You won’t believe which Aussie job pays over $470,000 a year — and it’s not what you think!

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has unveiled the country’s highest-paying jobs, with surgeons once again leading the pack – earning a staggering average of $472,475 a year, more than six times the average taxable income of $74,240.

There are just 4,247 surgeons across Australia, making their elite earnings even more striking. Medical professionals dominated the rankings, with anaesthetists taking second place on $447,193 annually, followed by internal medicine specialists on $342,457.

Financial dealers were the highest-paid non-medical professionals, taking home an average of $355,233 – though their earnings dipped by $18,500 compared to the previous year. These roles include stockbrokers and others conducting financial market transactions.

The ATO said its findings are based on tax return data from the 2022–23 financial year and show notable income increases across most top professions.

Chief executive officers and managing directors were the most populous of the high earners, with a massive 231,103 people in the role, earning an average of $194,987 per year.

Here’s the full list of Australia’s top 10 highest-paid jobs:

1. Surgeon – $472,475 (↑ $12,119)
2. Anaesthetist – $447,193 (↑ $16,000)
3. Financial dealer – $355,233 (↓ $18,500)
4. Internal medicine specialist – $342,457 (↑ $1,728)
5. Psychiatrist – $286,146 (↑ $9,601)
6. Other medical practitioners – $259,802 (↑ $4,048)
7. Mining engineer – $206,423 (↓ $7,942)
8. Judicial/legal professionals – $206,408 (↑ $1,474)
9. CEO/managing director – $194,987 (↓ $2,733)
10. Financial investment advisor/manager – $191,986 (↑ $6,152)

The average income of Australians rose to $74,240 (up from $72,327), while the median income climbed to $55,868.

Interestingly, updated data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults rose to $1,975.80 in November 2024 – an annualised figure of $102,741.60.

ATO figures also revealed that nearly half of Australians (44.9%) fall within the $45,001 to $120,000 tax bracket, while only 5.3% earn over $180,000 – yet this small group contributes a whopping 37% of net tax.

Meanwhile, the average superannuation balance increased to $172,834, while the median reached $60,037.

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