The average taxable income of Australian wastewater or water plant operators increased 2.4 per cent to $88,495 in the latest official income data, making it the highest paid job in the waste sector.
Meanwhile, the average taxable income of recycling workers increased by 3.7 per cent to $48,178, according to new data from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) for the 2021-22 financial year.
The recycling workforce is male dominated, with 2075 men versus 467 women. Females earned $40,982 on average and men $49,798.
Breaking down the data by profession and sex, Australia’s 4119 male wastewater or water plant operators had an average taxable income of $89,463 (median $87,312), about $2627 (three per cent) more than the previous year.
The 280 female wastewater or water plant operators earned $74,247 (median $70,983), about $4178 (5.3 per cent) less than their male counterparts.
Meanwhile, the average taxable income across 3496 garbage collectors was $68,761 (median $71,216) – about $1500 (2.9 per cent) more than the year before. Male garbage collectors earned $69,837 on average, according to the latest data, while females earned $51,826.
These professions aligned with the average taxable income of all Australians, which increased from $68,289 to $72,327 in 2021-22. The median wage rose from $50,980 to $53,041 for the same period. However, the information is limited in nature; for example, it only includes data visible to the tax department and captures annual incomes of all part-time, casual and fulltime workers.
The 2021-22 data is the latest available.
Top 10 earning professions (men and women grouped together):
- Ophthalmologist – $644,898
- Plastic and reconstructive surgeon – $608,669
- Neurosurgeon – $593,221
- Otolaryngologist/ENT – $576,925
- Urologist – $543,818
- Cardiologist – $513,526
- Orthopaedic specialist – $504,563
- Vascular surgeon – $490,193
- Cardiothoracic surgeon – $473,371
- Judge – $459,843
.png){kind=small}
