SEEK data has uncovered the highest-paying jobs in each state and territory across Australia to help inform your attraction and retention strategies.
Select a state or territory from the drop-down menu below to find out the highest-paying jobs in your location.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information & Communication Technology | Architects | $153,425 | 6% |
| 2 | Engineering | Management | $148,333 | 7% |
| 3 | Information & Communication Technology | Sales - Pre & Post | $136,578 | 4% |
| 4 | Information & Communication Technology | Security | $135,508 | 3% |
| 5 | Engineering | Systems Engineering | $134,612 | 1% |
| 6 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $130,972 | -1% |
| 7 | Engineering | Project Management | $130,360 | 6% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Engineering - Network | $129,828 | 3% |
| 9 | Construction | Project Management | $128,890 | 1% |
| 10 | Information & Communication Technology | Programme & Project Management | $128,695 | 1% |
| 11 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Health, Safety & Environment | $127,727 | -1% |
| 12 | Information & Communication Technology | Team Leaders | $127,439 | 6% |
| 13 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Power Generation & Distribution | $127,000 | 9% |
| 14 | Engineering | Aerospace Engineering | $124,333 | 8% |
| 15 | Healthcare & Medical | Nursing - Management | $124,098 | -2% |
| 16 | Information & Communication Technology | Consultants | $123,818 | -1% |
| 17 | Construction | Management | $123,725 | -8% |
| 18 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $122,222 | 12% |
| 19 | Consulting & Strategy | Management & Change Consulting | $122,151 | 4% |
| 20 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $122,051 | -1% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering | Management | $150,416 | 6% |
| 2 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $141,805 | 12% |
| 3 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $135,000 | 11% |
| 4 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Engineering & Maintenance | $134,557 | 7% |
| 5 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Drill & Blast | $131,470 | 9% |
| 6 | Engineering | Project Engineering | $126,395 | 5% |
| 7 | Accounting | Management | $126,250 | 4% |
| 8 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Power Generation & Distribution | $126,203 | -1% |
| 9 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Health, Safety & Environment | $125,885 | 3% |
| 10 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Processing | $125,390 | 11% |
| 11 | Healthcare & Medical | Nursing - Management | $125,250 | 2% |
| 12 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Exploration & Geoscience | $125,000 | -1% |
| 13 | Construction | Project Management | $124,480 | 3% |
| 14 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Oil & Gas - Engineering & Maintenance | $124,411 | -4% |
| 15 | Engineering | Project Management | $123,571 | 9% |
| 16 | Construction | Planning & Scheduling | $122,812 | -8% |
| 17 | Consulting & Strategy | Strategy & Planning | $119,772 | 2% |
| 18 | Healthcare & Medical | Nursing - Educators & Facilitators | $119,338 | 6% |
| 19 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $118,851 | 10% |
| 20 | Construction | Foreperson/Supervisors | $116,351 | 0% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information & Communication Technology | Architects | $150,941 | 4% |
| 2 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $142,070 | 1% |
| 3 | Accounting | Strategy & Planning | $140,663 | 3% |
| 4 | Engineering | Management | $139,245 | -1% |
| 5 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $136,240 | 3% |
| 6 | Legal | Generalists - In-house | $136,137 | -2% |
| 7 | Legal | Construction Law | $135,236 | 2% |
| 8 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $134,643 | -2% |
| 9 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Surveying | $132,350 | 5% |
| 10 | Legal | Banking & Finance Law | $132,279 | -1% |
| 11 | Information & Communication Technology | Team Leaders | $131,614 | -2% |
| 12 | Engineering | Project Management | $130,464 | 1% |
| 13 | Information & Communication Technology | Product Management & Development | $130,454 | 0% |
| 14 | Legal | Industrial Relations & Employment Law | $129,197 | 4% |
| 15 | Insurance & Superannuation | Risk Consulting | $128,893 | -3% |
| 16 | Information & Communication Technology | Security | $128,695 | -1% |
| 17 | Information & Communication Technology | Programme & Project Management | $128,204 | 0% |
| 18 | Information & Communication Technology | Engineering - Software | $128,111 | 2% |
| 19 | Banking & Financial Services | Management | $127,378 | 2% |
| 20 | Banking & Financial Services | Compliance & Risk | $127,287 | 0% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information & Communication Technology | Architects | $147,043 | 3% |
| 2 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $137,950 | 1% |
| 3 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Surveying | $136,995 | 1% |
| 4 | Engineering | Management | $136,423 | 1% |
| 5 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $130,462 | -4% |
| 6 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Oil & Gas - Engineering & Maintenance | $129,804 | 3% |
| 7 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Engineering & Maintenance | $128,258 | -2% |
| 8 | Legal | Construction Law | $127,833 | -1% |
| 9 | Engineering | Project Management | $126,211 | -1% |
| 10 | Legal | Generalists - In-house | $124,690 | 1% |
| 11 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Exploration & Geoscience | $124,304 | -5% |
| 12 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Analysis & Reporting | $123,433 | -4% |
| 13 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Processing | $123,219 | 3% |
| 14 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Operations | $122,937 | -3% |
| 15 | Accounting | Strategy & Planning | $122,812 | -2% |
| 16 | Information & Communication Technology | Team Leaders | $122,710 | 3% |
| 17 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Drill & Blast | $122,701 | 0% |
| 18 | Engineering | Project Engineering | $121,740 | 1% |
| 19 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $121,261 | 0% |
