5 Booming Industries in Brisbane

With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, Brisbane is experiencing a significant period of growth. Major infrastructure investment, population growth and an increasing global profile are helping shape Brisbane’s job market, creating opportunities across a range of sectors. 

Brisbane’s economy recently exceeded $200 billion and employment has grown by 274,000 since 2020. With the city’s economy on track to reach $275 billion by 2041, there are plenty of reasons to keep an eye on the sectors shaping its future. 

The top industries in Brisbane include construction and infrastructure, tourism, transport and logistics, professional and business services, and healthcare. While the upcoming Olympic Games are creating additional opportunities, all industries are supported by long-term drivers that will continue well beyond 2032. 

In this guide, we explore the booming industries in Brisbane and what’s driving their growth. For professionals planning their next career move, understanding these trends can help identify where their experience may be transferable and which skills could support their future goals.

Construction and Infrastructure

Brisbane 2032 is driving major investment in sporting venues, transport connections and supporting infrastructure. Under the Queensland Government’s 2032 Delivery Plan, the government has committed $7.1 billion to the venues program. 

The centrepiece is the new 63,000-seat Brisbane Stadium at Victoria Park, alongside a new National Aquatic Centre in the same precinct. In total, the Games program includes around $11.2 billion of construction across 19 projects, with half of them in Brisbane. 

However, the Olympics are only part of the story. Choose Brisbane describes construction as one of the driving forces behind Brisbane’s growth, with the sector predicted to grow 41% by 2031. Strong population growth is driving demand for housing, while high office occupancy is supporting a strong commercial property market. 

Delivering programs of this scale requires more than skilled trades. It creates demand for project managers, procurement specialists, property developers and leaders who can manage complex infrastructure programs on time and on budget.

Tourism

The Olympics will put Brisbane in front of a global audience, but the city’s visitor economy is already strong. In 2025, visitors spent a record $17 billion in Brisbane, with international visitor spending rising almost 15% to $3.6 billion. Hospitality has also grown 30% since 2020, the fastest of any Australian capital. 

Brisbane’s diverse visitor economy is fuelled by both leisure and business tourism. Brisbane’s world-class venues host business conferences and major events, including NRL Magic Round, Brisbane Festival and the 2027 Rugby World Cup. 

Looking ahead, Choose Brisbane identifies an opportunity for the visitor economy to generate an additional $6.5 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2031. As visitor numbers grow, so will demand for new attractions, accommodation, dining and cultural experiences. Professionals who combine industry knowledge with strategic and commercial skills can find opportunities in business development, tourism strategy, hotel management, event operations and destination marketing.

Transport and Logistics

Brisbane’s airport, port and freight networks play a central role in moving goods and connecting businesses with domestic and international markets. The Port of Brisbane is Australia’s largest capital city port, with its wider supply chain supporting almost 63,000 jobs. Brisbane Airport connects to 374 airfreight destinations and is undergoing a $5 billion expansion. Road infrastructure is also being upgraded, with improvements planned for the Pacific Motorway, a major highway and national freight route, to help improve traffic flow and supply chain efficiency. 

The upcoming Olympics is adding to this momentum. Major projects such as Cross River Rail, along with faster rail to the Gold Coast and a direct Sunshine Coast rail line, will better connect venues and growing communities across South East Queensland. 

With transport and logistics forecast to grow 43% over the next decade, the sector needs leaders who can manage complex supply chains, optimise operations and make data-driven decisions. These skills open doors to leadership roles across supply chain, operations, procurement and infrastructure. For entrepreneurs, growing demand for freight, warehousing and specialist logistics services also creates opportunities to build or scale a business.

Professional and Business Services

As Brisbane’s economy grows, so does demand for the expertise that keeps businesses running and expanding. Brisbane’s professional and business services sector is recording the highest growth of any major Australian city, and eight of the ten fastest-growing roles in inner Brisbane are in professional and business services. 

The city has particular strengths in specialist fields. Brisbane has double the share of employees in engineering design and consulting compared with Sydney and Melbourne, and a higher share in legal services than any other capital city. Finance and insurance jobs have also grown at twice the average rate of major capital cities over the past five years. 

Professionals who can combine specialist expertise with strategic thinking, financial acumen and leadership will be well placed to move into senior roles in consulting, finance, commercial strategy and business development.

Healthcare

Healthcare is one of Brisbane’s most established industries. The sector contributed $22 billion to Brisbane’s economy in 2024, and is growing by 6% a year, the fastest of any Australian capital. 

Alongside its hospitals and health services, Brisbane has a growing reputation for medical research and health technology. The city’s research institutes and health precincts are attracting investment and partnerships, turning breakthroughs into new products and services. 

Not every opportunity in healthcare is clinical. As the sector grows, it relies on people who understand both health and business, including managing services, improving how care is delivered, adopting new health technologies and turning research into commercial outcomes. For ambitious professionals, it offers many long-term opportunities in some of Brisbane’s largest and most complex organisations.

Understanding Brisbane’s fastest-growing industries can help you make informed decisions about your career. Whether you want to progress in your current industry or explore a new direction, strengthening your business and leadership skills can be a useful next step. The AIB MBA offers practical learning you can apply to your professional goals. 

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