Very high demand
21,334 / 15,897Greater Sydney / Greater Brisbane professionals
Hiring demand is “Very high” in both markets. Greater Sydney recorded 192 job posts; Greater Brisbane recorded 112.
Skip to report
RESEARCH REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2026
01
02
03
04
05
Greater Sydney
21,334
Greater Brisbane
15,897
01
02
03
04
05
Availability
Transferability
Attraction
PSP interpretation
RESEARCH REPORTSEPTEMBER 2026
Public Sector People | Talent Insights
Utilities Talent Insights 2026
Workforce capacity for essential infrastructure
A data-led view of the talent, capabilities and workforce trends shaping Australia’s Utilities sector, with a focus on Greater Sydney and South East Queensland.
90,719
LinkedIn members in the selected talent pool
98
selected job titles
9,998
professionals changed jobs
676
job posts
2,534
professionals engaged with employer content
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool across 98 titles.
01 / Overview
PSP / 2026
Workforce capacity is becoming a delivery issue
Australia's Utilities sector is being asked to do several things at once.
Organisations must renew and maintain existing assets, support population growth, strengthen network resilience, invest in new infrastructure and respond to the changing energy, water and digital landscape.
That creates a workforce challenge that extends well beyond traditional engineering roles.
Project delivery, asset management, commercial capability, stakeholder engagement, digital systems, operational technology, data, regulation and corporate functions increasingly need to work together.
The market data suggests competition for many of these capabilities is already significant.
Within the selected Utilities talent pool analysed by Public Sector People through LinkedIn Talent Insights, hiring demand is currently classified as "Very high" across Greater Sydney, Greater Brisbane, Greater Melbourne and several adjacent regional markets.
At the same time, the capability mix is changing.
Fast-growing skills range from Electrical Construction and Power System Stability to Renewable Energy Systems, Industrial Control, Commissioning Management and Python.
Talent is also entering Utilities from industries including consulting, technology, environmental services, construction, civil engineering and oil and gas.
The result is not simply a recruitment challenge.
It is a workforce-planning question:
How can Utilities organisations secure the capability required to deliver future infrastructure while protecting the knowledge and operational capacity required today?
02 / Executive summary
PSP / 2026
Five signals for workforce leaders
The capability mix is changing
+46%Electrical Construction skills growth
Other fast-growing skills include Electric Utilities Management (+24%), Power System Stability (+21%), Renewable Energy Systems (+18%) and Industrial Control (+16%).
Talent is crossing industry boundaries
+81 / +80Net movement from consulting / IT services
Positive net movements also include Environmental Services (+66), Oil & Gas (+59) and Construction (+55).
Salary is not the only attraction lever
55%Value helpful and supportive direct managers
Compensation and benefits follows at 53%, with flexible working arrangements at 50%.
The engagement window can be short
2 yearsApproximate median tenure
LinkedIn identifies this as the point when professionals within the selected pool are most likely to switch jobs.
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
03 / Talent market
PSP / 2026
A broad and highly competitive professional workforce
Our selected Australian Utilities talent pool includes 90,719 LinkedIn members across 98 titles.
90,719
LinkedIn members in the selected talent pool
9,998
professionals changed jobs
676
job posts
Very high
hiring demand
2 years
approximate median tenure
2,534
professionals engaged with employer content
Gender representation
33% female
67% male
Employer-brand engagement
- Share of selected pool engaged
- 3%
- View-to-apply rate
- 9%
- InMail response rate
- 26%
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
04 / Locations
PSP / 2026
Utilities talent is concentrated — but opportunity exists beyond the largest capitals
Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane account for the largest concentrations of professionals within the selected talent pool.
