Neurosurgeons earn the highest annual salary in Australia at over $600,000
The top 15 highest paying careers in Australia might come as no surprise to some, with doctors, CEOs and legal professionals featuring prominently on the list. But there are a few entrants that might leave you surprised. If you're contemplating a career change, thinking about studying or looking for a job that'll earn you a high income, there might just be a role on this list that appeals to you!
1. Surgeon
Average salary: $394,303. Surgeons are medical specialists who consult, examine and operate on patients suffering from disease, injury or deformity. This average income can be a bit misleading, as there are different kinds of surgeons, with type of surgery, expertise and qualifications significantly impacting one’s salary. Of the medical specialists, neurosurgeons were the highest paid with an average of $600,387, followed by reconstructive surgeons at $500,269 and ophthalmologists at $533,511.
2. Anaesthetist
Average salary: $386,065. Anaesthetists are involved in preparing surgical patients for their procedure, which includes pain relief, surgery preparation and implementing a patient care plan before, during and after the procedure.
3. Internal Medicine Specialist
Average salary: $304,752. Internal medicine specialists are trained to diagnose, manage and treat complex, sometimes complicated or difficult-to-diagnose health disorders. They often consult with other practitioners and may have particular concentrations or sub specialisations from infectious diseases, cardiology, geriatric medicine to rheumatology.
4. Financial Dealer
Average salary: $275,984. Financial dealers analyse social trends, market conditions and government regulations, as well as analyse and interpret their client’s financial circumstances in order to buy and sell commodities for profit.
5. Psychiatrist
Average salary: $235,558. Psychiatrists specialise in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses, through psychotherapy, establishing treatment plans, ordering laboratory testing and assessment, prescribing medication and admitting patients to hospital.
6. Other Medical Practitioners
Average salary: $222,933.
As we mentioned, there is a long list of medical practitioners and their roles and salaries vary greatly. Highlight competitive and well-paying medical practitioner roles include cardiologists, orthopaedic specialists and gastroenterologists, who have a collective average salary of about $450,000. There are also general practitioners, paediatricians, orthodontists, dentists, periodontists, obstetricians and many more. There are endless avenues of specialisation, and the one you choose will likely be aligned with what you’re most interested in and what demographic you’d most like to help.
7. Judicial or other Legal Professionals
Average salary: $188,798. Again, this is a broad term which covers many different jobs within the legal sector, however it can range from judges to all kinds of lawyers specialising in contracts, personal injury, bankruptcy, immigration, crime, corporate or other, to paralegals and administrative assistants. A career in law is exciting because you can choose which field you want to be involved in, and can utilise your skills to make serious changes to legislation at the local, state or federal levels, as well as in court, tribunals and royal commissions.
8. Mining Engineer
Average salary:$184,507. Mining engineers are in charge of evaluating, planning and overseeing the construction of a mine. They identify potential development sites by collaborating with geologists and conducting surveys off the mineral deposits, as well as coordinating the actual employment of staff and implementing safety programs and procedures. They are also responsible for returning the mines to their original state once mining is completed.
9. Enterprise Architecture Manager
Average salary: $168,762.
Enterprise and systems architect managers are responsible for the overseeing and ultimate direction, performance and technical aspects of the organisation’s IT networks, from upgrading and improving services, to overseeing software and hardware implementation and installation. They are the big picture guys for the IT performance of their company, and are in charge of enterprise architects, software architects and other IT professionals.
10. CEO or Managing Director
Average salary: $164,896.
A chief executive officer or managing director is the most senior executive position in a company, in charge of managing the operations, organisation, its people and its resources. General managers oversee development of business plans, budgets and strategies and identifying risks that could affect the company’s efficiency, productivity, and ultimately, its profitability
11. Engineering Manager
Average salary: $159,940. Engineering managers oversee teams of engineers and are generally in charge of planning technical operations, civil engineering and construction projects, depending on the company or agency they are employed by. Day-to-day responsibilities include budgets, schedules and development of quality and safety procedures, as well as overseeing hiring, coordination of activities and liaising with other department heads.
12. Quantitative Analyst
Average salary: $153,539. A quantitative specialist, or “quant”, has the role of applying statistics and mathematics to analyse financial data and risk management, which in turn helps the company make good business decisions regarding investments, pricing and overall functioning of the company. IUt is a highly in demand role as companies are realising the importance of risk assessment and management in an increasingly turbulent economy.
13. Vice President
Average salary: $151,358.
A senior executive position in a company, in charge of managing the short and long-term operations, organisation, its people and its resources. VPs in particular are in charge of overseeing training procedures to upskill, educate or manage employees, as well as assisting with the day-today, business plans, budgets and strategies and identifying risks that could affect the company’s efficiency, productivity, and ultimately, its profitability.
14. Director of Information Security
Average salary: $149,204. Information security directors are in charge of keeping company data safe and fending off security threats. Requirements and job obligations vary greatly depending on the type of organisation or industry. Their day-to-day duties include financial obligations like budgeting, resource allocation, strategy, implementation of security, data and technology policies and procedures, as well as HR-related duties like hiring, firing and training.
15. Enterprise and Software Architect/Manager
Average salary: $138,933 – $142,355. Enterprise and software architects are in charge of maintaining the organisation’s IT networks, from upgrading and improving services, to overseeing software and hardware implementation and installation. It’s about staying on top of any IT trends or upgrades that can give your company the edge, and it’s an increasingly important job in this digital age.
