Mental Health Jobs in Melbourne: Your 2026 Career Guide
Discover the best mental health jobs in Melbourne for 2026, including salary ranges, employers to target, and how to land a role in Australia's second-largest mental health workforce.
You're a psychologist finishing your registrar program in Footscray, and you're wondering whether to stay in community health or move into private practice. Or you're a social worker who just moved to Brunswick and needs to find your first NDIS role. Or you're a counsellor in Frankston who wants to know which employers pay the best.
Melbourne has the second-largest mental health workforce in Australia, after Sydney. The city is home to major public health networks, a thriving NDIS market, and some of the country's most respected non-profits. But knowing where to look and who to apply to can make the difference between a job that drains you and one that builds your career.
Here's what you need to know about mental health jobs in Melbourne right now.
Where the Jobs Are: Melbourne's Key Employers
Melbourne's mental health sector is split across public, private, and community settings. Each offers different pay, conditions, and career trajectories.
Public Mental Health Networks
Victoria's public mental health services are organised into area mental health services (AMHS) through the state's health networks. The major employers include:
- Monash Health — covers the south-east, from Clayton to Pakenham. Big for psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists.
- Eastern Health — covers the eastern suburbs including Box Hill, Ringwood, and Wantirna. Known for strong allied health graduate programs.
- Austin Health — based in Heidelberg, with a large inpatient and community service.
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital — north-west Melbourne, including Parkville. Strong for psychiatry and clinical psychology.
- St Vincent's Mental Health — Fitzroy and inner-city services. Good for AOD and dual diagnosis roles.
Public roles are advertised through the Victorian government's Careers.Vic portal and individual health service websites. They typically offer salary packaging, generous leave, and defined career progression.
NDIS Providers in Melbourne
The NDIS has created significant demand for psychologists, occupational therapists, behaviour support practitioners, and allied health assistants across Melbourne. Key employers include:
- Lifeworks — large provider across Melbourne, known for OT and BSP roles
- Ability Action Australia — national provider with offices in Melbourne CBD, Dandenong, and Sunshine
- Better Rehab — growing quickly, with roles in the northern and western suburbs
- Independent practitioners — many OTs and psychologists work as sole traders under NDIS, especially in inner Melbourne
For NDIS Occupational Therapist roles, expect to work across the northern corridor (Epping, Craigieburn) and western growth areas (Werribee, Tarneit).
Community Health and Non-Profits
Melbourne has a dense network of community health services and non-profits that employ mental health professionals:
- headspace — centres across Melbourne including Dandenong, Glenroy, Sunshine, Werribee, and more. Working at headspace means seeing 12-25 year olds in a multidisciplinary team.
- Relationships Australia Victoria — offices in Melbourne CBD, Dandenong, Frankston, and Ballarat. Strong for counsellors and family therapists. Read our guide on working at Relationships Australia.
- EACH — large community health service covering the eastern and outer-eastern suburbs.
- cohealth — inner-city and northern suburbs, with strong AOD and mental health programs.
- Wellways — psychosocial support and recovery coaching across Melbourne.
Salaries for Mental Health Jobs in Melbourne
Melbourne salaries generally align with national averages, though public sector roles in Victoria are slightly higher than some other states due to enterprise agreements.
| Role | Entry-Level | Mid-Career | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychologist (general) | $75,000 | $95,000 | $115,000 |
| Clinical Psychologist | $85,000 | $110,000 | $135,000+ |
| Mental Health Nurse | $72,000 | $92,000 | $110,000 |
| Social Worker (AMHSW) | $70,000 | $88,000 | $105,000 |
| Occupational Therapist | $72,000 | $90,000 | $108,000 |
| Counsellor | $65,000 | $80,000 | $95,000 |
| Behaviour Support Practitioner | $75,000 | $95,000 | $115,000 |
| Peer Support Worker | $55,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
| Youth Worker | $58,000 | $72,000 | $85,000 |
For detailed breakdowns, see our comprehensive Mental Health Salary Guide Australia 2026.
How to Find Mental Health Jobs in Melbourne
1. Use the Right Job Boards
Beyond Seek and Indeed, mental health roles in Melbourne are often advertised on:
- Careers.Vic — all public mental health roles in Victoria
- EthicalJobs — popular for community health and non-profit roles
- AHPRA's job board — for registered health practitioner roles
- Our own directory — browse all roles on Supportive, which aggregates from multiple sources
2. Target Specific Suburbs and Corridors
Melbourne's mental health workforce distribution is uneven. The western and northern growth corridors have the highest demand but fewer practitioners. If you're willing to work in Werribee, Tarneit, Craigieburn, or Epping, you'll face less competition than in inner Melbourne.
3. Consider Agency and Locum Work
For mental health nurses and social workers, agency work in Melbourne is a viable option. Hospitals across the city use agencies for shift coverage, and rates can be 20-30% higher than permanent roles. See our guide on agency and locum mental health nursing.
4. Network Through Professional Associations
Victoria has active branches of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), and Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA). Their events in Melbourne are excellent for finding unadvertised roles.
Which Roles Are in Highest Demand?
Based on current workforce data, these roles are particularly sought after in Melbourne:
- Clinical psychologists — especially in public child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- Behaviour support practitioners — NDIS demand is strong across all Melbourne regions
- Mental health nurses — ongoing shortages in inpatient units and community teams
- Psychosocial recovery coaches — growing NDIS role with relatively low entry barriers
- AOD workers — particularly in the inner-city and northern suburbs
For a deeper look at a specific pathway, read our guide on how to become a psychologist in Australia or how to become a mental health nurse in Australia.
Getting Your Application Right
Melbourne employers receive high volumes of applications. To stand out:
- Tailor your cover letter to the specific service. Mention the population you'd serve (e.g., "I'm interested in the western suburbs CALD community").
- Highlight your AHPRA or professional registration clearly.
- Mention your experience with specific funding streams — NDIS, Medicare Better Access, or state-funded programs.
- Be specific about your modality — CBT, DBT, ACT, or systemic therapy. Melbourne services often recruit for particular therapeutic approaches.
Read our full guide on how to write a stand-out mental health job application.
The Bottom Line
Melbourne offers strong opportunities across the mental health sector, with particular demand in the growth corridors and for NDIS-related roles. Public sector jobs provide stability and supervision, while private practice and NDIS work offer higher earning potential. The key is matching your skills and preferences to the right employer and location.
Ready to find your next role in Melbourne? Browse all mental health jobs in Melbourne on Supportive, or sign up for job alerts to get new roles sent directly to your inbox.
Sources
- Victorian Department of Health, *Mental Health Workforce Data*, 2025. health.vic.gov.au
- Jobs and Skills Australia, *Occupation Projections 2025-2030*. jobsandskills.gov.au
- AHPRA, *Registration Data Tables 2024-2025*. ahpra.gov.au
- NDIS, *Quarterly Market Monitor*, Q4 2025. ndis.gov.au