However, the relationship between talent supply and hiring demand also identifies several adjacent markets that may warrant consideration when organisations are building candidate pipelines.
| Location | Professionals | 1-year growth | Job posts | Hiring demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Melbourne Area | 28,778 | +2% | 223 | Very high |
| Greater Sydney Area | 21,334 | +2% | 192 | Very high |
| Greater Brisbane Area | 15,897 | -1% | 112 | Very high |
| Greater Newcastle Area | 2,020 | +2% | 2 | Very high |
| Gold Coast | 1,596 | -1% | Not supplied | Very high |
| Sunshine Coast | 931 | +1% | 5 | Very high |
| Rockhampton Area | 864 | 0% | 1 | Low |
| Geelong | 797 | +1% | Not supplied | High |
| Wollongong Area | 776 | +5% | 12 | Very high |
| Townsville | 706 | -2% | Not supplied | High |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
05 / Regional focus
PSP / 2026
Greater Sydney and South East Queensland
Greater Sydney and South East Queensland are the focus of this report. Both Sydney and Brisbane face very high hiring demand within the selected talent pool.
professionals in the selected pool
- Job posts
- 192
- Hiring demand
- Very high
professionals in the selected pool
- Job posts
- 112
- Hiring demand
- Very high
Adjacent talent markets
2,020
Greater Newcastle
1,596
Gold Coast
931
Sunshine Coast
LinkedIn identifies these as “hidden gem” locations, where the relative supply of professionals is stronger compared with local hiring demand.
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
06 / Employers
PSP / 2026
The workforce extends across Utilities and major infrastructure employers
Among the organisations employing significant numbers of professionals from the selected talent pool are the following. These counts represent members from the selected LinkedIn pool associated with each employer, rather than total company headcount.
| Organisation | Selected-pool professionals | 1-year growth | Job posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin Energy | 4,596 | +1% | 24 |
| Sydney Water | 3,614 | +4% | 20 |
| AGL | 3,549 | 0% | 24 |
| ACCIONA | 2,822 | +8% | 62 |
| Energy Queensland | 2,398 | 0% | 0 |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
07 / Titles
PSP / 2026
A workforce spanning technical, operational and leadership roles
The most common titles demonstrate that the selected Utilities workforce extends from engineering and project delivery through to operations and organisational leadership.
| Title | Professionals | Share of pool | Job posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | 2,150 | 2% | 14 |
| Director | 2,006 | 2% | 0 |
| Electrician | 1,110 | 1% | 9 |
| Managing Director | 1,057 | 1% | 0 |
| Manager | 1,007 | 1% | 2 |
| Project Engineer | 902 | 1% | 1 |
| General Manager | 747 | 1% | 0 |
| Senior Project Manager | 746 | 1% | 2 |
| Operations Manager | 653 | 1% | 1 |
| Team Lead | 607 | 1% | 5 |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
08 / Title growth
PSP / 2026
Growth is appearing across delivery, engineering and specialist functions
| Title | Growth | Professionals | Job posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Legal Counsel | +15% | 181 | Not supplied |
| Delivery Lead | +12% | 210 | Not supplied |
| Power System Engineer | +10% | 183 | 6 |
| Contract Administrator | +9% | 201 | Not supplied |
| Customer Service Officer | +9% | 188 | 1 |
| Delivery Manager | +8% | 231 | Not supplied |
| Planning Engineer | +8% | 159 | Not supplied |
| Consultant | +7% | 401 | Not supplied |
| Lead | +7% | 427 | 1 |
| Principal Engineer | +7% | 203 | Not supplied |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
09 / Core capabilities
PSP / 2026
Utilities delivery depends on more than engineering
Engineering remains central to the workforce, but the most common skills show the importance of stakeholder, commercial, analytical and project capability alongside technical expertise.
12,037 professionals list Stakeholder Management among their skills.
| Skill | Professionals | Share of pool | Job posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder Management | 12,037 | 13% | 133 |
| Senior Stakeholder Management | 11,974 | 13% | 0 |
| Engineering | 10,616 | 12% | 416 |
| Business Process Improvement | 9,509 | 10% | 40 |
| Contract Management | 9,223 | 10% | 73 |
| Analytical Skills | 9,133 | 10% | 308 |
| Energy | 8,542 | 9% | 16 |
| Business Analysis | 7,905 | 9% | 21 |
| Electric Utilities Management | 6,921 | 8% | 0 |
| Project Delivery | 6,735 | 7% | 89 |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
10 / Growing capabilities
PSP / 2026
The capability mix is changing in more than one direction
Skills associated with construction, existing power systems, industrial control, commissioning, stakeholder management and digital capability are all growing.
