These five jobs have seen the biggest wage rises in Australia

With record-low unemployment, record-high inflation and a cost of living crisis, these are the jobs that will get you a fatter pay packet.

As inflation soars and cost of living pressures see Aussies struggle, finding a job where wages are actually increasing can be difficult.

But, according to Seek, it’s not impossible.

In fact, new data from the job website has shown that some roles have had their average salaries grow by more than 30 per cent in the last two years.

It said money was the top reason for people to change jobs, with 40 per cent of those workers surveyed by the website saying financial compensation was now more important to them than before the pandemic. However other things such as team morale and culture, as well as the ability to work remotely, also came into play.

Closed borders through the pandemic led to record-low unemployment as well as labour and skills shortages, leading some industries to increase wages in order to attract workers.

This has led to the global phenomenon of the Great Resignation, and saw almost 10 per cent of Aussie workers – 1.3 million people – change jobs last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Around 1.3 million people changed jobs in Australia last year – a figure not seen since 2012. Picture: iStock

Kris Grant, CEO of management consultancy ASPL, said the ABS data was clear evidence that the country was seeing the start of the Great Resignation in Australia.

“We have seen the turnover rate jump up to a 10-year high of 9.5 per cent as the labour market tightens and unemployment rate drops to a near 50-year low of 3.9 per cent,” she said.

“Employees who aren’t happy will walk and increasingly, they are using their bargaining power to ask for higher salaries.”

Seek sales and service director Stephen Tuffley said some of the industries that have seen the highest wage growth include trades and services, information technology, and hospitality and tourism.

“I think what hirers are finding is that it’s not only pay … it’s also about the perks and benefits and the flexibility that hirers can offer,” he told Weekend Sunrise.

“We know that salary is the most important thing for candidates, but those things are important as well.

Employees are using their bargaining power at the moment to get better salaries. Picture: iStock

“In light of coming out of Covid, we know that a lot more people want to work from home and there are some roles now that are fully remote and other roles that only require you to be in the office one or two days a week and some people are looking for that.

“Some of the other perks that might be offered are gym membership or a free lunch once a week, or other things like that to try and build some morale and culture within the companies.”

According to Seek, the five jobs in Australia which have had the highest wage increases over the last two years are:

• leasing manager – up 36 per cent to $109,949

• education consultant – up 35 per cent to $82,401

• resident medical officer – up 31 per cent to $128,812

• depot manager – up 30 per cent to $90,227

• infrastructure inspector – up 29 per cent to $105,515

(See the full list here.)

For those simply wanting a payrise in their current job, Mr Tuffley advised to do your homework first.

“Look at what jobs that you do are going for at the moment and if there is a big difference between what you’re getting paid and what others are offering, that should at least give you a reason to have a conversation with your boss,” he said.

Originally published as These five jobs have seen the biggest wage rises in Australia