| 20 | Engineering | Systems Engineering | $121,211 | -1% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering | Management | $140,196 | 0% |
| 2 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $138,396 | -2% |
| 3 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $128,731 | 3% |
| 4 | Information & Communication Technology | Architects | $128,574 | 0% |
| 5 | Engineering | Project Management | $126,910 | 1% |
| 6 | Engineering | Systems Engineering | $123,884 | -1% |
| 7 | Construction | Management | $123,202 | 8% |
| 8 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Drill & Blast | $121,500 | 7% |
| 9 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Engineering & Maintenance | $121,125 | -5% |
| 10 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Health, Safety & Environment | $120,121 | 1% |
| 11 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Management - Internal | $119,348 | 7% |
| 12 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $119,192 | 1% |
| 13 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Oil & Gas - Engineering & Maintenance | $118,977 | 7% |
| 14 | Consulting & Strategy | Management & Change Consulting | $118,492 | 5% |
| 15 | Accounting | Management | $118,297 | 2% |
| 16 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Operations | $117,844 | -3% |
| 17 | Engineering | Project Engineering | $117,804 | -1% |
| 18 | Legal | Corporate & Commercial Law | $117,692 | 2% |
| 19 | Information & Communication Technology | Programme & Project Management | $116,911 | 7% |
| 20 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Exploration & Geoscience | $115,528 | 9% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering | Management | $136,136 | 0% |
| 2 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Engineering & Maintenance | $119,436 | 8% |
| 3 | Construction | Management | $118,043 | 2% |
| 4 | Engineering | Water & Waste Engineering | $117,403 | 5% |
| 5 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Exploration & Geoscience | $116,818 | 1% |
| 6 | Accounting | Management | $115,250 | -3% |
| 7 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Management - Internal | $113,750 | 5% |
| 8 | Engineering | Electrical/Electronic Engineering | $113,484 | 6% |
| 9 | Healthcare & Medical | Nursing - Management | $112,875 | 0% |
| 10 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $112,410 | -1% |
| 11 | Engineering | Project Management | $111,532 | -2% |
| 12 | Construction | Project Management | $110,961 | -1% |
| 13 | Consulting & Strategy | Management & Change Consulting | $110,555 | 8% |
| 14 | Engineering | Project Engineering | $109,473 | 12% |
| 15 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Power Generation & Distribution | $107,466 | 0% |
| 16 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Processing | $107,142 | 1% |
| 17 | Information & Communication Technology | Engineering - Software | $106,911 | 1% |
| 18 | Engineering | Process Engineering | $106,785 | 5% |
| 19 | Healthcare & Medical | Residents & Registrars | $106,757 | 0% |
| 20 | Legal | Generalists - In-house | $106,750 | 2% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information & Communication Technology | Architects | $147,465 | 3% |
| 2 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $140,949 | 2% |
| 3 | Engineering | Management | $135,303 | -1% |
| 4 | Accounting | Strategy & Planning | $134,955 | 4% |
| 5 | Legal | Generalists - In-house | $133,326 | 2% |
| 6 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $131,928 | -2% |
| 7 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $130,737 | -2% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Team Leaders | $129,718 | 4% |
| 9 | Information & Communication Technology | Security | $128,594 | 2% |
| 10 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Oil & Gas - Engineering & Maintenance | $127,182 | 0% |
| 11 | Banking & Financial Services | Management | $127,121 | 5% |
| 12 | Legal | Industrial Relations & Employment Law | $125,735 | 2% |
| 13 | Information & Communication Technology | Programme & Project Management | $125,214 | 0% |
| 14 | Information & Communication Technology | Product Management & Development | $125,190 | 1% |
| 15 | Consulting & Strategy | Management & Change Consulting | $125,189 | 2% |
| 16 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Management - Internal | $124,889 | 3% |
| 17 | Banking & Financial Services | Corporate Finance & Investment Banking | $124,517 | 0% |
| 18 | Legal | Construction Law | $123,432 | -2% |
| 19 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Power Generation & Distribution | $123,406 | -1% |
| 20 | Engineering | Systems Engineering | $123,325 | -2% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | ANNUAL SALARY | SALARY GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Management | $143,465 | 2% |
| 2 | Information & Communication Technology | Architects | $142,615 | 3% |
| 3 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Engineering & Maintenance | $136,222 | 1% |
| 4 | Engineering | Management | $134,126 | -5% |
| 5 | Information & Communication Technology | Management | $134,033 | 4% |
| 6 | Construction | Management | $132,521 | 2% |
| 7 | Engineering | Project Management | $132,136 | 3% |
| 8 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Oil & Gas - Engineering & Maintenance | $130,833 | 2% |
| 9 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Operations | $130,069 | 2% |
| 10 | Engineering | Project Engineering | $128,892 | 3% |
| 11 | Information & Communication Technology | Team Leaders | $128,387 | 4% |
| 12 | Accounting | Financial Managers & Controllers | $127,774 | 5% |
| 13 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mining - Drill & Blast | $127,232 | 1% |
| 14 | Construction | Project Management | $126,195 | 0% |
| 15 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Surveying | $126,177 | 2% |
| 16 | Engineering | Materials Handling Engineering | $126,153 | 6% |
| 17 | Accounting | Strategy & Planning | $125,961 | 3% |
| 18 | Legal | Construction Law | $124,785 | -2% |
| 19 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Management - Internal | $123,807 | 3% |
| 20 | Legal | Corporate & Commercial Law | $123,650 | 3% |
Source: SEEK Employment Report, based on average annual packaged salaries of full-time roles listed on SEEK May 2020 – April 2021, compared to May 2019 – April 2020.
