ROOT
What are the top-paid professions in Australia?
New data from the Australian Taxation Office has revealed the highest-paying professions, as well as Australia’s richest suburbs.
What are the top-paid professions in Australia?
New data from the Australian Taxation Office has revealed the highest-paying professions, as well as Australia’s richest suburbs.
Based on 14.7 million tax returns for 2018-19, the ATO has revealed Australia’s top-earning professions and the country’s richest suburbs, with Sydney unsurprisingly snagging a majority of the top spots.
According to the ATO, Sydney’s Double Bay was Australia’s richest suburb, with average taxable income reaching $202,541.
In close second was Melbourne’s Hawksburn and Toorak, where the average taxable income stood at $201,926.
Sydney’s postcode 2027, which includes Darling Point, Edgecliff, HMAS Rushcutters and Point Piper, boasted an average income of $199,842, while coastal 2030, home to Dover Heights, HMAS Watson, Rose Bay North, Vaucluse and Watson Bay, stood at $197,906.
Also featured in the top 10 were Sydney’s Bellevue Hill, Mosman and Northbridge.
Australia’s top 10 postcodes
| Postcode | Suburb name | Individuals no. |
Average taxable income or loss |
|
|
2028 |
NSW |
DOUBLE BAY |
3,573 |
202,541 |
|
3142 |
VIC |
HAWKSBURN, TOORAK |
10,054 |
201,926 |
|
2027 |
NSW |
DARLING POINT, EDGECLIFF, HMAS RUSHCUTTERS, POINT PIPER |
6,051 |
199,842 |
|
2030 |
NSW |
DOVER HEIGHTS, HMAS WATSON, ROSE BAY NORTH, VAUCLUSE, WATSONS BAY |
9,869 |
197,906 |
|
2025 |
NSW |
WOOLLAHRA |
5,252 |
183,417 |
|
6011 |
WA |
COTTESLOE, PEPPERMINT GROVE |
6,484 |
179,403 |
|
3944 |
VIC |
PORTSEA |
456 |
175,356 |
|
2023 |
NSW |
BELLEVUE HILL |
7,404 |
173,287 |
|
2088 |
NSW |
MOSMAN, SPIT JUNCTION |
20,303 |
171,144 |
|
2063 |
NSW |
NORTHBRIDGE |
4,393 |
168,940 |
As for the top-earning professions, surgeons topped the ladder with an average taxable income of $394,303, followed by anaesthetist with $386,065 and internal medicine specialists at $304,752.
In fact, healthcare workers represented the majority of the top 10 highest-earning professions.
Financial dealers ranked fourth with average earnings of $275,984, followed by psychiatrists with $235,558.
Mining engineers also made the top 10, with average earnings of $184,507, as did chief executive officers or managing directors with earnings of $164,896.
Australia’s top 10 professions
|
Professions |
Individuals no. |
Average taxable income or loss |
|
2535 Surgeon |
4,150 |
394,303 |
|
2532 Anaesthetist |
3,412 |
386,065 |
|
2533 Internal medicine specialist |
9,559 |
304,752 |
|
2222 Financial dealer |
4,720 |
275,984 |
|
2534 Psychiatrist |
3,001 |
235,558 |
|
2539 Other medical practitioners |
28,404 |
222,933 |
|
2712 Judicial or other legal professionals |
3,866 |
188,798 |
|
2336 Mining engineer |
8,856 |
184,507 |
|
1111 Chief executive officer or managing director |
190,386 |
164,896 |
|
1332 Engineering manager |
25,578 |
159,940 |
RELATED ARTICLES
About the author
About the author
Earn
Australia’s entrepreneur boom: August 2025 breaks records with over 100,000 new ABNs
Australia is witnessing an unprecedented surge in entrepreneurship, with the latest figures revealing a record-breaking number of new business registrations in August 2025. According to the newly ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the cash rate: How affordability reshaped Australia’s property playbook in 2025
Australian buyers are less fixated on interest rates and more constrained by affordability, a pivot that is quietly rewriting strategies for banks, developers and institutional investorsRead more
Earn
Australia’s rate cut revealed: What it means for property, profits and the months ahead
The RBA’s 25-basis-point cut to 3.6% extends the easing cycle and resets the calculus for households, lenders and property operators. Expect a faster spring selling season and a sharper rate war, but ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the sticker price: decoding a property’s real value in a volatile market
As prices in several Australian cities keep defying slower growth and higher rates, the question isn’t what a property costs—it’s what it’s truly worth. Value today is a stack: cash flows, replacement ...Read more
Earn
Cohorts, credits and competition: decoding Australia’s retirement reform consultation
Can a $3.9 trillion super system finally crack the ‘last mile’ of retirement? Canberra’s consultation on cohort-based retirement solutions aims to move beyond accumulation-era thinking, with ...Read more
Earn
Australian employment data shows mixed signals as full-time jobs rise despite overall decline
Australia's employment landscape presented mixed signals in May, with overall employment declining despite a strong rise in full-time positions, according to analysis of the latest Labour Force dataRead more
Earn
Millennials face 'generational squeeze' as most vulnerable group in retirement
Millennials will be the most vulnerable demographic to face the "generational squeeze" in retirement, caught between supporting elderly parents and adult children while funding their own later years, ...Read more
Earn
Top workplaces for women in 2025 highlight progress in gender equity and inclusive leadership
Australia’s top workplaces for women in 2025 have been announced, recognising companies that are leading the way in gender equity, flexible work arrangements and inclusive leadership development. Read more
Earn
Australia’s entrepreneur boom: August 2025 breaks records with over 100,000 new ABNs
Australia is witnessing an unprecedented surge in entrepreneurship, with the latest figures revealing a record-breaking number of new business registrations in August 2025. According to the newly ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the cash rate: How affordability reshaped Australia’s property playbook in 2025
Australian buyers are less fixated on interest rates and more constrained by affordability, a pivot that is quietly rewriting strategies for banks, developers and institutional investorsRead more
Earn
Australia’s rate cut revealed: What it means for property, profits and the months ahead
The RBA’s 25-basis-point cut to 3.6% extends the easing cycle and resets the calculus for households, lenders and property operators. Expect a faster spring selling season and a sharper rate war, but ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the sticker price: decoding a property’s real value in a volatile market
As prices in several Australian cities keep defying slower growth and higher rates, the question isn’t what a property costs—it’s what it’s truly worth. Value today is a stack: cash flows, replacement ...Read more
Earn
Cohorts, credits and competition: decoding Australia’s retirement reform consultation
Can a $3.9 trillion super system finally crack the ‘last mile’ of retirement? Canberra’s consultation on cohort-based retirement solutions aims to move beyond accumulation-era thinking, with ...Read more
Earn
Australian employment data shows mixed signals as full-time jobs rise despite overall decline
Australia's employment landscape presented mixed signals in May, with overall employment declining despite a strong rise in full-time positions, according to analysis of the latest Labour Force dataRead more
Earn
Millennials face 'generational squeeze' as most vulnerable group in retirement
Millennials will be the most vulnerable demographic to face the "generational squeeze" in retirement, caught between supporting elderly parents and adult children while funding their own later years, ...Read more
Earn
Top workplaces for women in 2025 highlight progress in gender equity and inclusive leadership
Australia’s top workplaces for women in 2025 have been announced, recognising companies that are leading the way in gender equity, flexible work arrangements and inclusive leadership development. Read more
