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Job market report

Bendigo job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in Bendigo, Victoria, from Jobs and Skills Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Every figure is numbered and sourced.

Latest data
JSA September 2026; ABS 2023 to 2025 and the 2021 Census
Updated
24 October 2026
Area
ABS SA4 202 Bendigo
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in Bendigo were up 6.8% on a year earlier, from 850 to 908 a month in the three months to September 2026.

    Over the same year, ads were up 0.1% across Victoria and up 0.6% across Australia.[1][2]

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. Medical practitioners and nurses had the most online ads, 102 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by carers and aides (95) and general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (60).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 75.0%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, financial and insurance services grew fastest, with 49% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by education and training (48% more).

    Public administration and safety had 24% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 4.1% of the labour force in Bendigo was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.0% across Victoria.

    It was 6.0% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 58.0%, against 62.4% across Victoria. The Census runs every five years, so these are not current rates.[3]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation →

1 Job ads and demand

Jobs and Skills Australia's Internet Vacancy Index is a monthly count of online job ads, compiled from SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia. Regional figures are three-month averages. It is not a count of ViewJobs' own ads.

Bendigo
+6.8%
908 ads a month[1]
Victoria
+0.1%
the sum of its areas[1][2]
Australia
+0.6%
the sum of every area[1][2]

Change in online job ads, the three months to September 2026 against a year earlier.

Figure 1.1: Online job ads a month, BendigoThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
6008001k1.2kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026BendigoBendigo, Sep 2026: 908908

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Bendigo
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,193
November 20231,097
December 20231,016
January 2024975
February 2024975
March 20241,022
April 2024954
May 2024957
June 2024934
July 2024891
August 2024850
September 2024845
October 2024899
November 2024891
December 2024797
January 2025768
February 2025756
March 2025821
April 2025783
May 2025800
June 2025784
July 2025822
August 2025816
September 2025850
October 2025842
November 2025813
December 2025749
January 2026754
February 2026797
March 2026872
April 2026870
May 2026876
June 2026873
July 2026911
August 2026896
September 2026908

2 Which jobs are in demand

Online job ads by occupation group (ANZSCO sub-major groups), the three months to September 2026 against a year earlier.

Figure 2.1: Change in online job ads by occupation, BendigoThe 12 occupation groups with the most ads, fastest-rising first. Groups with fewer than 5 ads a month now or a year earlier are left out; the table lists all 48.
Sales assistants and salespersons: +35.9%Sales assistants and salespersons+35.9%Health and welfare support workers: +26.1%Health and welfare support workers+26.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +19.6%Legal, social and welfare professionals+19.6%Automotive and engineering trades: +16.1%Automotive and engineering trades+16.1%Food trades: +13.0%Food trades+13.0%Drivers and storepersons: +8.7%Drivers and storepersons+8.7%Medical practitioners and nurses: +7.4%Medical practitioners and nurses+7.4%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +6.7%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+6.7%Carers and aides: 0.0%Carers and aides0.0%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −1.6%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−1.6%Hospitality, retail and service managers: −3.6%Hospitality, retail and service managers−3.6%Other labourers: −13.0%Other labourers−13.0%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Bendigo
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Medical practitioners and nurses10295+7.4%
Carers and aides95950.0%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists6061−1.6%
Legal, social and welfare professionals5546+19.6%
Sales assistants and salespersons5339+35.9%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals4845+6.7%
Automotive and engineering trades3631+16.1%
Health and welfare support workers2923+26.1%
Hospitality, retail and service managers2728−3.6%
Food trades2623+13.0%
Drivers and storepersons2523+8.7%
Other labourers2023−13.0%
Construction, production and distribution managers1915+26.7%
Business, finance and human resource professionals1922−13.6%
Corporate managers1817+5.9%
Cleaners and laundry workers1815+20.0%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians1711+54.5%
Engineers148+75.0%
Other clerical and administrative workers14140.0%
Machine and stationary plant operators1411+27.3%
Numerical clerks1314−7.1%
Sales representatives and agents1311+18.2%
Education professionals1217−29.4%
Mobile plant operators127+71.4%
Construction trades11110.0%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries1114−21.4%
Hospitality workers10100.0%
Health, education, ICT and other managers98+12.5%
Science professionals and veterinarians990.0%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades880.0%
Sports, travel and personal service workers812−33.3%
Factory process workers880.0%
Farm, forestry and garden workers87+14.3%
Information professionals710−30.0%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers76+16.7%
Food preparation assistants75+40.0%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals65+20.0%
Construction and mining labourers660.0%
Arts and media professionals56−16.7%
ICT professionals57−28.6%
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Transport and design professionals, and architectsfewer than 55n/a
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood tradesfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Jewellers, arts and other trades workersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Protective service workersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Chief executives, managing directors & legislatorsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Sales support workersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Clerical and office support workers, couriersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation

Unemployment and labour force participation at each Census, from the ABS. These are the rates at the Census named, not current rates.

