A review by SEEK has shown that 63 per cent of industries in Australia have offered job seekers higher salaries in 2013, however not all industries and employees are better off.
While a large proportion of industries experienced salary increases, some also incurred a decrease in the last year. The average salary advertised on SEEK in 2013 was $81,055 – a decrease from $84,458 in 2012.
Industries including insurance and superannuation, sport and recreation, and community services and development offered an increase of up to 6 per cent in salary in the past year. Employees in the insurance and superannuation industry would have experienced a salary rise from $74,927 in 2012 to $79,834 in 2013.
Many jobs in construction and engineering revealed a decline in salary, and decreased by up to a 21 per cent for some positions. Despite the salary decrease in these roles, Rebecca Supierz from SEEK explained that positions in the mining and engineering sectors are still well off with the highest salary base nationally.
SEEK’s annual Salary Review revealed that the top five highest paid roles in Australia are in fact under the mining and engineering industry. Workers in positions like oil and gas geoscientists were paid up to $160,000 in 2013.
Sectors with shortages of workers, such as the healthcare and medical sectors showed a growth in salary of five per cent. Some workers in healthcare and medicine experienced salary rises from an average $82,000 in 2012 to just under $86,000 in 2013.
It also seems employers and employees are at odds in terms of salary expectations.
The research indicated that 46 per cent of employers felt that young workers aged 18-24 have set unrealistically high standards of living. In turn, high expectations set by these young workers have placed pressure on employers to meet their demands.
