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.

Get the Second 2026

Edition of our HSE report

Australia's HSE job market: 2026 Edition #02

After an extended period of post-COVID normalisation, the Safe Step HSE Job Opportunities Index rebounded decisively in Q1 2026, rising 19.7% quarter-on-quarter. While annual demand remains down 14.4% year-on-year and the index continues to track at around pre-COVID levels, the key signal this quarter is that the decline has stalled.

Regulatory pressure, expanding psychosocial obligations and heightened governance expectations continue to drive hiring activity. Employers are signalling a clear preference for permanent, long-term hires — with 84.2% of all advertised HSE roles now permanent — reflecting a deliberate shift from short-term compliance coverage to embedded internal capability that owns outcomes, influences leaders, and manages risk for the long haul.

This quarter's Index shows that HSE job opportunities remain concentrated along the eastern seaboard, with WA also playing a significant role.

• NSW remains Australia's largest HSE market, rising from 26.3% to 27.3% of national opportunities, continuing to attract the greatest concentration of HSE roles driven by corporate and public sector activity.
• QLD continues its strong run, lifting to 24.3% of national demand - now sitting just a fraction behind NSW - supported by ongoing infrastructure activity and population growth.
• WA eased slightly to 18.3% as other states grew more rapidly, though it remains the only state recording positive year-on-year growth at 3.3%, underpinned by resources, energy and major projects activity.
• VIC delivered the standout result of the quarter, surging 38.6% quarter-on-quarter and lifting its share from 14.6% to 17.3% - its strongest quarterly recovery in some time.

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