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, BendigoShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against Victoria.
  • Bendigo
  • Victoria
4%5%6%7%201120162021BendigoBendigo, 2011: 5.0%Bendigo, 2016: 6.0%Bendigo, 2021: 4.1%4.1%VictoriaVictoria, 2011: 5.4%Victoria, 2016: 6.6%Victoria, 2021: 5.0%5.0%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Unemployment rate, Bendigo
CensusBendigoVictoria
2011 Census5.0%5.4%
2016 Census6.0%6.6%
2021 Census4.1%5.0%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, BendigoShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against Victoria.
  • Bendigo
  • Victoria
56%58%60%62%64%201120162021BendigoBendigo, 2011: 58.5%Bendigo, 2016: 56.7%Bendigo, 2021: 58.0%58.0%VictoriaVictoria, 2011: 61.4%Victoria, 2016: 60.5%Victoria, 2021: 62.4%62.4%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Labour force participation, Bendigo
CensusBendigoVictoria
2011 Census58.5%61.4%
2016 Census56.7%60.5%
2021 Census58.0%62.4%

Note: This report takes unemployment from the Census. The ABS's monthly Labour Force estimates by region are not included yet.

4 Industries growing and shrinking

Employee jobs by industry (ANZSIC division) in the year to 30 June, from the ABS. Change is measured from 2019: the ABS figures for 2018 and 2019 differ sharply for some industries in some areas. Shrinking means fewer employee jobs in the ABS count.

Figure 4.1: Change in employee jobs by industry, Bendigo, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Financial and insurance services: +48.7%Financial and insurance services+48.7%Education and training: +47.7%Education and training+47.7%Accommodation and food services: +33.3%Accommodation and food services+33.3%Professional, scientific and technical services: +31.8%Professional, scientific and technical services+31.8%Health care and social assistance: +30.4%Health care and social assistance+30.4%Wholesale trade: +30.1%Wholesale trade+30.1%Other services: +27.1%Other services+27.1%Arts and recreation services: +26.9%Arts and recreation services+26.9%Retail trade: +22.9%Retail trade+22.9%Electricity, gas, water and waste services: +20.1%Electricity, gas, water and waste services+20.1%Construction: +19.3%Construction+19.3%Manufacturing: +14.0%Manufacturing+14.0%Rental, hiring and real estate services: +11.9%Rental, hiring and real estate services+11.9%Agriculture, forestry and fishing: +11.6%Agriculture, forestry and fishing+11.6%Mining: +10.0%Mining+10.0%Administrative and support services: +5.5%Administrative and support services+5.5%Information media and telecommunications: +5.2%Information media and telecommunications+5.2%Transport, postal and warehousing: +2.6%Transport, postal and warehousing+2.6%Public administration and safety: −23.5%Public administration and safety−23.5%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Bendigo, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance16,47421,480+30.4%
Retail trade10,69913,151+22.9%
Education and training7,88511,648+47.7%
Accommodation and food services8,30911,072+33.3%
Manufacturing8,6479,860+14.0%
Administrative and support services8,1638,609+5.5%
Public administration and safety10,8958,331−23.5%
Construction6,6537,938+19.3%
Financial and insurance services4,5206,720+48.7%
Professional, scientific and technical services4,4145,816+31.8%
Other services2,9293,722+27.1%
Transport, postal and warehousing3,3913,478+2.6%
Wholesale trade2,5573,327+30.1%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing2,6412,948+11.6%
Arts and recreation services2,1702,754+26.9%
Mining1,4861,634+10.0%
Rental, hiring and real estate services1,3191,476+11.9%
Information media and telecommunications1,3571,427+5.2%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services9491,140+20.1%
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Bendigo, 2023127,478 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 21,480Health care and social assistance21,480Retail trade: 13,151Retail trade13,151Education and training: 11,648Education and training11,648Accommodation and food services: 11,072Accommodation and food services11,072Manufacturing: 9,860Manufacturing9,860Administrative and support services: 8,609Administrative and support services8,609Public administration and safety: 8,331Public administration and safety8,331Construction: 7,938Construction7,938

