10 Best Paying Jobs in Australia
Securing one of the highest paying jobs in Australia can be more difficult than you think. But if you know what job you’re aiming for, you can start putting steps in place to get you there. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the top 10 best paying jobs in Australia.
In the meantime, if you need a little extra money to get you through, you can always apply for a cash loan from Swoosh.
Overview:
How the highest salary jobs are different in each state
There’s more to the highest paying jobs in Australia than just what you studied and your years of experience – where you live can also impact your average salary. Below you will find the latest 2023 salary breakdown between the states for the Global Payroll Association which we have generated into an infographic.
| STATE | WEEKLY AVERAGE WAGE | MALE AVERAGE WAGE | FEMALE AVERAGE WAGE |
| QLD | $1,791.00 | $1,887.80 | $1,637.80 |
| NSW | $1,831.90 | $1,924.80 | $1,697.00 |
| ACT | $2,022.90 | $2,192.00 | $1,911.40 |
| VIC | $1,832.90 | $1, 933.50 | $1,683.70 |
| SA | $1,677.80 | $1,717.00 | $1,601.80 |
| WA | $2,039.30 | $2,216.30 | $1,741.70 |
| NT | $1,775.90 | $1,912.10 | $1,614.10 |
| TAS | $1,619.30 | $1,652.10 | $1,565.70 |
As you can see, the average weekly full time salary varies from state to state – as does the difference of the weekly pay between genders. Interestingly, for a full time worker the best states to work in is Western Australia and ACT. As these states have the highest pay rates for both genders and the average salary sits around $2,000 each week.
Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs In Australia
1. Psychiatrist
Becoming a psychiatrist can be a very long process and hard work, yet can be very rewarding down the track. This pathway leads to one of the best paying jobs in Australia and is always in need for more people to take on the job. If you love working with people and want to help in any way possible, this might be the job for you.
Qualification requirements: As this profession falls under the medical branch, you need to be able to put the time and effort in succeeding in your studies for a long time. Once you have completed your medical studies bachelor that typically lasts 4-6 years, you will need to complete a 1 year internship as a medical practitioner. Once you’ve completed the year you can start to undertake specialist training as a psychiatrist at a specialised Australian College, this would typically last 5 years.
Study Time: 10 to 12 years
Average Salary: $350, 000
2. Treasurer
The treasurer is the one who oversees all the financial administration and the financial report in a company. The salary of a treasurer depends on the experience you have had and what company you are the treasurer for. This profession is well suited to someone who understands financial risk, accounting, foreign exchange and the financial market. This is one of the high paying jobs in Australia and a very important job to make sure companies stay on track financially.
Qualification requirements: Studying to become a treasurer needs a Bachelor of Accounting which is usually 3 years with an added 2 to 3 if you want to study for a masters of business administration.
Study Time: 3 to 6 years + experience
Average Salary: $315, 000
3. Development Director
A development director’s job is to build relationships with current donors, meet new benefactors and organise fundraiser events for the company. This job involves a lot of working with others and keeping track of multiple projects at once. If you’re a people person and like to stay organised, why not this job for a high paying salary.
Qualification requirements: This job option can be achieved by studying a Bachelor of Business (Management) with different universities offering 3 to 4 years of study. And if you want to learn further you can study for a Masters in Business Administration which can be anywhere from 1 to 3 years of study.
Study Time: 3 to 6 years + experience
Average Salary: $265, 000
4. Medical Practitioner
Australia’s healthcare structure is constantly rated as one of the best in the world. Which doctor or medical professional wouldn’t want to work here? Especially if you’re in the top earning bracket! Becoming a doctor is a very long and challenging process, but hard work definitely pays off. So if you’ve ever wondered “what job earns 300K a year in Australia?”, the answer is medical practitioners and doctors! Some surgeons can make an income of over $350,000 per year!
