Despite the slowdown in job ads, the average advertised salary across Australia is on the rise
Despite the slowdown in job ads (-6.5%, May 2019), the average advertised salary across Australia is on the rise and up 3.5% (y/y, May 2019) with the average at $86,222 in comparison to $83,277 in 2018.
That’s according to SEEK’s bi-annual salary figures that examine all things pay related.
In 2019, the top five industries showing the most salary growth are Mining, Resources & Energy, Construction, Consulting & Strategy, Engineering and Information & Communication Technology with each of these industries reporting an average salary upwards of $108K.
Within these industries, Architects and Management positions (held in Mining, Resources & Energy, Engineering, Information & Communication Technology and Accounting) have the highest paying roles across the nation with a salary ranging from $130,302 - $142,196.
READ MORE: How to negotiate your salary
Moreover, despite business’ efforts to create equality in the workplace, a gender imbalance still exists across Australia’s employment landscape, with a 14.1% gender pay gap.
Indeed, the SEEK data reveals there is a difference in salary for roles men and women apply for on the site.
The biggest discrepancy in salary was seen in ACT, where on average, men applied for roles that were nearly $6,000 more than roles women applied for. This gap was followed by South Australia (3.4%), Tasmania (3%) and Victoria (2%), with Queensland (3%) displaying the smallest difference in salary.
READ MORE: Australian HR salary trends revealed
Kendra Banks, Managing Director for SEEK ANZ, said one of the reasons that this gap exists in roles applied for on SEEK is that women tend to deter from roles which detail a long skill set requirement.
“We encourage hirers and recruiters to make their job ads as concise as possible, with the right information,” said Banks.
“Unsurprisingly, salary is a taboo subject for many and discussed infrequently in the workplace. In a recent SEEK report, 26% of women were dissatisfied with their current salary and only one in four had ever negotiated or asked for a pay rise.
“I would definitely encourage candidates to take the reins and
approach these challenging conversations with greater confidence.”
