Discover industries – Accommodation and Food Services

This industry provides good entry-level jobs across Australia with options to train and grow into senior roles. Part-time employment is also common, making it an attractive option for people with other responsibilities.

A bartender in a white shirt and blue apron, hanging wine glasses

Featured industry

This is a large industry in Australia with many part-time employment opportunities.

View top 10 occupations in this industry

About Accommodation and Food Services 

Accommodation and Food Services is a large industry with many entry-level jobs. The industry includes: 

  • short-term accommodation providers 

  • cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services 

  • pubs, taverns, bars and clubs 

  • clubs providing hospitality services to members. 

On-the-job training is common, and many workers do not have post-school qualifications. A quarter of workers have a vocational education and training (VET) qualification.

Part-time work is common, making it an attractive option for people who want to combine work and study. 

Source: Labour Market Insights, Jan 2024

Workforce share in Australia

Percentage of workers who have their main job in this industry. 

6.8 %
Employed in Australia

The number of people this industry employs in Australia. 

944,967
Industry growth in Australia

This is the projected amount this industry will grow by in Australia over the next 5 years. 

6.3 %

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), Employment Projections, May 2023.


Talk to one of our specialists

Access free one-on-one personalised support with a career specialist. At any career stage you can talk with a specialist from Careers NSW about your goals and how you can achieve them.

Find out more

A woman holding a mobile phone.

Current and future employment in Australia

See how Australia's Accommodation and Food Services industry is projected to grow by 12.5% over a 10-year period compared to an average Australian industry growth rate of 14.2%.


Largest employing occupations

This table shows the top-10 occupations in Accommodation and Food Services by employment numbers. 

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, 2021


Featured industries

Image

A woman in a white lab coat, looking through a microscope

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

This industry covers activities like legal and accounting services, veterinary services and computer system design. These roles often support other industries.

Image

A woman reads a book to a boy in a school library

Education and Training

This industry covers teaching and tutoring in schools and universities. Most of these jobs need a degree, but teacher's aides do not.

Image

NSW police conducting random breath tests

Public Administration and Safety

This industry includes federal, state and local administration, the defence force and services like the police.


Top of page