The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has released official statistics on the highest-earning occupations across Australia based on millions of individual tax return lodgments. The data confirms that specialist healthcare professions continue to dominate, alongside leading roles in finance, legal practice, and mining engineering.
Top 10 Highest-Earning Professions in Australia
| Rank | Occupation Title | Average Taxable Income (AUD/year) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgeons (General and Specialist) | AUD 519,998 |
| 2 | Anaesthetists | AUD 475,455 |
| 3 | Internal Medicine Specialists | AUD 362,120 |
| 4 | Financial Dealers & Market Brokers | AUD 347,375 |
| 5 | Psychiatrists | AUD 305,282 |
| 6 | Other Medical Practitioners & Specialists | AUD 277,728 |
| 7 | Judicial and Legal Professionals | AUD 217,127 |
| 8 | Mining Engineers | AUD 216,080 |
| 9 | Financial Investment Advisers & Managers | AUD 202,840 |
| 10 | Chief Executive Officers & Managing Directors | AUD 200,418 |
1. Medical specialists command 5 of the top 10 positions
Surgeons maintain the number one position nationally with average earnings surpassing AUD 519,000 per annum, reflecting acute demand for specialized surgical care, extensive postgraduate residency requirements, and hospital operational complexities.
2. Mining and financial engineering leadership
Mining engineers in Western Australia and Queensland, alongside institutional financial dealers in Sydney and Melbourne, represent the highest-paying non-medical careers in Australia.
Career migration pathways with De1 Consultancy
De1 Consultancy advises international graduates and skilled professionals on aligning academic qualifications with high-earning Australian employment sectors.
Source: Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Taxation Statistics / De1 Economic Analysis
