The highest paying jobs in your state | 2018

Growth across the country

Tasmania was out in front for salary growth this year with a rise of 3.8%. However, despite this positive lift, the state’s average advertised salary was the lowest in the country at $74,103.  Mark Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer – APAC at Talent International notes that growth may be coming off a relatively low base. “The market in Tasmania is quite small, so even small rises in salaries will make an impact across the board,” he says.

South Australia recorded a 3.7% lift with an average of $78,538 and may see further growth in months to come with the recent announcement of payroll tax deductions for small businesses.

Salaries in Queensland rose by 2.9% ($80,923 average) and the Northern Territory grew by 2.70% ($83,043 average). In Western Australia, wages were up by 3.4% ($85,481 average). “Mining is making a comeback in the state,” says Dale Young, Executive Consultant, Engineering and Operations at Six Degrees. “This may account for a lift in salaries.”

The largest employment markets of Victoria and New South Wales experienced a 2.7% ($83,185 average) and 2.5% ($85,532 average) lift respectively. Meanwhile the Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest growth at 0.6%, however it logged the highest average advertised salary of $86,230. This may be due to the higher proportion of public sector workers in the territory, which tend to attract higher wages than those in the private sector.

Where are the highest paying jobs?

The Northern Territory is home to the highest-paying jobs in Australia - Quality Assurance & Control roles in the Construction industry. The role recorded an average advertised salary of $144,121.

Joe Barrios, Construction Recruitment Specialist at Denovo, says a shortage of talent for these roles in the Northern Territory is seeing employers drawing on talent from other states. “This tends to push salaries higher,” he says. “Candidates expect a higher salary when moving to a different location, especially to the more remote parts of the country.”

Information Architecture roles in Victoria ($144,121 average) and New South Wales ($139,883) recorded the second and third highest salaries.

Nielsen says Information Architects are commanding higher salaries due to a wide-scale digital transformation. “The transformation process is affecting every business,” he says. “As Victoria and New South Wales have the strongest economies in the country, they have greater demand for information architects and this is driving up salaries.”

Engineering in the Top End

Engineering roles commanded some of the top salaries in the Top End. Field Engineering in the Northern Territory is also the fourth highest-paying job in the country ($139,000 average). Young says these roles often require on-site work at remote locations, which may explain the higher salaries. “Field Engineers want work-life balance, just like most other people, however their role often requires travelling to multiple sites or to those in remote or rural locations,” he says. “Higher salaries are often used as an incentive or to compensate for the travel. The Northern Territory has many remote sites, so I’m not surprised that Field Engineers in this location are seeing salaries at the higher level.”

Water & Waste Engineering roles in the Northern Territory came in fifth place ($138,333 average). “These roles typically target infrastructure projects in the area of waste management,” says Young. “While employers are willing to offer more to entice talent to remote areas, it should also be noted that cities like Darwin are growing and the territory’s mining and resources industry is also looking up. New infrastructure is required to support both of these growth factors.”

While wage growth across Australia has been sluggish in recent years, employers may need to prepare for a lift. Salary is one of the greatest drivers of talent attraction and a competitive pay package is vital to recruiting the very best.