Workforce composition over time
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Between March 2024 and March 2025, the composition of the workforce shifted.
While the health, education and rest of the sector have each increased in total size, the workforce composition of that total has changed:
- The health sector increased from 41.70% to 42.37% of the total sector and has grown by 6.68%.
- The rest of the sector increased from 27.04% to 27.47% of the total, with a growth of 6.67%.
- The education sector decreased from 31.27% to 30.16% of the total sector with the smallest growth at 1.29%.
While these are small increases in percentage terms, the size of these workforces means that the increases result in large numbers of FTE, particularly in the health context. The increases in the health sector makes up 55.80% of the increase in the Queensland public sector, while 36.13% of the growth can be attributed to the rest of the sector and education 8.06% of the growth.
This continues a trend seen over the past five years.
| Sector type | Mar 2024 and % of total sector | Mar 2025 and % of total sector | Variance | % variance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education workforce | 80,669.08 | 31.27% | 81,706.71 | 30.16% | 1,037.63 | 1.29% |
| Health workforce | 107,583.58 | 41.70% | 114,766.48 | 42.37% | 7,182.90 | 6.68% |
| Rest of sector | 69,759.47 | 27.04% | 74,410.52 | 27.47% | 4,651.05 | 6.67% |
| Whole-of-sector | 258,012.13 | 270,883.71 | 12,871.58 | 4.99% | ||
Source: MOHRI March 2024 and March 2025.
| Sector type | Mar 2021 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education workforce | 79,032.47 | 79,444.35 | 80,155.42 | 80,669,08 | 81,706.71 |
| Health workforce | 94,806.68 | 99,482.68 | 101,037.23 | 107,583.58 | 114,766.48 |
| Rest of sector | 61,608.57 | 62,841,84 | 65,116.79 | 69,759.47 | 74,410.52 |
Source: MOHRI 2021–2025
Workforce size by agency
Following the general election on 26 October 2024 and the subsequent formation of a new government, machinery of government changes have altered the structure of the Queensland public sector.
Some departments have been renamed, one department has been abolished, one new department has been created and some functions have been moved from one agency to another. Details are provided by the Public Sector Commission.
These changes make it difficult to show agency workforce trend data.
| Agency(1) | Mar 2021 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2023 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Customer Services Open Data and Small and Family Business | 2,003.96 | ||||
| Department of Education | 74,970.06 | 75,219.69 | 75,821.99 | 76,228.04 | 77,340.24 |
| Department of Families Seniors Disability Services and Child Safety | 5,509.51 | ||||
| Department of Housing and Public Works | 4,104.02 | ||||
| Department of Justice | 4,534.67 | ||||
| Department of Local Government Water and Volunteers | 948.98 | ||||
| Department of Natural Resources and Mines Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development | 1,513.89 | ||||
| Department of Primary Industries | 2,462.43 | ||||
| Department of Sport Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games | 439.18 | ||||
| Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning | 1,804.72 | ||||
| Department of the Environment Tourism Science and Innovation | 3,042.30 | ||||
| Department of the Premier and Cabinet | 395.32 | 412.86 | 475.75 | 460.74 | 514.30 |
| Department of Trade Employment and Training | 537.23 | ||||
| Department of Transport and Main Roads | 7,338.20 | 7,414.92 | 7,672.64 | 9,668.72 | 8,101.85 |
| Department of Women Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism | 388.92 | ||||
| Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support | 2,379.10 | ||||
| Electoral Commission Queensland | 62.50 | 63.83 | 73.35 | 91.37 | 77.02 |
