Work Health, Safety, Environment & Wellbeing Job Market Report

Health, Safety & Environment Job Market Report

Exclusive data reveals in demand skills & job data

Gain valuable insights into HSE job opportunities with The Safe Step's comprehensive Health, Safety and Environment Job Market Report. This exclusive report offers detailed analysis of HSE career trends and emerging HSE job opportunities across Australia.

Inside this report, you'll discover:

• Which HSE disciplines are experiencing the highest demand
• Regional hotspots with changes to hiring activity
• Industry hiring hotspots for safety professionals
• Top Health, Safety and Environment skills employers need now
  

Essential insights for employers and professionals

Whether you're building a safety-focused team or advancing your HSE career, this analysis delivers market insights necessary to guide strategic decisions. The Safe Step's Health, Safety and Environment job opportunities index has carefully tracked HSE employment data since 2015, providing job seekers and employers with accurate Health, Safety and Environment employment forecasts.

Download The Safe Step's Health, Safety and Environment job market report today to access insights that will give you a competitive edge in Australia's dynamic HSE landscape.

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Australia's HSE job market: 2026 Edition #03

The HSE job market has settled into a more measured pace after a strong start to 2026. The Safe Step HSE Job Opportunities Index eased 1.3% in the three months to May 2026 - a soft landing rather than a reversal. Annual growth remains solidly positive at 8.7%, permanent hiring still accounts for 83.1% of all roles, and the structural drivers haven't changed: regulatory pressure, expanding psychosocial obligations, and the growing expectation that HSE capability is embedded rather than bolted on.

The softer quarter matters less than what's underneath it. Employers are still hiring for the long term. HSE Advisors: the most adaptable, generalist part of the market were the only occupation to grow this quarter, up 8.4% and now 28.7% higher YoY. That signal is worth sitting with.

Geographically, the top of the table is stable rather than shifting.

• NSW holds 25.1% of national demand, recording a modest 2.1% quarterly dip while retaining most of its strong Q1 gains.
• QLD sits just behind at 23.6%, down 4.9% this quarter after a very strong Q1 — though YoY demand is still up 14.4%, well above the national average.
• WA and VIC have converged into a genuine second tier at 18.6% and 18.8% respectively. WA's YoY growth of 17.5% remains the strongest of any state, underpinned by the resources and energy pipeline. VIC consolidated its Q1 gains, edging up 1.5%.

A market easing from a high base, with permanent hiring intact and structural demand holding firm, is not a market in trouble. It's one recalibrating after an unusually active start to the year.

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