Australia's average salary revealed: How much the 'ordinary' Aussie earns
The average salary in Australia is now just over $60,000, new data from the Australian Tax Office has revealed.
Data from the 2018-2019 financial year shows that the average salary for Australians who submitted tax returns was $63,085, up by $1634 from the year prior.
The median reported salary (which provides a more accurate picture of the "average" Aussie as the figure is not pulled higher by millionaires) for 2018-19 was $52,732.
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Surgeons, lawyers, CEOs and miners dominated the top 10 high-income earners. AAP
The data revealed a stark difference between the earnings of Australian men and women.
In 2018-19, Australian men earned a median taxable income of $55,829, compared to $40,547 for women.
For that same financial year, Australians paid a median net tax of more than $11,000.
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In 2018-19, Australian men earned a median taxable income of $55,829, compared to $40,547 for women. Sam Mooy
When broken down by locality, NSW home by the lion's share of high-income earners.
Australia's wealthiest suburb was Double Bay (postcode 2028) in Sydney, where individuals boasted an average taxable income of $202,598.
It was closely followed by Toorak (3142) in Melbourne, with an average income of $201,926.
The only suburb in the top 10 that was not in NSW or Victoria was Cottesloe (6011) in Western Australia.
Cottesloe ranked six, with its residents earning an average income of $179,376.
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On average, more wealthy people lived in NSW - and specifically in Sydney's east - than anywhere else in Australia. Getty Images/iStockphoto
A full list of the top 10 postcodes – and highest-earning occupations – can be found below.
Surgeons were once again the country's highest-paid individuals on average, earning $394,303.
They were closely followed by anaesthetists on $386,065 and internal medicine specialists on $304,752.
Other noticeable inclusions were financial dealers ($275,984), mining engineers ($184,507) and chief executive officers ($164,896).
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Australian's Average Taxable Income 2018-2019*
Male | Female | Total | |
Average taxable income ($) | 73,218 | 51,382 | 62,549 |
Median taxable income ($) | 55,829 | 40,547 | 47,492 |
Top 10 Postcodes by Average Taxable Income 2018-2019*
Rank | Postcode | Suburb | State | Income |
1 | 2028 | Double Bay | NSW | $202,598 |
2 | 3142 | Hawksburn, Toorak | VIC | $201,926 |
3 | 2027 | Darling Point | NSW | $199,813 |
4 | 2030 | Dover Heights, Vaucluse | NSW | $197,886 |
5 | 2025 | Woollahra | NSW | $183,418 |
6 | 6011 | Cottesloe | WA | $179,376 |
7 | 3944 | Portsea | VIC | $175,356 |
8 | 2023 | Bellevue Hill | NSW | $173,356 |
9 | 2088 | Mosman | NSW | $171,135 |
10 | 2063 | Northbridge | NSW | $168,891 |
Top 10 Occupations by Average Taxable Income 2018-2019*
Rank | Occupation | Income |
1 | Surgeon | $394,303 |
2 | Anaesthetist | $386,065 |
3 | Internal Medicine Specialist | $304,752 |
4 | Financial Dealer | $275,984 |
5 | Psychiatrist | $235,558 |
6 | Other Medical Practitioner | $222,933 |
7 | Judicial or other legal professionals | $188,798 |
8 | Mining Engineer | $184,507 |
9 | Chief Executive Officer | $164,896 |
10 | Engineering Manager | $159,940 |
*Australian Tax Office data for financial year 2018-2019.
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