business
Online Radio Growth Reshaping the Local Job and Talent Market
Cairns employers report rising demand for digital audio skills as listener numbers shift away from traditional broadcast.
How we reported this
The number of media and content-creation roles advertised in Cairns jumped 28 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, driven by new online radio operations seeking producers, sound engineers and social-media hosts.
National data on rising online-radio audiences reached regional centres this year, prompting local stations to expand digital output and compete for skilled workers who once headed south to Brisbane or Sydney studios. The change coincides with a national housing-market slowdown that has kept more graduates in Far North Queensland rather than relocating for work.
Local stations scaling up on Lake Street and at JCU
Two operations illustrate the shift. An online service broadcasting from a small studio above the Cairns Central shopping complex on Lake Street added four full-time positions in May, while James Cook University’s Smithfield campus launched a student-run digital station that now hires recent graduates on six-month contracts. Both sites cite listener growth in the 18-to-34 age bracket as the reason for hiring.
Cairns Chamber of Commerce recorded 47 media-related vacancies across member businesses in June, up from 31 in January. Several listings seek candidates able to run live streams and produce short-form clips for TikTok and Instagram, skills not routinely taught in older broadcast diplomas.
Pay rates and next steps for applicants
Entry-level digital producer salaries listed locally now average $68,000, $4,000 above the figure recorded in the chamber’s December 2025 survey. Applicants with basic podcast-editing experience are securing interviews within two weeks, according to recruitment notes shared with the chamber.
Workers seeking to enter the market should update portfolios with short audio samples and contact the JCU careers office before the August intake closes. Employers say the window for filling remaining 2026 roles will close by early September.