Our Economy

Two men wearing high-visibility clothing and hard hats stand amongst piles of a white rock with machinery in the background
Our resilient and diverse economy has opportunities for everyone

The Rockhampton Region’s economy is worth $6.3 billion, and includes a diverse range of industries and opportunities. Traditionally supported by the resources sector and agriculture, the region is now gaining a reputation for exciting projects spanning clean energy, defence, and tourism, and offers a range of career pathways to suit your interests and qualifications.

Key Industries

A large dump truck driving down a dirt road at at a mine site, with a pile of rocks in the background

Mining, Resources and Energy

The mining and resources industry supports approximately 11,000 jobs in the Rockhampton Region, and represents around a quarter of the local economic value. Rockhampton is just a few hours’ drive from Queensland’s coalfields, and is an important service hub for the industry, providing equipment hire and repairs while acting as a base for workers. The region also plays a significant role in keeping Queensland’s lights on and is home to the Stanwell Power Station as well as a growing number of solar and wind projects.

A man sits on a quad bike in a paddock, in front of his cattle herd

Agriculture

Rockhampton is known as the “Beef Capital of Australia” with almost 2.5 million head of cattle in the surrounding Fitzroy area. New water projects are creating exciting agricultural opportunities in horticulture, broadacre cropping and aquaculture, perfect for family-run farming businesses seeking a tree change.

Search for agriculture jobs in the Rockhampton Region with Ag Jobs Queensland.

A woman operates a cafe's coffee machine from behind a counter

Retail, Hospitality and Essential Services

Central Queensland is home to around 230,000 people, with Rockhampton at its heart. Our city offers stable employment in health care, social assistance, construction, hospitality, retail, the public service, and more.

An aerial shot shows a new residential development, with streets of houses recently completed

Construction

The secret of Rockhampton’s superb lifestyle and job opportunities is getting out, which means demand for new houses is on the rise. If you work in construction or associated trades like plumbing, electrical, excavation, bricklaying or carpentry, right now is an excellent time to use your trade to support the growth of the region.

A man wearing protective clothing and a welding mask is squatting on a piece of metal, using a welding torch to join several other strips of metal. Sparks are coming from the end of the welding torch

Manufacturing

We don’t wish to boast, but we’re pretty good at making things in Rockhampton. Across five industrial zones, more than 2,200 of our residents work in manufacturing—from food manufacturing to metal fabrication, transport and machinery manufacturing, furniture and more. The region offers comparatively affordable industrial land for new arrivals looking to build on those success stories.

A woman wearing scrubs and a face mask looks at a screen built into a dental chair, while picking up dental equipment. A patient reclines on the chair, also looking at the screen.

Health

Healthcare and social assistance is the largest employing industry in the region, sustaining more than 9,500 jobs. While most of those work in our hospitals, residential care and social assistance services are also major employment areas. Rockhampton serves as the hub for the CQ Health district and hosts a range of white-collar and administrative positions.

Two soldiers dressed in camoflagued clothing sit at a table inside an orange lid industrial building

Defence

Rockhampton and Central Queensland have strong ambitions to increase the region’s role in the lucrative defence industry. The region hosts a number of Australian and multi-national defence exercises this year with Rockhampton supporting local businesses to upskill and secure defence manufacturing contracts. The defence industry is also big business for our tourism and accommodation businesses as they enjoy time off in our beautiful region.

A row of high-rise hotels and motels along the Rockhampton Riverfront

Tourism and Accommodation

Thanks to the hard work of Explore Rockhampton and our local accommodation and tourism providers, the region is seeing an increase in visitors from across the country and even internationally. The Explore Rockhampton team is always on the lookout for exciting new experiences to share with tourists and with an average accommodation occupancy rate of around 80%, there is plenty of incentive for property developers to establish themselves in the region.

Back to top