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Bendigo, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance21,48017%
Retail trade13,15110%
Education and training11,6489%
Accommodation and food services11,0729%
Manufacturing9,8608%
Administrative and support services8,6097%
Public administration and safety8,3317%
Construction7,9386%
Financial and insurance services6,7205%
Professional, scientific and technical services5,8165%
Other services3,7223%
Transport, postal and warehousing3,4783%
Wholesale trade3,3273%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing2,9482%
Arts and recreation services2,7542%
Mining1,6341%
Rental, hiring and real estate services1,4761%
Information media and telecommunications1,4271%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,1401%
All industries127,478100%

5 Pay

Employee income per person with wage or salary income, before tax, including part-time and part-year workers, from the ABS. The median is the middle earner; the mean (average) is pulled up by high earners.

Figure 5.1: Median employee income, BendigoIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against Victoria and Australia.
  • Bendigo
  • Victoria
  • Australia
$45k$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023BendigoBendigo, 2019: $49,000Bendigo, 2020: $50,999Bendigo, 2021: $53,189Bendigo, 2022: $54,171Bendigo, 2023: $57,431$57,431VictoriaVictoria, 2019: $51,487Victoria, 2020: $53,010Victoria, 2021: $55,526Victoria, 2022: $57,653Victoria, 2023: $61,397$61,397AustraliaAustralia, 2019: $52,256Australia, 2020: $53,878Australia, 2021: $56,485Australia, 2022: $58,260Australia, 2023: $61,966$61,966

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Median employee income, Bendigo
YearBendigoVictoriaAustralia
2019$49,000$51,487$52,256
2020$50,999$53,010$53,878
2021$53,189$55,526$56,485
2022$54,171$57,653$58,260
2023$57,431$61,397$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, BendigoIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against Victoria and Australia.
  • Bendigo
  • Victoria
  • Australia
$55k$60k$65k$70k$75k20192020202120222023BendigoBendigo, 2019: $55,645Bendigo, 2020: $58,329Bendigo, 2021: $60,903Bendigo, 2022: $62,458Bendigo, 2023: $65,851$65,851VictoriaVictoria, 2019: $62,207Victoria, 2020: $64,331Victoria, 2021: $67,299Victoria, 2022: $70,089Victoria, 2023: $73,591$73,591AustraliaAustralia, 2019: $63,517Australia, 2020: $65,591Australia, 2021: $68,452Australia, 2022: $70,950Australia, 2023: $74,579$74,579

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Mean employee income, Bendigo
YearBendigoVictoriaAustralia
2019$55,645$62,207$63,517
2020$58,329$64,331$65,591
2021$60,903$67,299$68,452
2022$62,458$70,089$70,950
2023$65,851$73,591$74,579

6 People

Estimated resident population and the working-age population (15 to 64), from the ABS.

People living in the area
173,769
ABS, 2025 · up 5.1% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
103,671
ABS, 2024 · up 2.4% since 2020[3]

Victoria's population was up 6.9% from 2020 to 2025, and Bendigo's up 5.1%.[3]

7 Businesses

Counts of businesses by how many people they employ, from the ABS.

Businesses in the area
14,027
ABS, 2025 · up 11.1% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Bendigo, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 8,748No employees8,7481–4 employees: 3,4911–4 employees3,4915–19 employees: 1,4285–19 employees1,42820 or more employees: 36020 or more employees360

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Bendigo, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees7,2358,748+20.9%
1–4 employees3,7833,491−7.7%
5–19 employees1,3151,428+8.6%
20 or more employees298360+20.8%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in Bendigo Loddon, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in this ABS area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in Bendigo Loddon
338
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Bendigo LoddonThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 108Healthcare & Medical108Retail & Consumer Products: 46Retail & Consumer Products46Community Services & Development: 27Community Services & Development27Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 25Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics25Education & Training: 18Education & Training18Hospitality & Tourism: 13Hospitality & Tourism13Sport & Recreation: 12Sport & Recreation12Administration & Office Support: 11Administration & Office Support11

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Bendigo Loddon
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical108
Retail & Consumer Products46
Community Services & Development27
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics25
Education & Training18
Hospitality & Tourism13
Sport & Recreation12
Administration & Office Support11

Browse jobs by region

9 Quick answers

Short answers to the questions people ask about Bendigo's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in Bendigo?

