Personal care and fitness | Study Australia

Why Australia?

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A qualification you can trust

You can be confident that you will graduate with the right knowledge and skills for your future. Australian qualifications are respected internationally because of Australia’s high-quality education system.

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A perfect place to focus on wellbeing

In 2022, Australia ranked 22nd out of 150 countries in the World Happiness Report. Home to some of the best universities in the world, vibrant cities, stunning beaches and diverse wildlife, Australia is renowned for its laid-back and fun-loving lifestyle.

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Australia puts health and safety first

When you are working closely with clients, it’s essential to know how to keep them safe, and how to look after your own safety too. Australia has strict health and safety standards that businesses need to follow. Your studies will prepare you to understand these and to use your skills safely. 

Study options

Courses in personal care and fitness focus on looking after and improving physical appearance and wellbeing. Some, like massage courses and even yoga, will also cover skills that can be used to treat or prevent injuries and illness. 

Quite simply, you’ll gain skills to help others look their best and feel their best. Studying in this area can help you:

improve your technical skills in areas like hairdressing, make-up application and nail care
become a better communicator through client interaction
help others build confidence through mindfulness, or just looking and feeling better
provide therapy or treatments for people who have injuries or illness, or who want to improve their wellbeing
build your fitness while you help others build theirs too.

Many personal care and fitness courses are run by vocational education and training (VET) providers in Australia. This means that you could get a qualification in as little as six months, depending on your level and chosen area of study.

If you have an outgoing personality and are interested in helping others improve themselves, then a personal care or fitness course could be the start of an enjoyable career.

Fast facts

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Quality education

4 Australian universities are ranked in the world's top 10 for sports-related subjects like personal training or sports coaching.

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A booming complementary medicine industry

Surging domestic and international consumer demand has supported industry growth in recent years.

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Australians support alternative medicine

2 out of 3 Australians use complementary and alternative medicine like massage and Chinese medicine.

Career options

As people have become more inspired to get fit and healthy and look good, the personal care and fitness industries have become more popular across the world. People want more personalised services that are relevant to their needs. As a result, there are now more specialised occupations and roles to choose from.

There is a wide variety of roles you can prepare for through Australian education and training, including: 

hairdresser/barber
hair colourist
makeup artist (including photographic make-up, wedding make-up and film/TV make-up)
nail technician
beautician
life coach
pilates instructor
personal trainer (including online/digital trainer)
aquatic trainer
massage therapist
aromatherapist
spiritual healer
Chinese medicine specialist.

Technical skills are essential in all of these roles, but there are other skills that are also important for succeeding in them. Employers across all of these areas value people with great teamwork and communication skills, who can also work effectively on their own. 

You’ll also find that with this skill set, a lot of people run their own businesses. So if you are a motivated self-starter, then these careers can be a step towards being your own boss too.

Jobs in demand

Just like in other places around the world, the personal care and fitness industries in Australia are growing. 

More and more people in Australia want to look after their health and wellbeing. While many people already spend time and money on how they look, more people are also now taking steps to invest in preventative health activities, like exercising and reducing stress through natural therapies. 

Between 2021 and 2026 these jobs are predicted to increase the most: 

Massage therapist roles will grow by 20.6% (from 14,900 to 18,000)
Beauty therapist roles will grow by 12.2% (from 37,800 to 42,400)
Fitness instructor roles will grow by 9.8% (from 36,300 to 39,800)
Hairdresser roles will grow by 9.6% (from 63,500 to 69,600)
Personal care consultant roles (e.g. people who provide natural relaxation and health treatments) will grow by 8.5% (from 6,100 to 68,00).

Find out more about jobs and salaries.