Victoria is the second smallest state in Australia, but is home to over 25% of the country’s population – and still growing. Victoria’s economy is considered mid-sized, and is larger than the economies of New Zealand, Singapore and many countries in Southeast Asia, contributing 22% of Australia’s total Gross Domestic Product. Some of the major Victorian industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, which give a boost to the Australian economy as a whole and offer numerous graduate positions.
Victoria’s capital city is Melbourne, which hosts regional offices as well as employers with an international presence. Aside from its large and well-known capital city, Victoria has many significant regional centres, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton. Victoria has a lot to offer graduates who are looking for work, and with the proliferation of job opportunities, it is an essential state to consider as part of any job hunt.
Figure 1: Number of employing businesses in Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
Victoria is an extremely important region for the Australian economy. The state offers 24.8% of all employment opportunities in Australia, and these jobs pay out 23.7% of Australia’s total employment income. Out of all graduates within Australia, 23.3% are employed in Victoria. The state has the second-highest number of employing businesses of any Australian state or territory, with 219,178 businesses employing one or more people.
Figure 2: Per cent of total employment per industry in Victoria (VIC)
With 707,600 employees that account for 12.8% of the total Victorian workforce, health care is the state’s top industry for job opportunities. Retail and professional services also make up a sizeable proportion of the state’s jobs. Real estate and utilities employ the least number of people, with mining having the lowest percentage of all – 17,400 people are employed in the mining industry, which accounts for only 0.3% of the total jobs in the state.
Figure 3: Employment status of graduates with bachelor degrees in Victoria (VIC)
88% of graduates in Victoria who are available for employment have found work, although only 66% of that number work in a full-time capacity. The other 22% have found jobs within their industry but on a part-time or casual basis. A further 12% of graduates are available for work but are unable to find a suitable position.
Figure 4: Annual growth rate in Victoria (VIC) vs other parts of Australia
The Victorian economy shows positive growth, only New South Wales has a higher annual growth rate, and Victoria’s 8.8% comes in above the national average. Not every industry is pressing forward, however. The mining industry in Victoria has a negative growth rate of 12%, manufacturing is declining 6%, and wholesale trade is declining at. The future looks bright for the health care and social assistance industry, with annual growth predicted at 17.6%. Professional and real estate jobs are both growing at a rate of 13.2%.
Figure 5: Annual growth rate across industries in Victoria (VIC)
Figure 6: Unemployment rates in Victoria (VIC) vs other states in Australia
Victoria’s unemployment rates are similar to the national average, with 6.1% of adults aged 15 and over available for work unable to find suitable employment. The youth unemployment rate in Victoria is 13.1% which is slightly above the national average of 12.9%.
Graduate unemployment is also slightly higher than the norm, with 12% of graduates unable to find work, compared with a national average of 11.3%. That being said, with the sheer number of positions available Victorian graduates are ideally positioned to secure a job within their field.
Figure 7: Graduate unemployment rates in Victoria (VIC) vs other states in Australia
Figure 8: Per cent of total employment by occupation in Victoria (VIC)
A large percentage of Victoria’s workforce are employed as professionals, with high percentages also employed as managers, technicians and trades workers. Victoria offers a significant number of professional job opportunities, with Victoria employing a high percentage of professionals as a percentage of full-time employees.
Figure 9: Percentage of full-time employees working as professionals in Victoria (VIC)
GradAustralia conducted a survey of graduates throughout Australia and found that the top 5 roles in Victoria are:
Figure 10: Median and mean employee income in Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
Salaries in Victoria are slightly under the national average, with a median of $45,868 per annum and a mean income of $55,401, compared with the national median of $55,401 and a national mean of $58,011. The Victorian mean income is 20.8% over the median, which means there are some disproportionately well-paid jobs available in the state – worth considering if you are looking to build a career there.
Figure 11: Median graduate starting salary for Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
While graduates in Victoria might have access to more job opportunities than other states, the average starting salary is not at the top of the table. At $52,000 Victoria has the lowest starting salary for graduates in Australia, $2,000 below the national average of $54,000 per annum. While some disciplines do earn more than the average, the figures are still below some other regions. Qualifications in engineering, maths, IT and computer sciences make the average graduate salary slightly higher, with an average starting amount of $68,047. However, Victoria provides plenty of opportunities for graduates to advance in their careers, so graduates should keep in mind that a graduate program is a time for learning and development and that there are opportunities for salary increases later in their career.
Figure 12: Average graduate starting salary by discipline in Victoria (VIC)
Figure 13: Average work hours per week for graduates in Victoria (VIC)
There is a wide distribution of average working hours in Victoria. 43% of graduates have an average work week of 30-40 hours, while another 43% spend between 40-50 hours at work. 11% of graduates reported working 50-60 hours per week, with 1% working 60-70 hours and a further 1% working 70-80 hours per week. Another 1% work less than 30 hours per week. These responses result in an average work week of 42.4 hours, which puts Victoria in the middle when compared with other states and territories.
Figure 14: Average graduate work hours per week in Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
Figure 15: Average job satisfaction score in Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
In a GradAustralia survey of graduates throughout Australia, job satisfaction in Victoria is slightly lower than other states and territories.
Figure 16: Average diversity score in Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
While Victoria might be home to people from all walks of life, Victorian graduates rated their workplaces relatively low in diversity, second lowest only to Queensland.
Figure 17: Workplace participation rates by industry in Victoria (VIC)
Victoria has a female participation rate of around 41.7%. As is common to most regions in Australia, the two industries with the highest percentage of female workers are health care and education, with these industries made up of 77.9% and 70.9% women. Once again, the traditionally ‘male roles’ in construction and mining see lower levels of female participation, although having 21.8% of mining jobs filled by female workers is an unusual but positive statistic.
Figure 18: Median graduate starting salary for males and females in Victoria (VIC) vs other states/territories
The average graduate starting salary for a male graduate with a bachelor degree in Victoria is $52,000 per year, with females starting on the same average salary. While both figures are slightly lower than the national average for both female and male graduates, they are among the most equitable in Australia.
GradAustralia surveyed graduates throughout Australia and found that the most sought-after employers in Victoria include:
To find out about the most recent graduate job opportunities in Victoria, we recommend signing up for updates from GradAustralia and checking our jobs board regularly. There are various career fairs that will allow you to connect with employers who offer graduate programs. The following events provide opportunities to students of all disciplines:
Universities also offer various career events to help you learn more about your future job opportunities and employers:
Many employers also offer ‘entry-level’ jobs that are not specifically advertised as ‘graduate’ jobs. Keep an eye out for these on job boards such as SEEK.
If you're set on Victoria but still not sure what you want to do, or if you haven't had any luck locking down a graduate job, you might want to consider:
If you’re not sure if Victoria is the right place for your first graduate job, we recommend checking out our moving guide to Melbourne.