Top paying jobs in Australia where salaries are rising due to high demand

Demand has increased for certain workers with those in certain industries enjoying wage increases. Here are the top paying jobs where salaries are rising.

Australians looking to get into a well paid job that’s also in high demand should look at the dental, mining, aged care and technology sectors.

Jobs website seek.com.au have released data showing positions that have recorded the biggest increase in job advertisements and a rise in wages.

It found education leaders, carpenters, job acquisition specialists and outside school hours care educators were the most in demand, with all of them recording an increase in job adverts of more than 150 per cent between June and August this year, compared to the same period in 2019.

The most highly paid position was a dentist on an average salary of $144,000.

But the information and communication technology sector (ICT) featured many different roles in the top 20. They include a devops engineer, Java developer, full stack software engineer, software developer and software engineer, which all had average salaries of over $119,000.

The mining and resources industry was another popular sector with high demand for a heavy duty fitter, drill fitter, automotive electrician and heavy diesel fitter — all commanding salaries of more than $121,000.

Those trained to be facilities managers in the aged care sector were also sought after, with a lucrative $133,000 average salary.

The demand for these roles has flowed through to wage increases in all these positions.

Software developers are among the most highly paid and in-demand jobs. Picture: iStock

Michael Page Australia director Greg Allen believes the growth in salaries is due to the imbalance of supply and demand.

Mr Allen said border closures had exacerbated a skills shortage and many employers were seeking a solution through bigger pay packets.

“Border closures have played a key role, but we’ve also seen a number of people doing online courses during Covid with a view of changing career,” Mr Allen said.

“More people are also prioritising job security, and employers are offering more money as encouragement to make a move.”

There is now evidence that hospitality wages are also on the rise due to a significant labour shortage, although the SEEK data only shows a modest increase as it was compiled prior to the end of lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales.

Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive officer Wes Lambert told Sky News host Chris Kenny that nearly 40 per cent of all jobs advertised at SEEK were hospitality jobs.

“We’re hearing of some businesses paying into the $40 an hour for positions that are normally in the 20s and sign on bonuses.”

Meanwhile SEEK reported that the manufacturing, transport and logistics sector was one of the industries to report the highest volume of job ad growth.

SEEK says the average salary for delivery drivers had increased by 10 per cent in June-August and is now $54,415.

Operations supervisors have also recorded a 10 per cent lift over the same period with advertised salaries now averaging $87,578.

Mr Allen said the increase was being fuelled by the exponential growth in e-commerce during Covid-19, particularly during the lockdowns.

“Not only are there fewer candidates in the marketplace, but some companies have more budget because they are doing quite well,” Mr Allen said.

“However, we are seeing increases offered more in the casual, part time and fixed-term space. The permanent side is generally within the range that we saw before Covid.”

The trades and services industry has also shown strong growth in job ad volumes and salaries.

Salaries for licenced electricians are up 5 per cent to $74,689 and plumbers are up by 6 per cent to $72,660.

Adecco Australia managing director Kelly Van Nelson said there was a skills shortage across trades before the pandemic

“Now that Covid has impacted trade services as well, this skills gap has widened further,” she says.

“Many businesses are trying to attract new talent through offering enhanced salaries.”