The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has published an article which examines the wage and salary income variations across Local Government Regions, using key data to explore which LGAs enjoy higher wage and salaries and which one’s have a case for improved wage conditions.

 

According to statistics released by the ABS, New South Wales dominated the higher paid councils, with the state claiming the top five highest paid councils, with four Western Australian councils and one South Australian council.

 

Map 1. Average annual wage and salary income by LGA, 2008-09

 

 

The ABS found that all LGAs in Australia experienced growth in average annual wage and salary between 2003 and 2009, with Western Australia recording the highest proportion of wage increases for LGA employees. Many LGAs in the Perth metropolitan area also experienced relatively high growth in average Wage and salary income, with average annual growth rates above 6%. Many of the metropolitan areas of Australia's other capital cities experienced average annual growth rates of Wage and salary income that were very close to or only slightly below the Australian average growth rate of 4.8%. 

 

 

Map2. Growth of average annual wage and salary income 2003 – 2009

 

The data released by the ABS also shows that there is not necessarily a correlation between high wage and salary growth and actual salary and wages. For example, Tammin experienced the second highest annual growth of wage and salary at 11.9 per cent, but the average wage and salary income in the region was $32.198.

 

Conversely, a high wage and salary does not translate to a rapid wage growth. The City of Stronnington, in Melbourne’s southeast, had an average wage and salary of $63,775 in 2008-09 but only a growth rate of 3.8 per cent.

 

The full article can be found here