Melbourneruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Health, biotech & medical research
CSL, WEHI, Peter MacCallum, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The Parkville precinct packs hospitals, universities and research institutes into a few blocks and is the largest biomedical cluster in the southern hemisphere. CSL's global HQ is here.
Banking, superannuation & funds
ANZ, NAB, AustralianSuper, Cbus, IFM Investors
Sydney owns investment banking, but Melbourne owns superannuation — the country's largest industry funds are headquartered here and manage enormous pools of capital.
Technology & marketplaces
REA Group, SEEK, Culture Amp, MYOB, Zendesk (APAC)
Melbourne's tech scene is built on marketplaces and enterprise SaaS rather than consumer apps, concentrated around Cremorne and Richmond.
Higher education & international students
University of Melbourne, Monash, RMIT, Deakin, La Trobe
Education is Victoria's biggest services export. Monash and Melbourne are both large employers and dominate the research funding landscape.
Advanced manufacturing & defence
Boeing Aerostructures, Thales Australia, Hanwha Defence Australia, Bombardier
Car assembly ended in 2017 and the supply chain pivoted into aerospace, rail and armoured vehicles, largely in the south-east around Dandenong and Fishermans Bend.
Events, arts & sport
Australian Open, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, AFL, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Fringe
Victoria buys and hosts major events deliberately as economic policy, which sustains a large professional layer in production, hospitality and venue management.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.