| Office of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management | 15.60 | 17.05 | 21.25 | 19.90 | 17.25 |
| Public Sector Commission | 64.36 | 82.73 | 92.98 | ||
| Public Trustee | 595.67 | 561.60 | 586.44 | 599.33 | 623.72 |
| Queensland Corrective Services | 5,919.83 | 6,467.65 | 6,608.94 | 7,129.74 | 8,104.23 |
| Queensland Fire Department | 4,150.87 | ||||
| Queensland Health | 94,806.68 | 99,482.68 | 101,032.28 | 107,577.58 | 114,757.48 |
| Queensland Police Service | 15,490.82 | 16,506.39 | 16,619.92 | 17,535.98 | 18,583.95 |
| Queensland Treasury | 1,092.28 | 1,153.10 | 1,307.66 | 1,413.66 | 1,853.05 |
| TAFE Queensland | 4,062.41 | 4,219.66 | 4,329.83 | 4,439.24 | 4,362.52 |
| Department of Agriculture and Fisheries | 2,000.46 | 2,040.05 | 2,091.22 | 2,148.74 | |
| Department of Child Safety Seniors and Disability Services | 5,342.36 | ||||
| Department of Children Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs | 4,809.85 | 5,094.49 | 5,298.20 | ||
| Department of Communities Housing and Digital Economy | 3,752.04 | 3,322.22 | 3,416.86 | ||
| Department of Employment Small Business and Training | 538.44 | 565.54 | 583.14 | 614.36 | |
| Department of Energy and Climate | 418.74 | ||||
| Department of Energy and Public Works | 1,558.93 | 2,069.98 | 2,190.34 | ||
| Department of Environment and Science | 2,684.52 | 2,724.64 | 2,924.38 | ||
| Department of Environment Science and Innovation | 2,913.74 | ||||
| Department of Housing Local Government Planning and Public Works | 3,735.04 | ||||
| Department of Justice and Attorney-General | 3,364.76 | 3,467.23 | 3,681.86 | 4,071.62 | |
| Department of Regional Development Manufacturing and Water | 550.54 | 555.97 | 635.65 | 709.86 | |
| Department of Resources | 1,480.24 | 1,358.65 | 1,380.14 | 1,466.43 | |
| Department of Seniors Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships | 1,909.66 | 1,818.24 | 1,808.30 | ||
| Department of State Development and Infrastructure | 1,710.38 | ||||
| Department of State Development Infrastructure Local Government and Planning | 879.42 | 914.77 | 1,011.44 | ||
| Department of Tourism and Sport | 440.37 | ||||
| Department of Tourism Innovation and Sport | 411.58 | 426.49 | 472.54 | ||
| Department of Treaty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Communities and the Arts | 710.90 | ||||
| Department of Youth Justice | 1,951.03 | ||||
| Public Safety Business Agency | 1,089.71 | ||||
| Public Service Commission | 59.70 | 63.00 | |||
| Queensland Audit Office | 187.58 | 192.08 | 185.22 | 197.86 | |
| Queensland Fire and Emergency Services | 3,374.83 | 3,607.42 | 3,766.69 | 3,954.82 | |
Sector sub-total: Budget paper 2 (BP2) agencies | 233,401.63 | 239,740.20 | 244,060.39 | 255,633.28 | 268,248.37 |
| Economic Development Queensland | 172.08 | ||||
| Legal Aid Queensland | 563.62 | 565.65 | 615.50 | 691.81 | 760.71 |
| Office of the Health Ombudsman | 120.77 | 118.51 | 129.50 | 138.12 | 153.50 |
| Office of the Queensland Integrity Commissioner | 15.50 | ||||
| Queensland Art Gallery | 290.74 | 266.17 | 316.33 | 320.80 | 277.11 |
| Queensland Family and Child Commission | 63.99 | 63.62 | 55.24 | 58.77 | 66.56 |
| Queensland Human Rights Commission | 42.28 | 44.10 | 60.34 | 60.46 | 57.44 |
| Queensland Museum | 250.37 | 266.83 | 278.16 | 274.24 | 278.65 |
| Resources Safety and Health Queensland | 308.06 | 315.84 | 341.43 | 355.78 | 359.83 |
| State Library of Queensland | 275.04 | 265.23 | 294.16 | 293.94 | 305.40 |
| Trade and Investment Queensland | 131.22 | 114.72 | 143.84 | 171.13 | 167.71 |
| Sector sub-total: Other entities | 2,046.09 | 2,020.67 | 2,234.50 | 2,365.05 | 2,614.49 |
| Norfolk Island Taskforce | 8.00 | 14.60 | 13.80 | 20.85 | |
| Sub-total | 8.00 | 14.60 | 13.80 | 20.85 | |
| Whole-of-sector total | 235,447.72 | 241,768.87 | 246,309.49 | 258,012.13 | 270,883.71 |