2018 Trends in Human Resources Jobs

2018 trends in human resources jobs see steady growth with exciting employment prospects.
The Australian Government Job Outlook* website lists Human Resources as a growing professional with above average job openings.
- Over the five years to November 2019, the number of job openings for Human Resource Professionals is expected to be above average (between 25,001 and 50,000). Job openings count both employment growth and turnover (defined as workers leaving their occupation for other employment or leaving the workforce).
- Employment for this occupation remained relatively steady in the past five years and rose strongly in the long-term (ten years). Looking forward, employment for Human Resource Professionals to November 2020 is expected to grow moderately.
- This is a very large occupation (59,000 in November 2015) suggesting that opportunities should be available in most regions for human resources jobs.
- Human Resource Professionals have an above average proportion of full-time jobs (79.2 %). For Human Resource Professionals working full-time, average weekly hours are 38.5 (compared to 40.2 for all occupations), and earnings are above average.
- The most common level of educational attainment for Human Resource Professionals is Bachelor degree (32.3%).
The current Human Resource jobs market in Australia
The beginning of 2018 sees over 10,000 Australian jobs available in Human Resources. 3,900 are full-time employment, while 450 of these are part-time positions. The rest is made up of casual, temp or contract work.
The workplace sectors with the most human resources jobs are:
Human Resources Jobs by State:
NSW | 2109 |
VIC | 2527 |
QLD | 1884 |
SA | 211 |
WA | 405 |
NT | 157 |
TAS | 40 |
2018 Human Resources jobs over $150,000 available across industry sectors are:
Human Resources and Recruitment | 170 |
Information and Communication Technology | 140 |
Mining, Resources and Energy | 63 |
Healthcare and Medical | 52 |
Construction | 32 |
Higher paying Human Resources positions by State:
NSW | 314 |
VIC | 113 |
QLD | 117 |
SA | 10 |
WA | 31 |
NT | 10 |
TAS | 1 |
Key takeaways:
- The east coast of Australia remains the highest employer of human resources managers and workers in Australia
- HR, recruitment, IT and communications, mining, and resources hold the bulk of senior paying positions
- There are plenty of positions available in other sectors for qualified candidates

Salary opportunities in human resources
The 2016 Hays Salary Report shows that there is scope for a good level entry salary and ongoing career advancement. Hays salary check shows the following information for human resources positions.
Human Resources Positions | Average Salary in Sydney |
HR Manager 250-1000 employees | $150,000 |
HR Manager less than 250 employees | $130,000 |
HR Manager over 1000 employees | $175,000 |
HR Coordinator | $62,500 |
HR Admin | $57,500 |
Head of HR/HR Director 250-1000 employees | $185,000 |
Head of Learning and Development | $200,000 |
SEEK reported in early-2016 that human resources and recruitment positions were growing with a 7% increase year-on-year. Factors cited as contributing to this phase of steady growth are:
- Employer investment in packages and benefits that attract top talent
- The need to attract culturally aligned talent
- Retaining top talent by creating skilled in-house HR teams
The Seek industry spotlight on human resources and recruitment released in March 2017, follows up with the following five points:
- Demand for HR and recruitment talent has continued to rise, up 5% year-on-year to February (the overall job market is up by 8% year-on-year)
- Averaged advertising salary – $82,215
- Organisational Development ads rose 19% due to larger companies are expanding and seeking to be competitive by development talent
- Occupational Health and Safety positions rose by 15% in response to employers needing HR managers with strong risk management skills. Workplace wellness is also front of mind as mental health issues and support become part of employee assistance programs.
- Training and Development jobs declined by 11%, although demand remains for skilled candidates
The report outlined the following HR skills as being sought-after in the current job market
- Knowing how to be future focused
- Understanding of business cycles
- Able to build skills needed to achieve company strategy
- Able to identify resources needed for a growing company
- Understanding of how to be innovating when establishing or changing workplace culture
- Knowledge of workplace legislation, e.g.: bullying and harassment, mental health
- Able to create training content and training plans
- Can spot trends and gaps in leadership development, and respond accordingly
- Leading candidate engagement and improving recruitment systems, including scoping of roles
Plan for 2018 and beyond with the right Human Resources qualification
Human Resources offers a wide and rewarding career path with opportunity for advancement and attractive salary packages. Demand for confident and skilled HR professionals is high and continuing to grow. Human Resources Diploma qualifications from The College for Adult Learning are the best place to begin your HR career today.
*sourced from http://joboutlook.gov.au/
Last Updated on September 20, 2018 by Aria Schulz