The Australian Taxation Office has released stats revealing the Australian postcodes with the highest and lowest salaries, as well as revealing the highest paid professions in Australia.
The Eastern Sydney 2027 postcode came in at the top of the list of earners in 2015-16. This area includes the suburbs of Darling Point, Edgecliff, HMAS Rushcutter and Point Piper, with residents logging average taxable incomes of $192,500, according to the 2015-16 taxation statistics.
This evidence is based off of 5,995 residents who reported their income to the ATO in the time period.
The lowest reported taxable income in Australia can also be found in NSW. Far west postcode 2387, home to Bulyerio and Rowena, reported an average taxable income of $12,004: however, only 135 taxpayers can be attributed to the postcode.
The Australian Taxation Office report is an overview of 16 million 2016 income tax returns for 13.5 million individual, 940,000 companies and superannuation funds, partnerships and trusts.
The report also included the highest average taxable income according to profession. including the ten highest paying occupations in Australia. If you’re a surgeon, you have the highest average taxable income of any job in the country, at $393,467.
Medical-based professions accounted for four of the top five highest average taxable incomes, while chief executives and managing directors sneak into the bottom of the list. Here are the top ten professions, with their average incomes and number of individuals working in each area:
Top average taxable income by occupation
- Surgeons – $393,467 – 3,822
- Anaesthetists – $359,056 – 3,181
- Internal medical specialists – $291,140 – 8,191
- Financial dealers – $263,309 – 4,617
- Psychiatrists – $211,024 – 2,740
- Other medical practitioners – $199,590 – 27,461
- Judicial and other legal professionals – $198,219 – 3,073
- Mining engineers – $166,557 – 8,655
- Chief executives and managing directors – $158,249 – 166,741
- Engineering managers – $148,152 – 25,457
The report also suggested that of almost 1,200 professions that were recorded, there were less than 100 occupations where females clocked an average taxable income that was higher than males.
The occupations where women were paid an higher taxable income than men included receptionist, school teacher, beautician and goat farmer.
The postcodes with the highest average earnings per taxpayer were almost exclusively in Victoria and New South Wales, with the only other state to get a mention being Western Australia, with the Cottesloe area coming it at number eight.
Here are the top-earning postcodes on average in Australia (and number of taxpayers):
- 2027 (Darling Point, Edgecliff, HMAS Rushcutters, Point Piper) – $192,500 – 5,995
- 3142 (Hawksburn, Toorak) – $190,777 – 10,063
- 2030 (Dover Heights, HMAS Watson, Rose Bay North, Vaucluse, Watsons Bay) – $182,829 – 9,819
- 2023 (Bellevue Hill) – $180,412 – 7,254
- 3944 (Portsea) – $167,266 – 445
- 2088 (Mosman, Spit Junction) – $161,360 – 19,753
- 2063 (Northbridge) – $159,736 – 4,298
- 6011 (Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove) – $150,230 – 6,443
- 2110 (Hunter Hill, Woolwich) -$147,757 – 6,050
- 2028 (Double Bay) – $146,521 – 3,520
Postcodes with the lowest taxable income on average (and number of taxpayers):
- 2387 (Bulyeroi, Rowena) – $12,004 – 135
- 3482 (Watchem, Watchem West, Morton Plains, Warmur, Massey) – $15,411 – 98
- 4732 (Tablederry, Muttaburra) – $18,291 – 82
- 3889 (Errinundra, Manorina, Club Terrace, Combienbar, Bemm River, Cabbage Tree Creek, Bellbird Creek) – $21,540 – 82
- 2308 (Newcastle University, Callaghan) – $22,119 – 136
- 3542 (Tittybong, Cokum, Lalbert) – $22,520 – 108
- 2386 (Burren Junction, Nowley, Drildool) – $23,641 – 216
- 5306 (Wynarka) – $23,881 – 58
- 3391 (Brim) – $24,261 – 79
- 3237 (Weeaproinah, Wyelangta, Yuulong, Beech Forest, Ferguson, Gellibrand Lower, Wattle Hill, Aire Valley) – $24,642 – 120.