| Skill | 1-year growth | Professionals | Job posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Construction | +46% | 3,805 | 1 |
| Electric Utilities Management | +24% | 6,921 | 0 |
| Power System Stability | +21% | 3,397 | 5 |
| Renewable Energy Systems | +18% | 4,188 | 8 |
| Power Generation Equipment | +16% | 3,450 | 3 |
| Industrial Control | +16% | 3,077 | 4 |
| Senior Stakeholder Management | +15% | 11,974 | 0 |
| Commissioning Management | +14% | 5,373 | 1 |
| Electrical Testing | +14% | 3,186 | 9 |
| Python (Programming Language) | +12% | 3,262 | 100 |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
11 / Digital + operations
PSP / 2026
Digital Utilities need people who understand systems and operations
For a Utility, digital transformation is not simply an enterprise IT program.
Technology decisions can influence the visibility of physical assets, control-room operations, field teams, customer interactions and the organisation's ability to maintain essential services.
The workforce data points to growing overlap between digital and operational capability.
+16%
Industrial Control skills growth
+12%
Python skills growth
9,133
professionals with Analytical Skills
7,905
professionals with Business Analysis
+80
net movement from IT Services & IT Consulting
+81
net movement from Business Consulting & Services
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
12 / Talent movement
PSP / 2026
Your next Utilities hire may not currently work in Utilities
Talent movement over the past 12 months demonstrates that Utilities organisations are already attracting capability from a diverse group of adjacent industries.
← Lost to industry
Gained from industry →
Net / ratio
Business Consulting & Services
+81 2.0 ratio
IT Services & IT Consulting
+80 2.1 ratio
Environmental Services
+66 2.2 ratio
Oil & Gas
+59 2.2 ratio
Banking
+58 1.9 ratio
Construction
+55 1.4 ratio
Civil Engineering
+29 1.3 ratio
Software Development
+5 1.1 ratio
Electric Power Generation
+2 1.0 ratio
Government Administration
+2 1.0 ratio
Ratio = professionals gained from an industry divided by professionals lost to that industry, rounded as supplied. Net = gained minus lost.
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
13 / Education + pipeline
PSP / 2026
Where has this workforce developed its capability?
| Education provider | Professionals | Recent graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Monash University | 3,459 | 401 |
| RMIT University | 3,407 | 463 |
| UNSW | 2,708 | 433 |
| University of Melbourne | 2,603 | 321 |
| TAFE NSW | 2,575 | 259 |
| Queensland University of Technology | 2,451 | 302 |
| University of Queensland | 2,366 | 293 |
| Swinburne University of Technology | 2,280 | 257 |
| Deakin University | 2,157 | 262 |
| University of Technology Sydney | 1,933 | 267 |
| Field of study | Professionals |
|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 8,468 |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 4,190 |
| Civil Engineering | 3,342 |
| Information Technology | 3,169 |
| Project Management | 2,997 |
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
14 / What talent values
PSP / 2026
What makes Utilities talent consider an employer?
Salary matters. But it is not the factor this talent pool ranks highest.
How to read these percentages: Each figure shows the percentage of people who value that benefit. People can value more than one benefit, so the percentages are not mutually exclusive and do not add up to 100%.
55%
Helpful and supportive direct managers
53%
Compensation and benefits
50%
Flexible working arrangements
| Employer value proposition | People who value this benefit (%) |
|---|---|
| Helpful & supportive direct managers | 55% |
| Excellent compensation and benefits | 53% |
| Flexible work arrangements | 50% |
| Opportunities for career growth within the company | 38% |
| Organisational support to balance work and personal life | 35% |
Other factors talent values (% of people)
- Company driven by values that match your own 30%
- Opportunities to learn new, highly desired skills 30%
- Opportunity to work on innovative projects 30%
- Job security 28%
- Clear goals and direction from senior leadership 28%
- Happy and inspired employees 23%
- Challenging and impactful work 23%
- A collaborative company culture 18%
- Highly talented employees 15%
- Inclusive workplace for people of diverse backgrounds 15%
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
15 / Employer proposition
PSP / 2026
Attraction is broader than salary
In a competitive market, remuneration remains important — but the employer proposition is broader than salary.
Professionals are also evaluating who they will work for, how they will be managed, the flexibility available to them and whether the opportunity creates future career value.
For Utilities organisations that cannot simply outbid every competitor, this creates additional attraction levers.
