Top 20 Highest Paying Jobs in Australia
Reem Mohamed
23 April, 2023
8 mins read
Careers
As one of the most welcoming countries for international students, Australia is not only home to multiple educational opportunities, but it also provides students with a wide range of post-graduation opportunities! The country is known for its thriving industries and ever-growing job market that makes room for more international students every year!
If you are considering Australia for a study destination, you might as well find out what fields are in demand there and what would land you a good job with even better pay after graduation! Certainly, not all jobs in the country would amount to a high salary, however, if you do your research properly with that goal in mind, the highest-paying jobs in Australia will reveal themselves to you!
With that in mind, let us venture through a handful of the highest-paying jobs in Australia and what you need to study or major in to land these jobs!
Highest Paying Jobs in Australia
There are plenty of fields where you can find a job that will make you good money while in Australia. Whether your passion is for business, medicine, law, or engineering, there is definitely a unique job for you in your desired field. Here is our carefully curated list of the highest-paying jobs in Australia in the aforementioned fields!
Highest Paying Medical Jobs
If you choose to study medicine in Australia and are worried about your future and how much money you’ll be able to make after all of the work and effort you’ve put into your studies, we’re here to comfort you! Plenty of the highest-paying jobs in Australia happen to be in the medical field, here are some of them!
Surgeon
Surgery is a broad field with several specialities and subspecialties, all varying in workload and eventual salaries. Based on your speciality, training level, experience, and qualifications, your salary will be subject to change, however, it remains within the highest ranges of wages in the country still. Your effort in medical school, the hours spent in the library, years of clinical work, and time spent in an operating room will not go to waste!
Average Salary: $400,000 (Higher average of $600,387 for neurosurgeons, $500,269 for reconstructive surgeons, and $533,511 for ophthalmologists).
Internal Medicine Specialist
Being an Internal Medicine Specialist, your duties are mainly intertwined with other doctors from other specialities. You will be tasked with identifying, managing, and resolving or treating the complex and often challenging health issues that your patients may present with. Internal medicine specialities are mostly concentrated in the areas of rheumatology, infectious diseases, cardiology, and geriatric medicine.
Average Salary: $304,750
Anesthetist
Preparing surgical patients for their procedures, anaesthetists help patients with pain relief, surgery preparation, and implementing a patient care plan before, during, and after the surgery. This medical profession is one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia that most students gravitate towards as a career due to its flexible hours in comparison to other medical professions.
Average Salary: $386,065
Cardiologist
Those who specialise in cardiac disease prevention, detection, and treatment are known in the field as cardiologists and have one of the most well-regarded and highest-paying jobs in Australia. While this job comes with high stakes, it also comes with high rewards, thus making it worthwhile in the end!
Average Salary: $351,827
Psychiatrist
Specialising in the assessment and diagnosis of all issues and disorders relating to mental health, psychiatrists are licensed physicians with specific mental health training. This job differs from a licensed therapist, and it shows in the difference in pay as well. Psychiatrists in Australia are regarded as 1% of the country’s money-makers!
Average Salary: $235,558
Highest Paying Business and Finance Jobs
If you are more into the humanities than STEM and choose to major in business or finance, worry not, there are still plenty of high-paying jobs for you in the market! Here are some of the highest-paying jobs in Australia for business and finance majors!
Digital Marketing Manager
Digital marketing is an ever-growing industry, especially in Australia. Over the last few years, digital marketing has grown exponentially in the country, with demand for an experienced workforce rising as well. The role of a digital marketing manager mainly focuses on planning, strategizing, implementation, and brand identity and visibility. This is one of the most in-demand positions and one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia.
Average Salary: $80,000 - $170,000
Business Development Manager
Developing and finding new ways for a business to develop, grow, and thrive are the main tasks of a business development manager. Exploring new opportunities for growth through various markets, products, services, and partnerships as well as executing profit strategies also goes under the job responsibilities of a business development manager. This position is a well-regarded one in Australia and definitely pays a considerable amount!
Average Salary: $90,000 - $150,000
Business Analysts
Data savvy professions have been in increasing demand since the pandemic hit and digitalising became the new trend in the business world. These data-savvy professions include business analysts, whose job responsibilities include spotting roadblocks, streamlining company procedures, doing analyses, and conducting research to solve business problems among others. This role, as one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia, requires you to have a strong business background, experience, and knowledge.
Average Salary: $100,000, $141,000
Financial Analyst
If you have a knack for finance and enjoy dealing with all the different kinds of financial data, then becoming a financial analyst is definitely a job for you! This is an in-demand position, especially in Australia as the industry seems to be constantly on the rise. A number of the top and most well-regarded Australian companies have shown interest in onboarding more financial analysts whose roles would include providing financial reports, helping in making financial decisions, giving financial advice and insights based on the interpretation of data and projections, and organizing information.
Average Salary: $92,000 - $135,000
Investment Banking Associate
As an investment banking associate, your job will mainly involve directly interacting with the clients. This means that you will be responsible for assisting clients, providing all the needed and necessary information and support, improving satisfaction rates, and helping clients reach their financial goals. Your objective as an investment banking associate is mainly to find opportunities for investing by screening your client’s investment history and helping them understand their investment objectives and needs. This is one of the emerging jobs in the country that is becoming one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia.
