Why Aged Care Is Still One of Australia’s Strongest Career Paths

With ongoing medical and technological advancements, Australians are living longer and managing chronic conditions better than ever before. This means aged care services are now needed earlier in life, for a longer duration, and with a greater standard of care than ever before.

Many current aged care workers are nearing retirement themselves. With the median age of care workers sitting at 49, the sector is bracing for a major skills shortage as experienced staff leave the workforce.

Workforce shortages aren’t limited to any one state. Jobs and Skills Australia’s latest data shows the national job vacancy fill rate dropped to 68.2% in the March 2026 quarter, with the gap between metro and regional fill rates widening to 4.6 percentage points — regional employers are having a harder time filling roles than their city counterparts.

The shortfall is sharper again in Skill Level 3 roles, the category most hands-on support work sits in, where the fill rate was just 55.5%, well below the roughly 70% seen across other skill levels. That pattern holds in Queensland too, where an influx of retirees and regional population growth is adding further pressure to an already stretched workforce. In response, the Australian Government has committed to adding 4,000 personal care workers over three years through its Regional, Rural and Remote Home Care Workforce Support Program.

For a closer look at where regional shortages are sharpest and what it means if you’re job hunting outside a capital city, see Regional Support Worker Jobs in 2026: Why Demand Is Rising Beyond the Major Cities.

There’s never been a better time to start a career in aged care. A nationally recognised course through Kirana Colleges like the CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) can help you build the skills and confidence to thrive in this growing industry.