If you work in Queensland construction, you might have found the market a little harder to read this year.
There is plenty of work in the pipeline, and employers are still talking about skills shortages. Some roles remain incredibly difficult to fill. Yet salary increases have slowed, projects are taking longer to get started, and employers haven’t necessarily become any less particular about who they hire.
So, what’s going on?
The reality is that a few things are happening at once. Queensland’s construction pipeline remains strong, but getting projects across the line has been taking time. Builders are competing for skilled people, but they’re also keeping a close eye on costs. And while salary is still an important part of any career decision, we’re seeing more professionals think carefully about what a move will offer them beyond a pay rise.
If you’re considering your next step, it helps to understand what’s happening around you. Not because you need to rush into a new role, but because knowing where the opportunities are, and what employers are looking for, can help you make a better decision about your career.
Here are some of the key things we’ve noticed in the market this year, and what they could mean for you.
A strong pipeline doesn’t always mean projects are starting
Queensland has plenty of construction work in the pipeline, supported by population growth and long-term investment. On paper, there’s a lot to be positive about. But there’s a difference between a project being planned and a project actually getting underway, and that gap has been particularly noticeable this year.
Some projects have spent extended periods in planning or early contractor involvement, with some taking more than 12 months to progress towards construction. So, while there’s plenty of work being discussed, it hasn’t always translated into the number of project starts people might have expected.
What does that mean if you’re looking for your next opportunity?
It means it’s worth looking beyond a company’s list of upcoming projects. A business might have some exciting developments in the pipeline, but how far along are they? Are they likely to start soon, or are they still working through the early stages?
There’s nothing wrong with joining a business with future work ahead of it. In fact, it could be a great move. But it’s worth understanding what you’re walking into, particularly if you’re looking for a role that offers immediate project exposure or a particular type of experience.
The pipeline is a good indicator of what’s ahead, but it doesn’t tell you what’s happening right now.
Being in demand doesn’t automatically mean salaries keep rising
With employers continuing to struggle to find experienced people, you might expect salaries to keep climbing at the pace we’ve seen in previous years. That hasn’t been the case across the broader market.
Salary growth has moderated as builders balance the need to attract and retain the right people with rising costs, project risk and the pressure to deliver projects profitably. The significant increases seen during the more intense periods of the market were difficult to sustain indefinitely.
That doesn’t mean salaries aren’t competitive, or that there aren’t opportunities to improve your package. It simply means being in a role that’s difficult to fill doesn’t automatically guarantee a big increase. Your experience still matters. So does the level of responsibility you can take on and how independently you can do the job.
Take two Contract Administrators with similar years of experience. One might be managing complex packages, negotiating variations, dealing with contractual issues and confidently resolving commercial problems. The other might still rely on considerable support to work through those same challenges. Both may be good CAs, but they’re offering an employer different levels of capability.
The same applies to Project Engineers, Project Managers and Site Managers. Employers aren’t just paying for a job title or the number of years someone has been in the industry. They’re looking at what that person can take ownership of and what they’ll bring to the project.
So, if you’re thinking about asking for a salary increase or testing the market, it’s worth looking honestly at the experience you’ve built and the value you can demonstrate. Knowing your role is in demand is useful. Being able to explain why an employer should pay more for your particular experience is even better.
The type of builder you work for could make a difference
One area that’s been particularly active this year is Builder Developers, especially within Upper Tier 2. These businesses have continued to attract experienced professionals through strong project pipelines and competitive salary packages. In turn, traditional builders have found themselves competing for the same people, with many reporting that they’re losing staff to Builder Developers. If you’re considering a move, it’s worth paying attention to this part of the market.
Working for a Builder Developer may give you exposure to different types of projects, greater involvement in the development process or a different level of commercial responsibility. Depending on the business and the role, it may also provide a different salary opportunity.
Of course, that doesn’t mean moving to a Builder Developer is automatically the right decision. A traditional commercial builder could offer exactly the project experience, team environment or progression you’re looking for. The important thing is to understand what different businesses can offer you, rather than assuming every part of the market is moving in the same direction.