The strength of the manager, role, flexibility, development opportunity, purpose and remuneration should be considered as one proposition rather than separate parts of a job advertisement.
Who they will work for. How they will be managed. The flexibility available. The career value of the opportunity.
Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool.
16 / Workforce implications
PSP / 2026
What does this mean for Utilities workforce planning?
PSP interpretation
Capacity pressure is already visible
Very high hiring demand across Greater Sydney and Greater Brisbane means workforce availability should be considered alongside budget, procurement and delivery planning.
The question is not only whether a role can ultimately be filled.
It is whether the right capability can be secured within the timeframe the delivery program requires.
Look beyond the traditional utilities talent pool
Utilities are gaining professionals from consulting, technology, environmental services, oil and gas, construction and civil engineering.
Workforce planning should distinguish between roles requiring deep sector expertise and roles where transferable capability can broaden the available market.
Reliability and transition are one workforce challenge
Growth in Renewable Energy Systems sits alongside growth in Power System Stability, Power Generation Equipment, Industrial Control, Electrical Testing and Commissioning.
Utilities must build future capability without weakening the expertise required to safely operate and maintain today's infrastructure.
Digital and operational capability are converging
Technology, analytics, industrial control and operational systems increasingly overlap.
The strongest digital Utilities professionals may need to understand both systems and the physical, regulatory and operational environment in which those systems operate.
Attraction is a workforce strategy
High demand means organisations should think beyond remuneration alone.
Supportive management, competitive compensation, flexibility and career development all influence the employer proposition.
A strong workforce strategy considers not only where talent can be found, but why that talent would choose to move.
17 / Workforce planning
PSP / 2026
Plan earlier — not necessarily hire earlier.
Understanding talent availability, lead times, transferable skills and candidate expectations before a requirement becomes urgent creates more options once the requirement becomes real.
Map the relevant market
Understand which capabilities are scarce, where they sit and the lead times required.
Define what must be known on day one
Separate essential sector knowledge from capability that can transfer or develop.
Make the proposition clear
Consider management, flexibility, development, purpose and remuneration together.
18 / Public Sector People
PSP / 2026
About Public Sector People
Public Sector People works with public, regulated and essential-service organisations across permanent, temporary and contract recruitment.
Our work spans professional capability including:
- Engineering
- Project and program delivery
- Asset management
- Procurement and contracts
- Commercial
- Digital and data
- Change and transformation
- Corporate and business support
Our Utilities workforce research is designed to help organisations better understand where capability pressure may emerge, how talent markets are changing and where broader workforce strategies may create additional options.
The most useful workforce conversations often begin before a vacancy becomes urgent.
Explore Public Sector People ↗ 19 / Methodology + references
PSP / 2026
About this research
This report draws primarily on LinkedIn Talent Insights data reviewed by Public Sector People in September 2026.
The selected Australian Utilities talent pool contains 90,719 LinkedIn members across 98 selected job titles relevant to the workforce being analysed.
The analysis includes:
The analysis includes talent population, geographic distribution, hiring demand, job movement, common and fast-growing titles and skills, industry talent flows, education background, employer value propositions and employer-brand engagement indicators.
LinkedIn Talent Insights is based on LinkedIn member profile information and activity.
The figures in this report should therefore be interpreted as directional labour-market intelligence for the selected LinkedIn population rather than a complete census of all Australian Utilities workers.
Talent counts, job-post volumes, growth rates and hiring-demand indicators may change over time.
Percentages and ratios are shown as supplied. Skills and education categories may overlap and should not be added together. “Not supplied” identifies missing job-post figures; it does not mean zero. The underlying search definition and metric windows, except where explicitly stated, were not supplied with this report brief.
Primary source
LinkedIn Talent Insights, September 2026. Selected Australian Utilities talent pool: 90,719 LinkedIn members across 98 titles.
https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/talent-insights
Report figures are reproduced from the supplied PSP research brief. The underlying LinkedIn export was not provided for independent verification. No external infrastructure statistics have been added.
Brand source
Public Sector People — existing website logo, colour variables and typography.
https://www.publicsectorpeople.com.au/
Follow us!
Job Sectors
All content copyrighted | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | T&Cs | Powered with 💙 by Shazamme