Average Salary: $210,000
Highest Paying Legal Jobs
Law is a field that a lot of students choose to major in in university, which is understandable. While a hard major to navigate, lawyers go on to make a lot of money after graduation, once they find their footing. In Australia, the legal field is promising and entails a great deal of success, here are some of the highest-paying legal jobs in the country!
Real Estate Lawyer
This is one of the steady professions in the legal field. Being a real estate lawyer, you get to have a large clientele as well as the opportunity to repeat business. Property law is a field that usually pays well and promises financial stability. Having proper knowledge and experience will help you get far in this business and make sure you secure one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia!
Average Salary: $119,160
Criminal Defence Lawyer
As a criminal defence lawyer, there is no doubt that your job would be hard andd involve a lot of sleepless nights and courtrooms and trials. However, it is all worth it in the end! Criminal defence lawyers in Australia tend to make their fair share of money, especially those in bigger cities like Sydney or Melbourne, so your hard work will not go to waste!
Average Salary: $122,000
Intellectual Property Lawyer
The job of licensing and negotiating intellectual property rights for corporate clients can bring in a lot of money, this is why intellectual property law is one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia. Companies trying to patent a new product or service pay lots of money to intellectual property lawyers to make sure their intellectual property is protected and can not be used without permission.
Average Salary: $100,000 - $500,000
Corporate Lawyer
This is probably the highest-paying legal job, especially in countries like Australia. Corporate lawyers tend to have the brightest careers in the legal field, however, it is not easy to get into. Corporate law requires experienced individuals who graduated at the top of their classes from the country’s best law schools. While hard to break into, this field makes a lot of money, especially at big companies, where even junior associates can make plenty of money.
Average Salary: $200,000 - $300,000
Litigation Lawyer
Working as a litigation lawyer will earn you more money per hour than other legal professions. You will be tasked with defending your clients against civil lawsuits and will be hired by corporations, individuals, or government entities. As this is a high-pressure job, you will be required to have excellent persuasive skills, problem-solving skills, and quick thinking. After all, there is a reason this is one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia!
Average Salary: $100,000 - $300,000
Highest Paying Engineering Jobs
Engineering majors can breathe a sigh of relief as there are a few engineering jobs on this list that will bring in the money! You will definitely get your well-deserved compensation for all the time, money, and effort you put into your engineering degree. Let’s check out some of the highest-paying engineering jobs you could look into after you graduate!
Civil Engineer
Being in possession of a professional engineer’s license, you can work independently as a Civil Engineer. Your responsibilities as a civil engineer mainly include analysing surrounding areas and site locations, and thus determining construction feasibility. You will also be in charge of developing plans and designs with the help of computer software programs as well as resolving design challenges.
Average Salary: $100,000 - $120,000
Mechanical Engineer
Your role as a mechanical engineer will have the following responsibilities: developing, testing, and designing mechanical devices, among other things. You need strong communication and technical problem-solving skills to excel in this field. Project management experience as well as adherence to established engineering practices are also pluses in this field. This is one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia that you should definitely consider!
Average Salary: $55,000 - $110,000
Software Engineer
A software engineer’s main role in their job is to manage the full software development lifecycle. They are mostly in charge of tasks such as analysing needs, designing, testing, and developing software. As a software engineer, you must be familiar with computer systems and have knowledge of and experience in how hardware constraints affect software design. As one of the highest-paying jobs in Australia, this position requires high qualifications and solid experience.
Average Salary: $57,000 - $120,000
Electrical Engineer
Your job as an electrical engineer mainly entails being in charge of designing new electrical systems as well as testing electrical procedures and installing electrical devices. In order to build, plan, and enhance electrical systems, electrical engineers work on employing various software. This is a job that requires hard work and effort and definitely pays well at the end of the day!
Average Salary: $75,000 - $152,000
Chemical Engineer
As a chemical engineer, your work will include various processes that aim to troubleshoot and improve industrial operations by implementing better chemical systems. Chemical engineers in Australia work in various fields, including product development, research, and chemical process experimentation. This is a job that is definitely worth considering!
Working in Australia has plenty of benefits! The country’s emerging industries call for fresh graduates and young professionals from all over the world and provide them with a vast range of opportunities to grow and prosper. If you aim to pursue an education or a career in this country, keep this list of highest-paying jobs in Australia in mind throughout your search, good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which job has highest salary in Australia?
The top highest-paying jobs in Australia with the best salaries are in the following fields:
Healthcare
Teaching
Nursing
STEM
Hospitality
Marketing and Sales
2. What jobs pay 6 figures in Australia?
Some of the jobs that pay six figures in Australia include the following:
Partnership Manager
Property Manager
Business Development Manager
HSE Coordinator
Ground Systems Engineer
3. What jobs are in high demand in Australia?
Some of the most in-demand jobs in Australia include but are not limited to the following:
Registered Nurses
Secondary School Teachers
Software and Applications Programmers
Electricians
Construction Managers
Solicitors
Management Consultants
