2026-05-18 · Olivia Reed
Graduate Employment Rates by Industry: Where Australian Employers Are Actually Hiring International Graduates in 2023–24
Graduate employment rates by industry measure the proportion of recent completers who secure paid work within a specific sector, providing a direct lens on
Graduate employment rates by industry measure the proportion of recent completers who secure paid work within a specific sector, providing a direct lens on labour market absorption of newly minted qualifications. For international graduates in Australia, these rates signal where skills demand, employer confidence, and visa pathways intersect. In 2023–24, the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), published by the Department of Education, recorded that 59.6 per cent of international bachelor degree graduates were in full‑time employment four months after course completion, an increase of 2.1 percentage points on the previous year.
The Overall Employment Landscape for International Graduates
The 2024 GOS confirms that international graduates’ labour force participation remains high. Among bachelor completers, 93.1 per cent were participating in the labour force (employed or seeking work), compared with 92.5 per cent for domestic graduates. However, the full‑time employment gap was 16.8 percentage points lower for international students. Postgraduate coursework graduates fared better, with 71.2 per cent in full‑time roles, narrowing the gap to 8.3 points. Home Affairs data adds context: the Department granted more than 35,000 Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visas in the 2023 calendar year, with the largest cohorts concentrated in occupations mapped to Australia’s skilled shortages.
The intersection of visa outcomes and labour market data shows that two‑thirds of those on post‑study work visas find employment within their first year, predominantly in the industries that match Australia’s long‑term skills needs.
Industry‑by‑Industry Hiring Breakdown
QILT 2024 GOS industry shares
The QILT data breaks down the employing industries for surveyed international graduates. In 2024, employment was concentrated in just four sectors:
| Industry (ANZSIC division) | Share of employed international graduates (2024 GOS) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 24.1% |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 17.8% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 12.9% |
| Education and Training | 7.5% |
| Retail Trade | 6.8% |
| Construction | 4.3% |
| Other industries | 26.6% |
Source: Department of Education, 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey – International Cohort.
Together, the top three industries accounted for 54.8 per cent of all employed international graduates. Health Care and Social Assistance has claimed the largest share for five consecutive surveys, reflecting the enduring demand for nurses, aged‑care workers, and allied health professionals.
ABS job vacancy data (November 2023)
The demand‑side picture aligns strongly. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Job Vacancies, Australia survey for November 2023 reported the following vacancies by ANZSIC subdivision:
- Health Care and Social Assistance – 51,200 vacancies
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services – 29,500 vacancies
- Accommodation and Food Services – 21,000 vacancies
- Education and Training – 13,000 vacancies
- Retail Trade – 11,200 vacancies
The high vacancy rate in health care (5.4 per cent) and professional services (4.2 per cent) means that international graduates entering those fields are stepping into employer‑active markets. Data from the Department of Home Affairs’ Skilled Occupation List confirms that registered nurses, software engineers, and early childhood teachers—all fields dominated by the top hiring industries—receive priority in skilled visa processing.
Occupational Skill Matching: From Education Field to the Workforce
The proportion of international graduates working in managerial and professional occupations (ANZSCO Skill Levels 1 and 2) reveals how effectively education translates into high‑skill employment. In the 2024 GOS, 61.4 per cent of employed international bachelor graduates held such roles, up from 58.7 per cent in 2023. The proportion varies sharply by field of education.
| Field of Education | Share in managerial/professional roles (international bachelor grads, 2024 GOS) |
|---|---|
| Engineering and Related Technologies | 85.2% |
| Information Technology | 82.6% |
| Health | 75.1% |
| Architecture and Building | 71.3% |
| Management and Commerce | 60.4% |
| Society and Culture | 55.8% |
| Creative Arts | 39.7% |
| Hospitality, Tourism and Personal Services | 28.5% |
Source: 2024 GOS, Department of Education.
These numbers illustrate a clear hierarchy. Graduates in engineering and IT overwhelmingly secure professional roles, while those in hospitality‑focused streams are far more likely to work in lower‑skill positions, often in exactly the same industries they were educated to serve. The Department of Home Affairs’ Migration Program data reinforces the pattern: in the 2022–23 programme year, the most numerous skilled visa grants to former international students were for Registered Nurse (2,412 primary grants), Accountant (1,421), and Software Engineer (1,198).
The alignment between field, industry, and visa pathway is near‑mechanical. A student who completes a Bachelor of Nursing is not only trained for the Health Care and Social Assistance sector but also sits atop Australia’s most acute skills shortage, which in turn yields high employment rates and a direct route through employer‑sponsored or points‑tested permanence.
Spotlight on Key Employers: Who Is Hiring the Most?
No single official dataset names employer‑level recruitment counts for international graduates. However, triangulating data from LinkedIn Talent Insights, the annual Australian Financial Review Top 100 Graduate Employers list, and Department of Home Affairs Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa nomination records paints a consistent picture of the largest hirers in the dominant sectors.
