Revealed: The six-figure jobs that are most in-demand in Australia

Jobs offering salaries of more than $100,000 a year in mining and engineering are on the rise in Australia, according to new data.

High-paying construction jobs, with annual salaries sometimes exceeding $200,000, are also being advertised more frequently this year as Australia looks to capitalise on the AI boom in building data centres, according to data released by Seek on Tuesday.

Between the June-August period last year and the same period this year, job advertisements on Seek looking for electrical project engineers rose by 94 per cent, with the average salary for the role being nearly $150,000 a year.

Job ads looking for mining engineers rose by 97 per cent, while the number of employers seeking commercial managers, who could net more than $208,000 a year, rose by 64 per cent.

Of the 10 most in-demand jobs in Australia where average salaries are more than $100,000, six of them are related to either construction, mining, or engineering.

Economist Blair Chapman believes it is a clear sign of how important mining is to Australia’s economy, as well as the direction of investment from state and federal governments.

“The price of some of Australia’s key commodities has risen this year, supporting demand for those working in the mining, resources and energy industry,” he said.

“The AI-related data centre investment boom is also helping drive demand for workers across the construction industry.”

He also said the need to fill key roles in the construction industry was demonstrated by the rise in job ads and the healthy salaries on offer, as Australia looks to boost its productivity and infrastructure.

“Governments across Australia have continued to invest in infrastructure, with large-scale projects underway in most Australian states, as well as major rail projects in each of Australia’s eastern states,” he said.

“These projects help drive demand.”

Away from mining and construction, the rise of AI is becoming apparent in other roles that are in high demand.

This includes platform engineers, who help in the creation and maintenance of websites and online platforms.

Chapman said businesses do not want to be left behind in the AI race and want to adapt quickly to the changing technological landscape.

According to the data from Seek, platform engineers can earn, on average, about $145,000 a year.

Some jobs outside these sectors are growing in demand while offering competitive salaries, though they are all management roles.

Workshop managers who could work in various trades can earn about $115,000 a year, with the number of ads for such positions rising by 38 per cent.

Care managers, who work in healthcare and medical settings, can earn about $127,000 a year, with rising demand as Australia’s population grows older.