SEEK classifications of Government & Defence, CEO & General Management, Self Employment, & Education & Training, along with SEEK subclassifications of General Practitioner & Other have been excluded.
Technology tops the list
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry is home to the highest-paying role type – Architects (with an average salary of $147,735). Candidate supply for this role type within the ICT industry is considered low, compared to the five-year average.
Katherine Mitchell, Director of Talent Acquisition at technology provider Thales Australia, says a candidate shortage is contributing to the lift in salaries.
Mitchell says candidate availability isn’t keeping pace with demand, particularly in senior ICT roles. “We’ve also seen very little migration due to travel restrictions post-COVID, so employers are faced with a small pool of ICT talent.”
While a competitive salary is an important attention and retention tool, Mitchell encourages recruiters and hiring managers to “look at the bigger picture” when having conversations with candidates and employees.
Mitchell notes that values have changed significantly since COVID. “Within the space of months, we saw the biggest change to working patterns in a generation and money is just one driver of attraction – it’s not always a deal maker."
Michell adds that employers should consider that flexible working is no longer an option or a perk in industries like ICT, so it needs to be built into a role to help attract more candidates. “People are looking for career development opportunities to keep growing, so it helps to also have clear conversations with candidates and current employees about opportunities to advance their career through your organisation.”
Mining industry digs deep
The Mining, Resources & Energy industry represents six of the top 20 highest-paying jobs in Australia, including number two on the list – Management ($139,322).
David George, Managing Director, PageGroup, says that with commodity prices on the rise, workers in the Mining, Resources and Energy industry expect salaries to reflect this growth.
“We’re also seeing wage inflation in the market due to a significant skill shortage and fewer candidates, particularly since COVID,” he says.
“There’s typically a lot of fly-in fly-out work in Mining and, when iron ore prices are hot, as they are at the moment in Western Australia, the industry can usually draw talent from across the country,” he says. “This is much harder at the moment, because people are conscious of getting stuck if a border closes. All of these factors have had an impact on salaries over the past year.”
George says that while recruitment strategies should reflect salary growth, money is not the only way to attract and retain the best workers in Mining, Energy and Resources.
“COVID has opened people's eyes to what they really care about in life,” he says. “People in Mining want more family-friendly rosters. If they are dealing with more challenging rosters, they want to know what the organisation is going to offer them in terms of Employee Assistance Programs and flexible work environments.”
George adds that job security is also a growing priority for Mining workers.
“We've been through boom and bust cycles in the mining sector, so people are much more interested in longer-term contracts rather than just the short-term contract that may be paying them the most money at the moment.”
Engineering salaries on the rise
The Engineering industry accounts for three of the 20 highest-paying role types – Management ($137,530), Project Management ($127,619) and Systems Engineering ($124,628).
George says increasing demand across infrastructure projects is contributing to salary growth.
“There’s a lot of government infrastructure spend at the moment, which is impacting the need for engineers.”
While employers should promote a competitive salary to attract the best engineering candidates, George also suggests highlighting a commitment to innovation.
“Engineers want to work with the best-in-class products and technologies,” he says. “Employers need to talk to candidates about their innovation strategy – what are you investing in, what new technologies will engineers be exposed to? This can really help attract the best talent.”
Knowledge of salary trends can help ensure your remuneration is competitive across your industry and state, but money isn’t everything. The pandemic has changed what people really want from work – flexibility, career development and security are now expected as part of the package.
