Get to Know the Highest Paying Jobs in Australia

Choosing what career path to take can be a challenging decision for many people, as not everyone knows what they want to do in life or what their skills are. Most of the time, these are decisions that we have to make when we are very young, so the pressure of following your own instincts can be hard. There are also many people out there who are simply looking for a transition in their careers, as sometimes the choices we make are not really what we expected.

In Australia, the job market offers many opportunities in different industries, so there are certainly many paths you can take, which can make things even more confusing if you are still undecided about what to do. Due to high demand or the necessity of specific abilities in some of these jobs, there are some labor areas that offer impressive salaries.

In this article, you will learn about what career paths have been considered the highest paying jobs in the country, and hopefully get some insights on what areas might seem interesting to you.

Highest paying jobs in Australia

In 2024, the Monarch Institute organized a list of 15 jobs based on the average taxable income, with stats calculated using data from the tax returns of around 14 million Australians, as provided by the Australian Taxation Office. According to the compilation, these are the highest paying jobs in the country:

Neurosurgeon

It is probably not a surprise that the medical field is at the top of the list. Neurosurgeons are the professionals who receive the highest salaries at the moment, with an average of $604,582.

It is surely a good amount, isn’t it? But it also comes with great responsibility and hard work. Performing surgeries on the brain can be quite delicate, so it demands a lot of study and care.

Anaesthetist

Another medical career that appears on the list is being an anaesthetist. With an average salary of $426,894, when you choose this profession, you will be working with pain relief, patient preparation, and other activities.

Like any other profession—especially those that deal with lives—it demands a lot of dedication and extra responsibility. In this case, it is even more important that the professional is empathetic and treats patients with kindness, as they may be experiencing a lot of pain.

Financial Dealer

As a financial dealer, you will be working with economics, market trends, client finances, trade commodities, and more, so it is very important that you have excellent knowledge of the financial area, and being good at mathematics can surely help.

The average salary for this profession is around $341,789, and in order to work in this field, you can study accounting, economics, finance, or even commerce, as all these areas will be part of your daily life as a professional in the sector.

Internal Medicine Specialist

With an average salary of about $334,267, in this job your daily activities will be related to diagnosing and managing chronic or complex medical disorders, or even diseases that can be hard to identify.

Since this is an intriguing role, you may collaborate closely with other doctors and even specialise in a particular concentration, such as cardiology or infectious diseases, for instance.

Psychiatrist

With the world running faster and faster, mental health has become an increasingly important issue, with cases of anxiety, depression, and other conditions becoming even more common. But more people also seem to be aware that taking care of their minds is essential.

As a psychiatrist, you will be treating mental illnesses, establishing treatment plans, prescribing medication for your patients, and above all, listening to them. The average salary is around $270,412.

Other medical practitioners

You surely know that medical practice has many different concentrations and that salaries may vary depending on which one you choose to work with. Professionals such as dermatologists, pathologists, and emergency medicine specialists are usually very well-paid, appearing on the list with an average salary of $251,722.

Judicial or other legal professionals

Going from judges to tribunal members, working in the legal sector is also one of the areas that demands a lot from professionals, who must act with responsibility, seriousness, and in accordance with the law. The average salary is $193,388.

CEO or Managing Director

Occupying the highest position in a company, a CEO or managing director will deal with employees, operations, budget management and strategies, organization, and other business-related actions. The average salary for this position is around $177,506, but as you probably know by now, it may vary depending on the company, the area of focus, and other characteristics.

Mining Engineer

As the name suggests, a mining engineer is responsible for planning the construction of mines, rehabilitating sites after the work is done to restore conditions, and other related tasks. The average salary is around $196,178.

Financial Investment Advisor or Manager

With an average salary of $169,908, the job is usually related to analysing financial information, working with statistics and risk management. Being good at calculations is certainly a must for this kind of position.

Engineering Manager

If you enjoy planning, working with technical operations, civil engineering, and construction, this may be a job you would enjoy. The average salary is around $161,514, and safety procedures will also be one of your concerns and responsibilities to avoid accidents.

ICT Manager

In this area, working with IT networks is a daily activity, as an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) manager is responsible for improving and upgrading services, ensuring their performance, and more. The average salary is usually around $138,614.

Director

Occupying a senior executive position in a company, the director’s job can vary, but is normally related to organization, managing people, resources, operations, planning strategies, and more. The average salary is $154,358, but, as previously mentioned in the CEO or Managing Director section, it all depends on the company, as some areas can be more lucrative than others.

Enterprise and software architect/manager

In charge of IT networks, you may get confused, as this position is quite similar to that of an ICT manager. However, this job is more related to staying on top of emerging IT trends and developing up-to-date and cutting-edge solutions. The average salary ranges from $138,933 to $142,355.

Computing professional – security specialist

In charge of taking care of a company’s data, this position involves working with security and protection, developing strategies, technological policies, and more. The average salary is $135,739.

Conclusion

As you probably have noticed by now, there are many fields you can choose to work in, even though most of the highest-paying jobs are related to the medical, financial, or technological fields. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find good salaries in other areas.

It is important to highlight that you shouldn’t follow a career path simply because it offers good pay. If it is not what you really want, will you be able to be a good professional and dedicate yourself?

Take your time to consider and balance your life goals before making any career decisions. That decision is not only about which career path to follow, but also about choosing the work model that best fits your professional goals.

Therefore, if you want to better understand the different types of jobs available in the country and how they can impact your career, check out our article on Types of Employment in Australia.