10 of The Highest-Paying Jobs in Australia

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There’s nothing more frustrating than working hard for long hours every day, only for your heart to sink every time you look at your payslip.

Of course, there’s more to job satisfaction than a hefty pay packet. You also need to make sure that your job makes you feel personally rewarded and emotionally validated. You need to be able to go home at the end of the day knowing that you’ve done a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, and had a great time in the process.

With that in mind, here are 10 of the highest paying jobs in Australia. If you’re thinking of branching out into a rewarding and lucrative new career, these are the stars you’ll need to shoot for…

Note: All salaries are provided by Payscale Australia unless otherwise stated.

Cloud Engineer

As more and more businesses move their IT infrastructure to the cloud to increase their security and cost efficiency, the demand for cloud engineers has never been higher. Skilled software engineers who can build, maintain and develop effective cloud based systems can be invaluable for businesses and can therefore expect make great money for their efforts.

If you have a strong background in IT / computing and know how to help organisations implement new cloud infrastructures this could become a highly lucrative and extremely rewarding career.

Average Annual Salary: A$135,059

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Physician

Becoming a doctor or physician is not a job that just anyone can walk into. It takes years and years of learning, hard work and exhaustive research. But once you’ve come through the lengthy and challenging process, being a doctor is extremely rewarding. Even junior doctors and registrars can command salaries in excess of A$120,000.

Specialists and consultants such as surgeons, anaesthesiologists and psychiatrists can easily earn upwards of A$200,000, while senior consultants can even expect to make over A$300,000.

What’s more, Australia is a great place to be (and train to be) a doctor. The country’s healthcare structure is widely regarded as one of the best in the world, while Australian universities deliver some of the best medical education there is. If you're interested in exploring this field further, consider enrolling in healthcare courses that cover a wide range of disciplines within the medical field, enhancing your knowledge and skills in this top-tier healthcare system.

Average Annual Salary: A$102,455

Data Scientist

Despite the unflattering job title, data science is actually often referred to as the “sexiest profession of the 21st century”. Data scientists are in extremely high demand and as such can command salaries well in excess of A$100,000.

A data scientist’s job is to wade through vast quantities of data and turning it into valuable and actionable information to help businesses to improve their operations.

Average Annual Salary: A$100,149

Analytics Manager

Data is valuable to businesses. While many businesses take time and effort to collect data, not a lot of them know exactly what to do with such. How do they take hit counts from their social media pages or bounce rates from their websites and turn this analytics data into actionable strategies?

That’s where an analytics manager comes in. They help to translate diverse kinds of data into strategies that help the company to grow and prospect.

Average Annual Salary: A$120,740

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Construction Manager

Australia’s construction industry is booming. Like any successful industry, construction needs effective management to ensure that projects are completed to the highest standards while also managing costs effectively and adhering to all the legislative and health and safety standards of the industry.

A construction manager’s job is to supervise contractors on site, as well as work closely with other construction professionals like architects, surveyors, and suppliers to see a project through from the design phase to completion.

Construction managers need to be extremely well organised with good interpersonal skills. They need to keep a lot of plates spinning and possess a comprehensive range of skills but it’s a highly rewarding and lucrative endgame for construction professionals.

Average Annual Salary: A$110,288

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IT Systems Architect

Just as businesses of all shapes and sizes need a robust infrastructure on which to build their operations, they also need robust security to protect them from cyber criminals. Businesses, especially bigger businesses with high annual turnovers are often targets for malicious software attacks including ransomware.

IT security architects can either work directly for a company or serve as an outside consultant. Either way, they are extremely valuable to businesses and are paid accordingly.

Average Annual Salary: $138,825

Well-being Manager

Well-being managers are a relatively new, but undoubtedly important, phenomenon. In an age where many of us are working harder and for longer hours than ever before, the physical and mental cost of a life in the rat race is becoming increasingly clear.

As such, many businesses are recruiting well-being managers to ensure their employees’ physical, psychological and emotional well-being in the workplace.

Average Annual Salary: A$110,536 (via Indeed)

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Engineering Manager

There are many different forms of engineering. In all cases, engineering managers are invaluable in ensuring that engineering projects are effective and run with to-the-micron precision.

The energy and chemical industries in particular are happy to pay top dollar for experienced engineering managers.

Average Annual Salary: A$156,096

IT Manager

Finally, IT managers are necessary for businesses to bridge the gap between the technical and the strategic. They implement and oversee systems to ensure operational excellence and allow businesses to grow.

They can be in-house or outsourced, but one thing’s for sure. IT managers play a vital role in a company’s success and can expect to command impressive salaries as a result.

Average Annual Salary: A$100,624

We hope this list of the highest paying jobs in Australia has helped you determine what type of career to pursue based on your practical needs, skills and interests.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to get started on a career you think you’re not qualified enough at the moment, it’s probably time for you to get certified. Check out our list of online courses for more info.

Got questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by filling out the enquiry form, which you can find by clicking the orange button below.

Cheers!