. It combines two elements:
- Employment growth – new jobs created as businesses and services expand
- Retirements – workers aged over 50 who are expected to permanently leave the workforce, based on patterns observed in tax and census data.
This figure shows how many new workers may be needed to both fill new roles and replace people exiting due to retirement. These are projections – informed estimates based on past trends, government policy, and population forecasts.
6. TAFE study pathways: Refers to government-funded Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses that upon completion, provide a pathway into occupations.These pathways include courses at the same or lower skill level than the related ANZSCO 4-digit occupation or courses at a higher skill level with no barriers to entry such as prior qualifications or prerequisites. VET course pathways reflect funding as of November 2025 and the courses included in the 2026 Training Needs List. Funding for VET courses is regularly updated and is subject to change.
7. Free TAFE: Refers to Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses for which the Victorian Government provides free tuition for eligible students. The Free TAFE list reflects funding as of November 2025 and courses included in the 2026 Training Needs List. Funding for VET courses is regularly updated and is subject to change.
8. Regions: Are groupings of local government areas (LGAs) that align to the Victorian Government’s Regional Partnerships and former Metropolitan Partnerships.
9. Skill Level: Reflects the level of educational attainment, training or experience needed to perform an occupation’s tasks. Skill levels:
- Skill Level 1: Occupations typically require a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Skill Level 2: Occupations typically require an associate degree, Advanced Diploma, or Diploma.
- Skill Level 3: Occupations typically require a Certificate III (including apprenticeship) or a Certificate IV.
- Skill Level 4: Occupations typically require a Certificate III (non-apprenticeship pathway) or a Certificate II.
- Skill Level 5: Occupations typically require a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education.
10. Median earnings: Is the estimated annual median earnings of full-time non-managerial employees in a selected occupation across Australia, based on ABS data from May 2023.
11. Retention rate: Measures the proportion of workers who remain in the same occupation from one financial year to the next, based on ATO data from 2021-22.
9 Appendix 2: Data sources
Industry snapshot
Workforce overview
Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025.
Workforce profile
- Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025
- ABS, Census, Age in five-year groups by sex, ANZSIC1, 2021
- ABS, Census, Level of highest educational attainment, ANZSIC1, 2021
Projections
Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025.
Regional outlook
Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025.
Skills demand
Lightcast, ANZ Postings, Victorian Skills Authority's analysis, 2024.
Skills supply
- NCVER, Total VET Activity (TVA) program enrolments, government-funded courses in Victoria, 2015–2023, VOCSTATS
- Australian Government Department of Education, Higher education student enrolment by 6-digit ASCED Field of Education, 2024
Workforce profile
Employment
Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025.
Workforce profile
- ABS, Census, Age in five-year groups by sex, ANZSIC1, 2021
- ABS, Census, Level of highest educational attainment, ANZSIC1, 2021
Workforce diversity
- ABS, Census, Indigenous status ANZSIC1, 2021
- ABS, Census, Language used at home, ANZSIC1, 2021
- ABS, Census, Indigenous status ANZSIC1, 2021
Top employing occupations
- ABS, Census, Age in five-year groups by sex, ANZSIC1, 2021
- ABS, Census, Industry of employment and labour force status by State, ANZSIC1, ANZSCO4, 2021
- ABS, Census, Level of highest educational attainment, ANZSIC1, 2021
Workforce projections
- Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025.
Top growing occupations
Employment
Victorian Skills Authority, Total new workers expected modelling, based on DJSIR employment projections, 2025
Skill level
ABS, Census, Occupation skill level (OCSKP), ANZSCO4, 2021.
Annual median earnings
ABS, Survey of employee earnings and hours, May 2023.
Retention rate
Australian Taxation Office, Occupation transition 2010-11 to 2021-22 income years.
Skills needs
- Lightcast, ANZ Postings, Victorian Skills Authority's analysis, 2024 and 2019 - 2024.
Training activity
- NCVER, Total VET Activity (TVA) program enrolments, government-funded courses in Victoria, 2015–2023, VOCSTATS.
- Australian Government Department of Education, Higher education student enrolment by 6-digit ASCED Field of Education, 2024.