ROOT
What are Australia’s highest-paying occupations and industries?
The highest-paying jobs in Australia also have the largest gender pay gaps.
What are Australia’s highest-paying occupations and industries?
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed managers and professionals are the highest-paying jobs in Australia by average hourly earnings.
Managers earned an average of $65.10 per hour in May last year, according to the biennial survey of employee earnings and hours from the ABS, while professionals made an average of $57.90.
Across all occupations, workers earned an average of $42.50 per hour, while the lowest average earnings were recorded for sales workers ($30.50) and labourers ($31).
“Hourly earnings comparisons are useful in understanding gender pay differences, beyond weekly earnings measures, given men are more likely to work full-time than women,” explained ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis.
“On average, men earned $44.50 an hour, compared to $40.20 an hour for women. Average hourly earnings were higher for men than women in all eight occupation groups.”
The highest-paying occupations also had the biggest gender gaps in dollar terms, with a difference of $11.50 for managers and $8.50 for professionals.
In percentage terms, the difference between the earnings of males and females was highest for community and personal service workers at 19 per cent and managers at 16 per cent.
Machinery operators and drivers had the lowest gender pay gap in both dollar ($3.80) and percentage (10 per cent) terms.
On a weekly basis, the average worker was earning $1,394 in May 2021, including $1,625 for men and $1,167 for women.
Sixty-two per cent of full-time workers during the period were men, making an average of $1,934 per week compared to $1,676 for women.
“Women make up the majority of part-time employees (69 per cent) with slightly higher weekly earnings, on average, than men working part-time ($746 compared to $722),” said Mr Jarvis.
“This reflects the greater use of part-time working arrangements by women than men in higher paying jobs.”
Employees in the mining industry reported the highest average weekly cash earnings of $2,798, followed by workers in the electricity, gas, water and waste services industry ($2,061) and finance and insurance ($1,990).
Accommodation and food services ($665) and retail trade ($865) had the lowest average weekly cash earnings.
Median weekly earnings overall were $1,209, with the top quarter of earners making more than $1,814, while the bottom quarter received less than $750.
RELATED ARTICLES
Earn
Peak season powers a nationwide workforce rebound
Australia’s labour market is experiencing a significant resurgence as peak season spending revitalises employment across the nation. The latest November Jobs Report from Employment Hero, a global ...Read more
Earn
From lone wolves to performance systems: how to convert individual drive into repeatable team wins
High-performing individuals are valuable; systems that meaningful scale their behaviours are priceless. Agency leaders say networks can transform ambition into organisational advantage—if the ...Read more
Earn
State Street economist comments on recent Labour Force data, urging RBA caution
In light of the recently released Labour Force data, Krishna Bhimavarapu, an economist at State Street Global Advisors, has provided insights that may influence the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) ...Read more
Earn
Job market booms, but falling hours keep productivity under pressure
Australia's job market is experiencing a significant resurgence, with employment figures showing a robust increase, according to the latest report from Employment Hero. The October Jobs Report, ...Read more
Earn
Rate cut back in play: how a softer labour market could reshape Australian balance sheets by Christmas
With unemployment at a four‑year high and policy makers signalling a controlled easing in labour conditions, markets are again pricing the possibility of an RBA cut before year‑end. Beyond the ...Read more
Earn
New Business Boom: Australia’s Top Ten Suburbs Lead Entrepreneurial Growth
Australia's entrepreneurial landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation, with the latest data from the Lawpath New Business Index highlighting a significant surge in new business registrations ...Read more
Earn
Unlocking success: How tiny habits can make or break your career trajectory
Career plateaus rarely begin with a market shock; they start with tiny, repeated choices—avoiding change, outsourcing the hard calls, neglecting pipeline hygiene. In a market where distribution, data ...Read more
Earn
Unlock your potential by transforming hidden habits into success
Self-sabotage isn’t a character flaw — it’s an operating model failure. As pressure, complexity and AI-driven change intensify, the cost of avoidable behaviours (avoidance, over-delegation, context ...Read more
Earn
Peak season powers a nationwide workforce rebound
Australia’s labour market is experiencing a significant resurgence as peak season spending revitalises employment across the nation. The latest November Jobs Report from Employment Hero, a global ...Read more
Earn
From lone wolves to performance systems: how to convert individual drive into repeatable team wins
High-performing individuals are valuable; systems that meaningful scale their behaviours are priceless. Agency leaders say networks can transform ambition into organisational advantage—if the ...Read more
Earn
State Street economist comments on recent Labour Force data, urging RBA caution
In light of the recently released Labour Force data, Krishna Bhimavarapu, an economist at State Street Global Advisors, has provided insights that may influence the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) ...Read more
Earn
Job market booms, but falling hours keep productivity under pressure
Australia's job market is experiencing a significant resurgence, with employment figures showing a robust increase, according to the latest report from Employment Hero. The October Jobs Report, ...Read more
Earn
Rate cut back in play: how a softer labour market could reshape Australian balance sheets by Christmas
With unemployment at a four‑year high and policy makers signalling a controlled easing in labour conditions, markets are again pricing the possibility of an RBA cut before year‑end. Beyond the ...Read more
Earn
New Business Boom: Australia’s Top Ten Suburbs Lead Entrepreneurial Growth
Australia's entrepreneurial landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation, with the latest data from the Lawpath New Business Index highlighting a significant surge in new business registrations ...Read more
Earn
Unlocking success: How tiny habits can make or break your career trajectory
Career plateaus rarely begin with a market shock; they start with tiny, repeated choices—avoiding change, outsourcing the hard calls, neglecting pipeline hygiene. In a market where distribution, data ...Read more
Earn
Unlock your potential by transforming hidden habits into success
Self-sabotage isn’t a character flaw — it’s an operating model failure. As pressure, complexity and AI-driven change intensify, the cost of avoidable behaviours (avoidance, over-delegation, context ...Read more
