Liverpool, one of England’s most captivating cities, is known not only for its stunning architecture and rich history but also for its thriving economy. It offers job opportunities across a wide range of sectors, from healthcare and tourism to IT and the creative industries. If you’re job-hunting in the city, it pays to know what employers are looking for. To discover the most in-demand professions in Liverpool today, read on at liverpool1.one.
General Trends
The 2021 UK Census provided a fascinating insight into the employment landscape for Liverpudlians. According to the data, sales and retail roles came out on top. The figures are striking: over 10,000 Liverpool residents listed sales as their primary occupation, meaning that one in every 33 working-age people is employed in this field.
Coming in second were carers and home care assistants, followed by domestic helpers and cleaners in third place. While these jobs remain crucial today, the list of popular professions is now much broader.
Healthcare
The healthcare sector plays a leading role in Liverpool’s job market, standing as the city’s primary employer. Back in 2011, medicine already accounted for over 16% of all jobs in Merseyside, and its importance has only continued to grow.
The region rightly prides itself on its excellent medical infrastructure. Merseyside is home to 13 hospitals equipped with state-of-the-art technology, creating a constant demand for skilled medical professionals. The city regularly recruits for various medical roles, with a need for nurses, doctors, emergency medicine specialists, anaesthetists, healthcare assistants, and many others. For these professionals, Liverpool offers competitive salaries, stable employment, and opportunities for career progression.
Education
The education sector holds a special place in Liverpool’s job market, offering a wealth of vacancies. The city is renowned for its academic traditions and is home to major institutions like the University of Liverpool (a leader in computer science, medicine, and engineering), Liverpool Hope University (specialising in education, theology, and psychology), and Liverpool John Moores University (focusing on sports science and forensics). These institutions create thousands of jobs for lecturers, researchers, lab technicians, librarians, secretaries, and administrative staff.
Of course, it’s not just universities that need talented staff. Liverpool has a large number of schools that are also constantly hiring. Depending on your qualifications, you can find a range of vacancies in schools, from teachers of core or specialised subjects to support and cleaning staff.
Tourism and Hospitality
Millions of tourists flock to Liverpool every year, drawn by its architecture, sporting events, and musical heritage. The famous Penny Lane, a true symbol of the city’s music history, still attracts tens of thousands of Beatles fans. In fact, the legacy of The Beatles remains a major source of income, contributing over £80 million to the city’s coffers annually.
But music is just one part of the city’s vibrant tourism scene. Liverpool also boasts historic monuments, world-class museums, and art galleries that captivate visitors. This naturally creates a huge job market in the tourism and hospitality sector, which employs over 40,000 people. There is a constant need for tour guides, food and beverage staff, hotel managers and employees, event organisers, and travel agents, meaning there’s a suitable role for everyone.
Retail
Liverpool is an excellent place for anyone looking to work or build a career in retail. With countless boutiques, shopping centres, food shops, and small independent stores, there is a huge range of jobs for professionals at all levels. The retail sector remains one of the city’s most popular and promising industries, making it easy to find your niche. Openings are always available for sales assistants, procurement specialists, brand managers, cashiers, consultants, shop floor managers, and many more.
Logistics
As one of the UK’s busiest ports, Liverpool’s docks handle hundreds of vessels every day. Thousands of cargo routes pass through the city, all requiring dedicated support and management.
Holding a key position on Britain’s northwest coast, the Port of Liverpool processes millions of tonnes of cargo annually, creating a steady demand for logistics professionals. Technical knowledge, engineering skills, and the ability to manage the entire supply chain – from ship to shelf – are particularly valued. The docks always have openings for coordinators, dockworkers, engineers, customs specialists, marine mechanics, repair technicians, and drivers.
For those planning a career in warehouse management, the logistics hubs in Knowsley and Speke are key locations. They require not just manual handlers, but people skilled in automated inventory systems and digital platforms for managing stock flow.
It’s also worth mentioning the transport companies that connect Liverpool with the rest of the UK. They offer vacancies for fleet dispatchers, long-haul drivers, vehicle mechanics, multimodal transport specialists (delivering goods via various transport types), logistics centre managers, and auto electricians.
The most ambitious professionals can try their hand at international logistics firms, with opportunities to organise global supply chains. Furthermore, Liverpool’s universities offer specialised retraining programmes to help people enter this dynamic field.
Future-Proof Careers
Beyond the traditional professions, new roles have emerged recently and are now in high demand. With the rapid development of digital infrastructure, Liverpool’s companies need cybersecurity specialists, developers who can turn lines of code into applications and games, data analysts, and other digital professionals.
Major global tech companies are increasingly opening regional offices in Liverpool, meaning the demand for IT specialists will only continue to grow. It’s possible that they will soon top the list of the city’s most common professions.
Modern Liverpool remains a highly attractive place for anyone wishing to build a career in traditional or innovative sectors, or simply to find a good, well-paid job. And if you have an entrepreneurial spark, the city offers the opportunity to start your own business. The message is clear: seek, and you shall find.