If you’re a CA hoping to move into Project Management for example, the right opportunity might be one that gives you greater involvement in project delivery and a genuine pathway into a PM role. The type of business that offers that opportunity may matter more than the name on the building site.
It’s not just about finding out who’s hiring. It’s about understanding where you could build the experience you want next.
Employers are still looking for the right experience
You’d think that when employers are struggling to find people, they’d be more willing to consider someone who doesn’t tick every box. Sometimes they are. But this year, we’ve continued to see businesses hold firm on their expectations, often preferring to wait for the person with the skills they need rather than compromise on experience.
There are understandable reasons for that. Hiring the wrong person can create real problems on a project, particularly when margins are tight and there’s little room for things to go wrong. Many hiring managers have also experienced periods of market volatility, including the GFC and COVID-19, and have seen how recruitment decisions made under pressure can turn out.
For candidates, this can make the job search frustrating. You might feel you’re capable of doing a role, but find yourself overlooked because your background doesn’t quite match what the employer has asked for. If that sounds familiar, take a closer look at how you’re presenting your experience.
A Site Manager who has worked on a $100 million project has useful experience to talk about, but the project value alone doesn’t tell an employer everything they need to know. How big was the team? What were the program pressures? What did you have responsibility for? How did you handle problems when things didn’t go to plan?
Likewise, a Project Engineer or CA needs to look beyond their list of duties. What have you been trusted to manage independently? What challenges have you worked through? What decisions have you contributed to?
You may have more relevant experience than you realise, but you need to help an employer see it. And if there are genuine gaps between your current experience and the role you want, it’s worth being realistic about those too. Sometimes the best next step is a role that helps you build the missing experience, rather than trying to jump straight into the position you’re ultimately aiming for.
Contract Administrators – Demand is strong, but the picture varies
If you’re a Contract Administrator, there’s a particularly interesting story in this year’s market. Construction People’s client survey data shows that Contract Administration has been the hardest role to fill across Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 for the third consecutive year. That’s a significant pattern, and it reinforces the ongoing demand for experienced CAs. But it doesn’t mean every level of experience is seeing the same salary growth or facing the same career challenges.
Graduate and Junior CAs have continued to see salary growth, while Intermediate CA salaries have been much more stable. Senior CA salary growth has also settled following the larger increases seen in previous years.
The Intermediate market is especially interesting. Employers value these professionals because they can often manage a considerable amount of work independently, without the salary expectations of a senior CA or the training needs of a junior.
But there’s another side to it. Many Intermediate CAs are keen to progress into Project Management, often within the next six to 24 months. If you’re at this stage, you may already be thinking about what you need to do to get there, and whether your current employer can offer that opportunity. This is where it’s worth looking beyond salary when weighing up a move.
A slightly higher CA package might be appealing now, but what if another role gives you more exposure to project management responsibilities, a stronger working relationship with a PM and a realistic pathway into the position you want next?
Equally, be careful not to take promises of progression at face value. Ask what the next step would involve, what experience you need to gain and whether there’s a realistic timeframe for getting there. A good career move should help you get closer to where you want to be, not simply leave you with a different job title and a slightly bigger pay packet.
Your next move doesn’t have to be all about money
Salary matters. There’s no point pretending otherwise. But it isn’t always the best reason to change jobs.
We’ve seen how much thought construction professionals are putting into the bigger picture when considering their next move. They’re asking about project quality, the people they’ll work with, the experience they’ll gain and whether there’s room to progress.
For a Project Engineer, that might mean moving onto a more complex project that helps build the skills needed to become a PM. For a CA, it might mean joining a business where the pathway into Project Management is clearer. For a Site Manager, it could mean working with a strong construction team on a project that offers a different level of challenge.
These opportunities don’t always come with the biggest immediate salary increase. That doesn’t mean they’re worth less.
If you’re already earning a competitive salary, it’s worth asking yourself what another position will actually change for you. Will it make the day-to-day work more satisfying? Will it help you develop? Will you be in a better position to take the next step in a year or two?
