The reasons why one in four young Australian workers are considering switching careers

One in four Australian workers under the age of 30 have considered switching careers within the past three months, according to a recently released study by RMIT Online.

Approximately 1,000 Australian workers in positions classified as junior, mid-level, senior and owners or CEOs between the ages of 19 to 67 were interviewed in July 2023 for the survey, which was produced by RMIT Online in partnership with the market research company Honeycomb.

The study’s findings reveal that the pursuit of higher salaries was the top-ranked reason for young Australian workers who were contemplating a career change, with half of workers under the age of 30 confirming that a larger salary was at the forefront of their motivations career-wise.

More than 30% of survey respondents also cited career development opportunities and more flexible working hours as reasons for young workers thinking about switching careers.

RMIT Online workforce solutions director Kade Brown told SmartCompany that Australian professionals under 30 — who are relatively early in their professional careers – are reconsidering their career paths in very high numbers. 

“This generation makes up a significant chunk of the workforce,” he says. 

“They have been shaping their careers through the pandemic and a cost of living crisis, and they crave...