Top 20 high paying jobs in Australia

When searching for jobs, it’s likely that the salary range is one of the first couple of things we look for before even deciding whether or not to apply. In fact, 71%¹ of job seekers are most attracted to a new job because of the pay, so it’s safe to say that money plays a huge factor during our job search journey. But when it comes to finding high paying jobs in Australia, which ones are more likely to come with a higher than average paycheck, and what does it take to snag them?

High paying jobs in Australia can be found across a range of industries

Fortunately, there are many jobs across various industries in Australia that come with that coveted six-figure salary. And while some are more competitive than others, a university degree is not always necessary to attain them. In fact, a number of high paying jobs in Australia require only experience and relevant certifications.

To help you achieve your financial goals this year, we delved into Indeed’s salary data to shine a light on the top 20 jobs in Australia that currently pay more than $130,000 per year—meaning you’d be taking home over $40,000 more than the current national average—and how you can secure them.

20 jobs that pay more than $130K:

Professor
$183,330
Industry: Education
Requirements: PhD, 3-7 years teaching experience, wealth of published research in a relevant field.

Project director
$182,269
Industry: Various – Construction/Finance/Resources
Requirements: Diploma or university degree in business-related field, 5-10 years of project management experience.

General practitioner
$177,007
Industry: Healthcare
Requirements: Medical degree, 1 year internship, 1+ years’ residency, 3+ years of vocational training.

Senior counsel
$163,699
Industry: Law
Requirements: Law degree, completion of Practical Legal Training (PLT), 18-24 months of supervised practice.

Senior solution architect
$161,215
Industry: Various – Tech/Retail/Business
Requirements: Tertiary qualified in computer science, IT or software engineering disciplines. A minimum of 6 years' work experience with network administration in hardware and software.

Director of finance
$153,351
Industry: Various – Business/Finance/Tech/Retail/Media
Requirements: Diploma or university degree in business-related field, 5+ years of experience in a finance manager role.

Superintendent
$153,265
Industry: Construction
Requirements: Trade or tertiary (increasingly looked on favourably) qualified in building related discipline, 5-10 years of industry experience.

Construction manager
$146,428
Industry: Various – Construction/Resources
Requirements: Degree in construction management, project management, civil engineering or other related disciplines, 5+ years of industry experience.

Clinical director
$146,253
Industry: Healthcare
Requirements: Degree in clinical administration, medical science, psychology or other related disciplines, 5+ years of experience in a clinical director or other managerial role.

Head of marketing
$144,329
Industry: Various – Business/Finance/Tech/Retail/Media
Requirements: Degree in marketing or communications, 5+ years of experience in a marketing manager role.

Senior product manager
$144,077
Industry: Various – Tech/Resources/Retail
Requirements: Relevant qualifications in IT, marketing or business (a Bachelor’s degree is also favourable, but not essential), 5+ years of experience in product or project management.

Financial controller
$139,670
Industry: Various – Business/Tech/Construction/Resources/Retail
Requirements: Degree in Accounting or business-related field, 5+ years of experience in a similar role.

Senior developer
$138,941
Industry: Various – Tech/Retail/Business
Requirements: Diploma or university degree in computer science, engineering or related field, 5+ years of experience in a similar role.

Psychiatrist
$137,799
Industry: Healthcare
Requirements: Medical degree, 1 year internship, 1+ years’ residency, 3+ years of vocational training.

Technology coordinator
$137,542
Industry: Various – Business/Tech/Banking/Media
Requirements: Degree in IT or computer technology related field, 2+ years of experience as an IT coordinator or related role.

Senior java developer
$136,979
Industry: Various – Tech/Retail/Business
Requirements: Diploma or university degree in computer science, engineering or related field, 2-5 years of experience in software development and coding.

Change manager
$135,696
Industry: Various – Business/Finance/Tech/Retail/Media
Requirements: Degree in a business-related field, 5+ years of industry experience.

Associate dentist
$133,005
Industry: Healthcare
Requirements: Degree in dentistry, dental science or dental surgery, registration with the Dental board of Australia, 2-5 years of experience.

Senior sales specialist
$132,608
Industry: Various – Business/Finance/Tech/Retail/Media
Requirements: Companies may accept candidates with significant in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, 5-10 years of sales experience.

Senior civil engineer
$130,782
Industry: Various – Construction/Resources
Requirements: Degree in engineering (civil engineering is preferred), 5+ years of civil engineering experience.

Are these high paying jobs future-proof?

It’s no secret that the Australian labour market is facing multiple challenges that have been impacting our unemployment rate and wage growth.

While we have seen a significant decline in jobs in industries such as construction and manufacturing, there is good news for most of the high paying jobs on our list, especially those in the legal, finance and healthcare sectors.

Tech roles also have bright futures in Australia. Roles on our list such as solution architect and senior developer are great choices for job seekers with the relevant skills that are looking for high paying, future-proof jobs.

What if your job is not on this list?

While this article highlights a small portion of high paying jobs in Australia, there are of course countless others that pay equally well.

But it’s important to remember that money is not always the most important factor during a job search. And sometimes, not all businesses can offer the most competitive salaries. In these cases, you can often ask for other benefits, such as flexible working conditions or paid parental leave, to offset what might be a lower than average paycheck.

Whether your job falls in this list of the most high paying jobs in Australia or not, it’s good to be aware of the average salary for your type of role in your region (or the roles you are recruiting for). With Indeed’s salary search tool, you can look for salaries by job title or company name, and you can even get personalised salary insights based on your specific circumstances.

¹Indeed survey with Decipher/FocusVision, N=1,000

Methodology: To create this list, we calculated average salaries for job titles with at least 50 salary records in 2022

Note: The education/work experience requirements listed for each role are to be used as a guide only. Exact requirements will differ between employers.