Sometimes the answer will be yes. Other times, the most valuable part of a move might be something that won’t show up on your payslip straight away.
There’s no single right answer, and salary should absolutely form part of the decision. Just make sure you’re considering what you’re gaining, and what you might be giving up, before deciding whether an offer is worth taking.
Don’t underestimate the manager you’ll be working for
The business itself matters, but so does the person you’ll be reporting to. A good manager can make a real difference to your working life. They can give you room to take responsibility, help you work through challenges, share their knowledge and support your development. They’re often a big reason people stay with a company, even when other opportunities come along.
A poor manager can have the opposite effect. You might enjoy the projects and get paid well, but if you’re constantly dealing with poor communication, a lack of support or unrealistic expectations, the job can become difficult to sustain. That’s why workplace culture and leadership are becoming such important parts of the career conversation.
So, it helps to look beyond the job title. Who will you report to? What are they like to work for? Will you learn from them? How do they develop their people? What happens when someone is ready for the next step? These questions can tell you a lot about whether a role is likely to be a good career move.
You won’t always get a complete picture during an interview of course. But the more you can learn before accepting an offer, the better placed you’ll be to decide whether the role is right for you.
Flexibility is becoming part of the bigger picture
Workplace flexibility has also changed.
For office-based professionals, flexible working arrangements have become more common in many organisations. As a result, working from home or having some flexibility around hours isn’t necessarily the deciding factor it once was. Candidates are increasingly looking at the whole role: the projects, the team, the manager, the culture and the opportunities for progression.
For site-based professionals, flexibility can be a different consideration. Foremen and Site Managers, in particular, are placing greater importance on flexibility around family commitments and personal responsibilities. Traditional expectations around fixed start and finish times can be harder to maintain as expectations around work and personal life continue to evolve.
If flexibility is important to you, it’s worth being clear about what you need and finding out how a potential employer approaches it. There’s a difference between a business saying it offers flexibility and having a manager who is genuinely willing to work through practical arrangements with you.
Ultimately, flexibility is one part of the decision. It works best when it’s considered alongside the other things that make a role worthwhile.
And what about the Olympics?
It’s hard to talk about Queensland construction without the Olympics coming into the conversation. The Games continue to underpin confidence in the state’s longer-term construction outlook, and there’s plenty of anticipation about the work still to come.
But when it comes to salaries, the much-discussed ‘Olympics effect’ remains largely theoretical.
The salary movements we’ve seen can’t simply be attributed to the Olympics. The market is being shaped by a much broader mix of factors, including project commencements, Builder Developer activity, skills shortages, project risk and competition for experienced professionals.
So, if you’re making decisions about your career now, be careful about basing them too heavily on what might happen when Olympic-related projects gather pace. It’s worth keeping the longer-term pipeline in mind, but the more useful questions are about the opportunities available today, the experience you’re building and what you want your next move to achieve.
So, looking towards 2027, what does all of this mean for you?
This year’s market shows Queensland has a strong pipeline, but projects can take time to get underway. Employers are struggling to find the right people, yet they’re still selective about who they hire. Salaries remain competitive, but increases have moderated. And while some parts of the market are creating stronger salary competition, the best opportunity for you will depend on your experience and what you want from your career.
So rather than trying to predict exactly what the market will do next, it may be more useful to take stock of where you are now. Are you building the experience you need? Are you getting enough responsibility? Is there a realistic next step where you are, or would another business give you better opportunities? Are you being paid fairly for the work you’re doing? And are you happy with the people and environment you spend your working week with?
You don’t necessarily need to make a move just because the market is offering opportunities. Equally, you don’t need to wait until you’re unhappy or frustrated before thinking about what’s next. Sometimes, a conversation with your manager about your development is enough to get things moving. Other times, it becomes clear that the opportunities you want simply aren’t available where you are.
Either way, understanding what matters to you, and what the market is looking for, puts you in a better position to make a decision when the right opportunity comes along.
That gives you something far more valuable than simply knowing whether salaries are going up or down. It gives you a clearer picture and puts you in a better position of where your career could go next.
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