908 online job ads a month were placed in Bendigo, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is Bendigo's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in Bendigo were up 6.8% on a year earlier, from 850 to 908 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were up 0.1% across Victoria and up 0.6% across Australia.

Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia[1]; ViewJobs analysis[2].

Which jobs are most in demand in Bendigo?

Medical practitioners and nurses had the most online ads, 102 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by carers and aides (95) and general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (60). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 75.0%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in Bendigo?

4.1% of the labour force in Bendigo was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.0% across Victoria. It was 6.0% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 58.0%, against 62.4% across Victoria. The Census runs every five years, so these are not current rates.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

What is the average wage in Bendigo?

Average (mean) employee income in Bendigo was $65,851 in 2023; the median was $57,431, against $61,397 across Victoria and $61,966 across Australia.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries employ the most people in Bendigo?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in Bendigo: 21,480 in 2023, 17% of the 127,478 employee jobs. Next were retail trade (13,151) and education and training (11,648).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in Bendigo?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, financial and insurance services grew fastest, with 49% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by education and training (48% more). Public administration and safety had 24% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is Bendigo's population growing?

173,769 people lived in Bendigo in 2025, up 5.1% since 2020. Victoria's population was up 6.9% over the same years. The working-age population was 103,671 in 2024, up 2.4% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in Bendigo?

At least 338 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Bendigo, as of 25 Oct 2026. They are the ads in Bendigo Loddon, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in the area. The most advertised are Healthcare & Medical (108), Retail & Consumer Products (46) and Community Services & Development (27).

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

10 Notes and method

What the figures count, where they come from, and the rules this report applies to them.

The area
Bendigo here is ABS SA4 202 Bendigo. The reports cover 50 areas, 42 regional ABS regions and the eight capital cities: the areas Jobs and Skills Australia publishes online job ads for.
Online job ads
Jobs and Skills Australia's Internet Vacancy Index is a monthly count of online job ads, compiled from SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia. Regional figures are three-month averages. It is not a count of ViewJobs' own ads. It counts ads, not jobs filled, by occupation and area.
State and national ads
This report reads the index's series by area, so a state or national figure here is the sum of its areas, marked as ViewJobs analysis. It can differ from the state and national totals Jobs and Skills Australia publishes separately.[2]
Small numbers
A figure under 5 ads a month is shown as "fewer than 5". A group with fewer than 5 ads a month, now or a year earlier, is left out of every change, and every ranking by change.
ABS figures
The latest ABS income and jobs figures here are for the year to 30 June 2023; population and business counts are more recent. Every figure shows its year. Change is measured from 2019: the ABS figures for 2018 and 2019 differ sharply for some industries in some areas. Industries with fewer than 1,000 employee jobs are listed but not ranked.
Unemployment
This report takes unemployment from the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses: each figure is the rate at the Census named, not a current rate. The ABS's monthly Labour Force estimates by region are not included yet.
Jobs on ViewJobs
ViewJobs regions do not follow ABS boundaries. Section 8 counts the ads open on ViewJobs on 25 Oct 2026 in each ViewJobs region with at least 20% of its towns in this area, and counts each region whole: a region that reaches beyond the area can include ads from outside it, and a region with fewer of its towns here is left out. A classification links to its own page once it has enough ads for one.

11 References

Every figure on this page points at one of these entries.

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, September 2026. jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-10/internet_vacancies_anzsco2_occupations_gccsa_and_sa4_regions_-_september_2026.xlsx. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 24 October 2026.
  2. ViewJobs, ViewJobs analysis of the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index, September 2026. jobsandskills.gov.au/data/internet-vacancy-index. State and national figures are the sum of the ABS areas in Jobs and Skills Australia's regional series.
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Data by Region, v1.6.0. dbr.abs.gov.au. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 24 October 2026.
  4. ViewJobs, Live job ads on ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026. preview.viewjobs.com.au.

Cite this report

ViewJobs (2026). Bendigo job market report, data to September 2026. https://preview.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/vic/bendigo

Licence

Contains data from Jobs and Skills Australia, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, used under CC BY 4.0. ViewJobs has charted the data and, where marked as ViewJobs analysis, added areas together.

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