Qualification requirements: Becoming a doctor of medicine means a commitment to a long period of study. In addition to 4-6 years study at university, a specialist training placement will take between 3 and 5 years. That puts the study period to become a doctor between 7 and 11 years.
Study Time: 7 to 11 years
Average Salary: $200,000+
5. Principal
You wouldn’t believe that a teaching position would be on this blog. However, within a private school that has received no funds from the government, the principal brings home a large paycheck.
When it comes to teaching, the profession is overlooked however, this is potentially one of the most important jobs in Australia and around the world, as teaching leads to developing the minds of our next generation, hence why the salary should be reflected. If you want to become a teacher, you might try working towards becoming the head of school and receiving one of the highest salaries in Australia.
Qualification requirements: Studying to become a principal is straightforward on paper, first you have to study a Bachelor of Teaching which is typically 4 years then you must have 2 to 8 years of experience. This might seem an easy task however, you have to show determination, care for the school and be in the right education system of privately owned schools to achieve this best paying job title.
Study Time: 4 years study, 2 to 8 years of teaching experience
Average Salary: $ 185, 000 +
6. Construction Manager
Tasked with supervising contractors on-site, as well as working closely with other construction professionals and stakeholders (such as architects, surveyors and suppliers), construction managers have to balance an array of constantly moving parts in an industry that is notorious for its volatility.
Qualification requirements: Entering into this role will require experience in the construction industry, as well as an Advanced Diploma of Building and Construction Management. This is definitely one of the most hands-on positions in this list.
Study Time: up to 2 years
Average Salary: $185, 000
7. Software Architect
Also known as a Data Scientist or Solutions Architect, this job is responsible for analysing vast amounts of data and turning it into valuable information and graphs for management to assess. An IT architect is also responsible for designing and maintaining apps and programs. This job is best for people with good technical and problem-solving skills.
Qualification requirements: To become an IT architect, you’ll need to study a Bachelor of either Computer Science or Software Engineering.
Study Time: 3 years
Average Salary: $155, 000
8. Lawyer
According to Payscale, the average attorney salary is $76,996. In Australia, you’ll spend a minimum of four years studying to become a lawyer. You’ll pursue one of two degrees: a Bachelor of Law degree a.k.a. LLB (4 years) or a combined LLB (5+ years). Well worth all the hard work though, as many law careers are among the highest paying jobs in Australia.
Qualification requirements: Studying law can lead to many diverse and interesting jobs in Australia. Similar to medicine, Law has many different specialities, and training continues past university. This is one of the best paying jobs yet your salary will still vary depending on what specialty you study.
Study Time: 4 years
Average Salary: $70,000 to $155, 000
9. Engineer
Although the extent of your salary will depend on which area of engineering you work in (management or cloud engineering), this is still one of the highest paying jobs in Australia. One particularly lucrative field, for instance, is in oil, gas and energy, while chemical engineers and mining engineers do especially well Down Under.
Qualification requirements: Engineering offers many career paths, all of which start with a Bachelor of Engineering. Once you are practising, you can also become a chartered engineer, a certification process that will increase your earnings even further.
Study Time: 4 years
Average Salary: $105, 000
10. Electrician
And for those who are not looking to study further, one of the highest paying jobs without a degree is to become an electrician. There are a lot of high paying trades positions out there, and with any job the more experience you have the higher your pay will be.
Qualification requirements: Some electricians can earn $2000 per week, depending on their experience and specialty. As with other apprenticeships, electricians receive on the job training for 4 years. During this time, they will receive a small wage that increases each year as they gain skills.
Study Time: 4 years (on the job)
Average Salary: $100,000
And there you have it, the best paying jobs Australia has to offer!
So if you would like to be a high earner, perhaps you should consider studying something in one of these fields? It seems you can’t go wrong if you choose to work in IT or in the medical profession!
If you think you have it in you to be on the list of high earners, but you need some help with your finances while you study, apply for a fast cash loan with Swoosh today.
