Role Snapshot

ANZSCO Code: 261312 — Software Developer
Role Variants: Software Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Backend Developer, Frontend Developer, Mobile Developer, DevOps Engineer, Platform Engineer
Parent Category: AU Information Technology Roles
Skill Level: 1
Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL): Yes — eligible for TSS 482 visa with an employer sponsor
Skills Assessment Body: Australian Computer Society (ACS)

🇳🇿Also available for New ZealandSoftware Developer Roles in New ZealandNZQA · Green List Tier 1→

Software Developers are among the most in-demand skilled workers in Australia. The technology sector spans fintech, e-commerce, health tech, education technology, mining tech, and government digital services — with major players including Atlassian, Canva, REA Group, and a significant presence of global tech companies (AWS, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, ServiceNow) with Australian engineering hubs. The AU tech market is larger than NZ’s and generally pays more, though Sydney and Melbourne cost-of-living are significantly higher.

• Full stack and backend product development (web, API, microservices)
• Cloud-native development and infrastructure as code (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Agile/Scrum product delivery within cross-functional teams
• Mobile application development (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter)
• DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment automation
• Data engineering and ML-adjacent backend work
• Platform and developer tooling roles (particularly in larger tech companies)

Typical employers: Atlassian, Canva, REA Group, Afterpay/Block, SafetyCulture, Cochlear, MYOB; Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, NAB (large financial services engineering teams); Telstra, Optus; AWS, Google AU, Microsoft AU, Salesforce, ServiceNow; Deloitte Digital, Accenture, ThoughtWorks; hundreds of funded startups across Sydney and Melbourne.

Salary Benchmark

Typical Range: $90,000 – $190,000+ AUD per year, depending on experience, employer, tech stack, and city.

• Graduate / early career (0–3 years): $80,000–$100,000
• Mid-career (4–9 years): $110,000–$155,000
• Senior / staff / principal engineer: $160,000–$190,000+

Source: SEEK AU — Software Developer Salary | Hays Salary Guide AU 2026 | Data reviewed May 2026

Product vs agency: Product company roles (fintech, SaaS, tech-native) typically pay 15–25% more than agency or consulting roles at equivalent experience. If your background is consulting, present it as delivery experience on large-scale production systems — AU product companies hire from consulting backgrounds when the complexity is demonstrated.

Cost of living: Sydney and Melbourne have significantly higher living costs than NZ or Brisbane. For an independent comparison, see Numbeo — Australia. TEFI provides clients with a detailed financial planning workbook to model living costs by city and lifestyle — ask Tate for a copy.

Where Demand Is Strongest

Software development demand in Australia is concentrated in the major cities, with distinct flavours by location:

• Sydney (NSW) — Australia’s largest tech market. Strong in fintech, e-commerce, and the Australian offices of global tech companies. Home to Atlassian’s HQ. Competitive market; expects strong fundamentals and portfolio evidence.
• Melbourne (VIC) — Second-largest market. Strong startup culture, gaming (Melbourne is a significant games development hub), health tech, and retail tech. Canva’s engineering teams are Sydney-primary but Melbourne presence growing.
• Brisbane (QLD) — Fast-growing. Olympics 2032 infrastructure tech, state government digital services, and a more affordable cost base attracting talent and employers from Sydney/Melbourne. RPEQ not relevant for software roles.
• Perth (WA) — Smaller market but growing. Mining technology and IoT for resources sector creates niche demand for developers with embedded/IoT or data pipeline experience. Lower competition than east coast.
• Adelaide (SA) — Defence tech (submarine programme) and government digital services. Lower cost of living. Less competition for roles than Sydney or Melbourne.

Licensing & Professional Registration

Mandatory licence: None. There is no government licence required to work as a Software Developer in Australia. However, an ACS skills assessment is mandatory for most skilled migration visas.

ACS Skills Assessment:

• Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the designated assessing body for ICT occupations including ANZSCO 261312. The assessment determines whether your qualifications and experience are comparable to an Australian ICT degree plus relevant work experience.
• Allow 6–12 weeks for assessment. Apply well before your intended visa application date.
• If your degree is not in Computer Science or a closely related field, ACS may assess you under the Prior Learning or RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) pathway — this requires more detailed evidence of experience.
• ACS membership (MACS or FACS) is not mandatory but is valued by employers in government and defence-sector roles.

