Austria Announces 64 Jobs in High Demand for Foreign Workers in 2026
- The Austrian government has published its official list of shortage occupations for 2026, covering roles across healthcare, engineering, and construction
- Nurses, physicians, train drivers, and electrical engineers are among the professions Austria says it cannot fill with local workers alone
- Foreign nationals who qualify in any of the 64 listed roles may be eligible for permanent immigration to Austria under the country's shortage occupation pathway
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The Austrian government has released its official list of 64 shortage occupations for 2026, identifying roles across healthcare, engineering, construction, and hospitality that the country lacks enough local workers to fill.
The list, published on the Austrian Migration portal, covers positions ranging from graduate nurses and physicians to train drivers, roofers, and restaurant chefs.
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Workers in these occupations may qualify for permanent immigration to Austria, making the announcement particularly relevant for skilled professionals abroad looking to relocate.
Healthcare and engineering top the list
The healthcare sector features prominently, with graduate nurses, physicians, nursing assistants at both levels one and two, and medical technology specialists all named as shortage professions.
Early childhood educators, including those specialising in inclusive education, also appear on the list for the first time.
Engineering roles make up a large share of the 64 occupations. The list includes electrical installers, mechanical engineers at graduate and technician levels, graduate engineers for data processing, specialists in power engineering technology, and project engineers, among others.
Austrian jobs in high demand in 2026
The full list of Austria-wide shortage occupations for 2026 is as follows:
1. Engineers for agricultural machinery.
2. Graduate nurses.
3. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineers) for power engineering technology.
4. Specialist power engineers.
5. Graduates in power engineering.
6. Train drivers.
7. Physicians.
8. Cost accountants.
9. Roofers.
10. Motor vehicle mechanics.
11. Special fitters.
12. Medical technology specialists.
13. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineers) for mechanical engineering.
14. Electrical installers, electrical fitters.
15. Ophthalmic opticians.
16. Pipe installers, pipe fitters.
17. Vehicle body and radiator sheet metal workers.
18. Black toppers.
19. Milling machinists.
20. Metal turners.
21. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineers) for data processing.
22. Varnishers.
23. Woodworking machine operators.
24. Welders, cutting torch operators.
25. Specialist technicians for mechanical engineering.
26. Building plumbers.
27. Special fitters (Schlosser).
28. Construction and furniture joiners.
29. Carpenters.
30. Engineers/technicians for rough mechanicals.
31. Construction joiners.
32. Special technicians for low voltage engineering and communication engineering.
33. Special graduate engineers.
34. Graduate engineers for data processing.
35. Building fitters, sheet metal fitters, construction fitters.
36. Graduate engineers for engineering physics, physicists.
37. Payroll accountants.
38. Electrical mechanics.
39. Coffee product makers and other food manufacturers.
40. Chimney sweepers.
41. Technicians with a higher education (engineer) for civil engineering.
42. Track layers.
43. Pavers.
44. Concrete fitters.
45. Special technicians in business administration.
46. Machine fitters.
47. Restaurant chefs.
48. Special technicians for civil engineering.
49. Graduate mechanical engineers.
50. Blacksmiths and carriage builders.
51. Graduates in weak-current and telecommunications engineering.
52. Civil engineering specialists.
53. Nursing assistants level 2.
54. Nursing assistants level 1.
55. Timber construction technicians.
56. Project engineers.
57. Sales engineers.
58. Service technicians.
59. Plastics technicians.
60. Early childhood educators – inclusive early childhood education.
61. Early childhood educators.
62. Shunting operators.
63. Train dispatchers.
64. Rolling stock inspectors.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Austria had listed its requirements for people seeking its visa.
Pathways to Austrian citizenship
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Austria had highlighted the pathways to acquiring its citizenship.
While several nations offer a broader range of pathways, including citizenship through marriage, long-term residency, or investment, Austria limits its options to two clearly defined categories.
The first route applies to children at birth.
Source: Legit.ng
