Income varies enormously across occupations in Australia, reflecting differences in required qualifications, skill levels, experience, working conditions, and labour market supply and demand. Medical specialists, mining engineers, and senior executives typically earn several times the income of workers in retail, hospitality, and care sectors.
ATO Taxation Statistics and ABS Employee Earnings statistics both provide occupation-level income data. ATO data is based on self-reported occupations on tax returns, while ABS survey data captures earnings from employer payroll records and employee interviews.
The highest-paying occupations in Australia are concentrated in medical specialties, legal services, financial services, engineering, and senior management. The lowest-paying occupations are typically found in hospitality, retail, and personal care services.
Occupational income data is useful for career planning, salary negotiation, and financial benchmarking. Understanding the typical income range for an occupation helps workers assess whether their remuneration is competitive.
Data sourced from ATO Taxation Statistics occupation tables and ABS Employee Earnings survey. Updated annually.