Professional recognition (optional but valued): ACS membership signals commitment to professional practice. For senior and lead roles, particularly at larger companies, it can differentiate candidates from international backgrounds.

Immigration Pathway

Skills assessment required: Yes — ACS is the designated assessing body for ANZSCO 261312. Complete this before applying for any skilled migration visa.

Visa options:

• Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa — Subclass 482 (Medium-Term Stream) — Requires an Australian employer sponsor. Software Developer is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Duration: up to 4 years. Pathway to employer-sponsored PR.
  Home Affairs — TSS Visa 482
• Skilled Independent Visa — Subclass 189 — Points-based, no employer sponsor or state nomination required. Permanent residence directly. Requires ACS skills assessment and EOI via SkillSelect.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Independent 189
• Skilled Nominated Visa — Subclass 190 — Requires state or territory nomination. Points-based. Permanent residence. Several states actively nominate ICT workers.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated 190
• Skilled Work Regional Visa — Subclass 491 — For regional Australia. 5-year temporary visa with pathway to PR (subclass 191). Lower points threshold; useful if you’re open to regional locations.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Work Regional 491

For most of our clients, securing a job offer first (and TSS 482 sponsorship) is the fastest path. The 189 is attractive for strong points scorers — ACS assessment plus several years of experience can reach or exceed the points threshold without state nomination.

Important: TEFI does not provide immigration advice. Australian visa eligibility depends on your individual qualifications, work history, points score, and current Department of Home Affairs policy, which changes regularly. We recommend working with a registered Australian migration agent for guidance specific to your situation. We refer clients to New Zealand Shores — contact Fabien Maisonneuve directly at Fabien@newzealandshores.com and mention Tate sent you.

Migrant Readiness Signals

Australian software employers look for candidates who demonstrate:

• ACS assessment underway or complete: Starting the ACS process before you arrive signals that you are serious about the AU market and removes a common employer objection about visa timeline uncertainty
• GitHub or portfolio with recent, meaningful work: AU tech employers expect to see your code. A GitHub profile with well-maintained, documented projects is table stakes at most companies, regardless of seniority. If your work is proprietary, write about it in detail on LinkedIn or a personal site
• Concrete scale and impact metrics: Australian hiring managers respond to specifics. Frame your experience in terms of users served, requests per second, system reliability, cost savings, or revenue impact — not just technologies used
• Cloud and DevOps fluency: AWS, Azure, or GCP experience is expected at mid-to-senior level. If your background is on-premise, make a plan to demonstrate cloud skills before applying for roles that require them
• Agile delivery experience: Almost all AU product and consulting environments are Agile. Describe your experience with sprint cycles, retrospectives, product backlogs, and cross-functional collaboration clearly on your CV and in interviews
• System design articulation: Senior roles require demonstrated ability to design scalable systems. Be prepared for whiteboard-style system design interviews at most Sydney and Melbourne tech companies

Where to Find Roles

• SEEK AU — search: “Software Developer” or “Software Engineer” by state; filter by salary range to calibrate the market before applying
• LinkedIn — follow Atlassian, Canva, REA Group, Afterpay, Commonwealth Bank Technology, Telstra Purple; connect with engineering managers and tech leads at target firms
• ACS Job Board — ICT-specific listings, often from employers actively seeking ACS-assessed candidates or those in the assessment process
• Indeed AU — broader net including SME, startup, and regional tech roles not always posted on SEEK
• Hays Australia and Michael Page — specialist tech recruiters with strong pipelines into banking, consulting, and enterprise tech

Direct to employer: Atlassian, Canva, REA Group, SafetyCulture, Afterpay, and the major banks all run open graduate and experienced-hire programmes. Most have careers pages worth bookmarking. Many senior roles are filled through LinkedIn referrals and direct DM outreach to engineering managers before a role is posted.

A note on cold applications: In Australia’s tech sector, referrals and recruiter relationships move faster than cold applications — particularly at the mid-to-senior level. If you are not sure how your background will read to an Australian employer, upload your CV for no-cost, practical feedback on how your background reads to AU employers — Tate typically responds within one business day.

“The biggest shift was learning how to present my overseas projects in a way that made sense to Australian hiring managers. Once I understood what they were looking for, the interviews got a lot easier.”