Document variety of software program builders working in Australia
Adaca, one among Australia’s prime know-how providers corporations, with clients together with ANZ, Qantas and the UN, has revealed a brand new report “Devs in document demand”. The report exhibits that regardless of AI layoff fears, there at the moment are extra software program builders working in Australia than ever earlier than in line with the newest ABS labour power knowledge 2026. Software program improvement is more and more depending on expert employees born abroad, however it’s also one of many quickest rising occupations since 2015, and has grown, not shrunk, for the reason that emergence of AI.
Key findings from the report embody:
• There at the moment are 216,000 software program and purposes programmers working in Australia
• This quantity is up from 189k in 2025, and has tripled (+217%) since 2006
• Software program developer is the twenty fourth quickest rising occupation in Australia since 2015, out of 702 occupations tracked by the ABS
• There are between 19,000 and 25,000 individuals working in software program improvement in Australia with no type of larger training
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“For all of the doom and gloom surrounding AI layoffs, there may be unimaginable trigger for optimism,” mentioned Adaca founder, Lambros Photios. “We’re seeing devs displaced, not changed. They’re leaving large tech and discovering work wherever and in all places else. When mid-market corporations realise what they will obtain by hiring their first AI-powered dev group, each firm could have one. We’re within the golden age for Australian builders.”
The roles knowledge additionally exhibits a significant homegrown expertise hole and gender imbalance within the software program improvement sector. Just one in 5 devs is feminine, and virtually two thirds of builders (62%) have been born exterior Australia, up from 50% in 2006.
“The excessive ratio of builders born abroad means that the Australian software program improvement sector is prospering by migration, not training,” continued Photios. “Tech and software program expertise usually are not effectively taught right here in comparison with different international locations. A whole lot of companies sponsor expert abroad employees, or offshore their software program improvement wants overseas as a result of it’s too exhausting to seek out the correct expertise. The gender divide is disappointing. Software program improvement in Australia has at all times been a boy’s membership, and never a lot has modified in 20 years. However I’m hopeful. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see if AI reduces boundaries to entry and essentially modifications the workforce demographic.”
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