Professional Services
- Deloitte (audit, consulting, risk advisory)
- EY
- KPMG
- PwC
- Accenture
These five firms have held top positions in graduate recruitment for over a decade. LinkedIn data for 2023‑24 shows they collectively employed approximately 2,800 recent international graduates across their Australian offices, with a heavy skew towards accounting, technology, and engineering streams.
Health Care and Social Assistance
- NSW Health
- Ramsay Health Care
- Queensland Health
- Healthscope
- St Vincent’s Health Australia
State health departments and large private hospital groups dominate. They offer structured graduate registered nurse programs that routinely enrol international completers from Australian universities. According to Home Affairs data, more than 60 per cent of all subclass 485 visa holders working in health are employed by the public hospital system.
Technology
- Canva
- Atlassian
- Xero
- WiseTech Global
- Google Australia
These organisations are among the most visible recruiters of international IT graduates. Atlassian and Canva, in particular, run internship‑to‑graduate pipelines that explicitly recruit from university cohorts with high international enrolments. The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2024 placed several Australian universities—led by the University of Melbourne, UNSW Sydney, and the University of Sydney—in the global top 50 for employer reputation, which aligns with the recruitment intensity observed in this sector.
Education and Training
- Department of Education (through state teaching authorities)
- G8 Education
- Affinity Education Group
- Navitas
- Inner city government schools
Early childhood and secondary teaching attract a steady stream of international graduates in education fields. The Home Affairs Skills Priority List flags early childhood teachers as a national shortage, underpinning the strong hiring activity from large childcare providers.
Across all sectors, the employer landscape confirms that international graduates who study in fields of persistent skills shortage are absorbed into the workforce quickly and at high occupational levels, with major firms and public sector agencies leading the charge.
Policy Context and Post‑Study Work Rights
The post‑study work visa framework forms the structural backbone of this employment story. Since July 2023, the Department of Home Affairs has allowed eligible bachelor graduates up to two years, masters by coursework graduates up to three years, and masters by research and PhD graduates up to four years of temporary residency to work in Australia. Graduates from regional campuses may qualify for an additional one to two years. These durations are calibrated to allow early‑career professionals to establish a track record that can feed into employer‑sponsored visa pathways.
The Department of Education reported that in 2023, international student enrolments in fields linked to acute shortages—such as Information Technology, Engineering, and Health—grew by 12 per cent year on year. This supply‑side shift is a direct response to policy settings that reward graduates with skills Australia needs. Universities Australia analysis shows that 87 per cent of employers surveyed agree that international graduates are important for filling specialised roles, particularly in health, IT, and professional services.
Temporary Graduate visa holders also contribute to the workforce in ways that shape the industry‑level data. The Department of Home Affairs’ quarterly visa processing data shows that in the March quarter 2024, the top nominated occupations for subclass 485 primary applicants were Accountant (General), Software Engineer, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Developer Programmer, and Civil Engineer. That list maps exactly onto the top‑hiring industries and the high‑skill occupational shares recorded in the GOS.
The interplay of GOS outcomes, vacancy statistics, and migration policy creates a system in which international graduates are not simply participants in the labour market but are increasingly treated as a pipeline for strategic workforce planning.
FAQ
Which industry hires the most international graduates in Australia? Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, accounting for 24.1 per cent of employed international bachelor graduates in the 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey. Nursing, aged care, and allied health roles drive this figure.
What is the full‑time employment rate for international graduates in 2023–24? The 2024 GOS reports a full‑time employment rate of 59.6 per cent for international bachelor graduates and 71.2 per cent for postgraduate coursework graduates, measured four months after course completion.
Do employers prefer graduates from certain Australian universities? Recruitment patterns in professional services and technology favour universities with strong industry linkages and high QS employer reputation scores. While no single institution holds a monopoly, graduates from Group of Eight universities and technology‑focused institutions appear more frequently in the early‑career cohorts of major employers.
How does field of study affect employment outcomes? Fields such as Engineering (85.2 per cent in managerial/professional roles) and IT (82.6 per cent) yield high‑skill outcomes rapidly, while Hospitality and Tourism (28.5 per cent) results in a larger share of lower‑skill employment. Choosing a field aligned with skills shortages significantly lifts occupational matching and access to visa pathways.
What visa pathways support international graduates into these industries? The Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa provides two to four years of work rights. Graduates in occupations on the Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) can transition to employer‑sponsored (subclass 482/186) or points‑tested permanent visas (subclass 189/190). Home Affairs data shows that Registered Nurse, Software Engineer, and Accountant are the most common occupations gaining permanent residence through the skilled migration programme.
How does regional study affect employment prospects? Graduates from regional institutions may access extended post‑study work rights and additional points for skilled migration. State‑specific practices in health and education often see regional employers—particularly public hospitals and schools—actively recruiting international graduates who studied locally, reflecting a targeted regional skills strategy supported by both state and federal policy.