What career pays the most in Australia?

With the Great Job Boom and resulting high demand for workers across Australia, the pay on offer is increasing for many roles, making it a good time to brush up on your knowledge of what different roles are paying, or to see how your salary compares.

The table below shows a list of the highest-paid jobs advertised on SEEK across Australia. Click on the table below to discover the jobs with the biggest advertised salaries in your industry.

Highest-paying jobs

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Accounting

Administration & Office Support

Advertising, Arts & Media

Banking & Financial Services

Call Centre & Customer Service

Community Services & Development

Construction

Consulting & Strategy

Design & Architecture

Education & Training

Engineering

Farming, Animals & Conservation

Government & Defence

Healthcare & Medical

Hospitality & Tourism

Human Resources & Recruitment

Information & Communication Technology

Insurance & Superannuation

Legal

Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics

Marketing & Communications

Mining, Resources & Energy

Real Estate & Property

Retail & Consumer Products

Sales

Science & Technology

Sport & Recreation

Trades & Services

Rank

Role title

Average salary

Salary growth

Job ads

on SEEK

1

Director

Banking & Financial Services

$199,651

19%

View jobs

2

Staff Specialist

Healthcare & Medical

$194,700

5%

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3

Jumbo Operator

Mining, Resources & Energy

$194,603

-1%

View jobs

4

Commercial Manager

Construction

$193,283

13%

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5

Project Director

Construction

$193,089

-2%

View jobs

6

Staff Specialist

Government & Defence

$191,497

4%

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7

Chief Financial Officer

Accounting

$190,472

6%

View jobs

8

Director

Information & Communication Technology

$188,650

5%

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9

Director

Consulting & Strategy

$187,764

0%

View jobs

10

Shift Supervisor

Mining, Resources & Energy

$184,598

13%

View jobs

11

General Manager

Construction

$183,714

16%

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12

Head of Finance

Accounting

$181,280

12%

View jobs

13

Superintendent

Mining, Resources & Energy

$181,170

3%

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14

Director

Government & Defence

$179,691

6%

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15

Medical Practitioner

Healthcare & Medical

$179,083

-9%

View jobs

16

Superintendent

Construction

$178,535

1%

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17

Physician

Healthcare & Medical

$178,171

7%

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18

Medical Officer

Government & Defence

$178,084

5%

View jobs

19

Executive Director

Government & Defence

$177,619

0%

View jobs

20

Director

Marketing & Communications

$173,939

16%

View jobs

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There’s huge demand for workers right now

Australia’s job market is overflowing with opportunities. SEEK Senior Economist Matt Cowgill says demand for workers is higher than it’s been in decades, so it’s a great time to look for a new job.

“Workers are in a stronger bargaining position when it comes to salary than they might have been a few years ago,” he says.

Cowgill says the economy is running hot, largely due to substantial government stimulus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Reserve Bank slashed interest rates and both state and federal governments spent significant amounts of money to support businesses and households during the pandemic," says Cowgill. "Much of that money is being spent now, propelling demand in the economy, which is supporting demand for workers.

“The unemployment rate is at 3.9%, which is the lowest that we've seen since the mid-1970s,” adds Cowgill. “Generally, when the unemployment rate goes down, we expect to see wage growth start to pick up.”

Trends across the country

If you work in Western Australia’s mining industry, there could be opportunities to ask for an increase in pay. The industry leads the way in the state’s high-paying jobs list with roles like Superintendent ($185,592) and Project Manager ($180,642) recording strong year-on-year growth.

Kevin Alexander, Managing Director of Adecco Australia, says hiring activity has increased since WA opened its borders following COVID-19.

“With the WA border now open, the state is bringing back to life the full work force of this industry and we can see that through wage growth,” he says.

In Victoria, the Healthcare & Medical industry is recording strong salary growth. Psychiatry roles ($198,034) top the list of highest-paying jobs advertised on SEEK in the state, while Physicians ($177,599) and Medical Officers ($160,550) are also seeing a lift.

Alexander attributes this to the state’s protracted lockdowns during the pandemic.

“Melbourne had the longest lockdown in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic and the amazing medical staff in Victoria worked longer and harder during that time, which increased burnout,” he says.

“Salary growth in this area is to be expected to ensure existing staff are looked after and to support the increase in demand as the healthcare system navigates a return to normal while also coping with the COVID-19 virus.”

Meanwhile, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia are recording strong salary growth for industries such as Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Construction.

“Strong demand for workers is seen in ICT, Construction and Engineering, which is in line with skill shortages across the board,” adds Alexander. “As a result, salary is increasing to find top talent in these areas and we see this continuing well into the coming months.”

How you can make the most of these market conditions

Growth in salaries is welcome news, especially given the soaring cost of living. So if you’re searching for a new role or a pay rise, how can you take advantage of the current market conditions?

Leeann Soden, Executive Search Director at Hudson, suggests doing your research so you have clear expectations around the pay you can get for a role. That way, you’ll be ready to discuss money during the hiring process or during pay conversations with your employer.

“If salary is one of your key drivers, understand what you can achieve in the market and make your expectations clear early in the process to avoid pursuing roles which won’t meet them,” she says.

“Understand what you want to achieve from a recruitment conversation, and this shouldn’t be limited to dollars in the bank each pay day.”

If an organisation that you want to work for can’t match the average advertised salary for your role, Soden says it’s worth broadening the conversation to suggest ways to improve the overall ‘package’, such as seeing if there are other benefits the employer can offer that could make the role more appealing to you.

“This could include working a reduced number of days, such as a nine-day fortnight, or additional annual leave balances if you want to spend time overseas now that borders are open,” she says. “You may also be able to get a one-off signing bonus or a better short-term incentive plan.

“Paid training or qualifications you have been looking at could also add to the overall value of your package, even if your base salary isn’t as high,” adds Soden. “Finally, given the market is changing regularly, it may also be worth putting in an agreed date to review your salary in six months if a company wants to secure you now.”

With so many employers in need of staff across the country, workers in many industries now have more bargaining power around salary. So, if you’re searching for a new job or better pay, understanding the average pay for roles in your industry may help you negotiate your next pay packet, or benefits you really want.

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