By 2028, 35,900 new workers are expected to enter the professional, scientific and technical services industry. It is Victoria's third highest growing industry.
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 | 19,000 | 53% | 16,800 | 47% | 35,900 |
2025 to 2035 | 76,000 | 56% | 60,000 | 44% | 136,000 |
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 by industry subdivision from 2025 to 2028
Industry subdivision | Number of workers | VET | Higher education | No post-school qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Professional, scientific and | 25,800 | 17% | 71% | 12% |
Computer system design and | 10,100 | 13% | 76% | 11% |
Occupations with high new workers expected⁵ with direct TAFE study pathways⁶ from 2025 to 2028
Occupation | New workers expected5 | TAFE pathways into occupation6 | Available under Free TAFE7 |
|---|---|---|---|
Software and applications programmers | 3,400 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Architects and landscape architects | 1,800 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Civil engineering professionals | 1,800 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Solicitors | 1,700 | Higher education qualification required | - |
Information and communication technology (ICT) managers | 1,300 | 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 professional, scientific and technical services, by region⁸, from 2025 to 2028
New workers expected – industry
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry | 19,000 | 16,800 | 35,900 | 10% |
New workers expected – Metropolitan Melbourne
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan Melbourne | 17,000 | 15,000 | 32,000 | 89% |
Inner metropolitan | 9,500 | 8,100 | 17,600 | 55% |
Eastern metropolitan | 1,800 | 1,800 | 3,600 | 11% |
Inner south-east metropolitan | 1,000 | 1,800 | 2,800 | 9% |
Western metropolitan | 1,800 | 930 | 2,800 | 9% |
Northern metropolitan | 1,600 | 1,100 | 2,700 | 8% |
Southern metropolitan | 1,200 | 1,300 | 2,500 | 8% |
New workers expected – Regional Victoria
| Employment growth | Retirements | New workers expected 2028 | Share of total new workers expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regional Victoria | 2,100 | 1,800 | 3,900 | 11% |
Barwon | 780 | 530 | 1,300 | 34% |
Gippsland | 420 | 280 | 700 | 18% |
Loddon Campaspe | 280 | 270 | 560 | 14% |
Central Highlands | 270 | 250 | 520 | 13% |
Ovens Murray | 200 | 130 | 330 | 9% |
Goulburn | 120 | 130 | 250 | 6% |
Great South Coast | 20 | 100 | 120 | 3% |
Mallee | -10 | 90 | 80 | 2% |
Wimmera Southern Mallee | 0 | 40 | 40 | 1% |
Note: Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
- 89 per cent of new workers expected for the industry will be located within metropolitan Melbourne, with inner metropolitan and Eastern metropolitan with the highest share of new workers
- 11 per cent of new workers expected for the industry will be located within regional Victoria, with Barwon and Gippsland with the highest share of new workers.
Updated