This document was added or updated on 31/10/2012.

WAGES AND SALARIES BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS


Introduction
Regional variations in wage and salary income, 2008-09
Growth of average annual wage and salary income, 2003-04 to 2008-09
Further information


INTRODUCTION

An analysis of geographical variations in average 'Wage and salary earner' income has been released in Perspectives on Regional Australia: Variations in Wage and Salary Income between Local Government Areas (LGAs), 2003-04 to 2008-09 (cat. no. 1380.0.55.006). The Perspectives article uses data for local government areas (LGA) from Wage and Salary Earner Statistics for Small Areas, Time Series, 2003-04 to 2008-09 (cat. no. 5673.0.55.003). The analysis at the LGA level will support local governments, policy makers and researchers who use LGA boundaries for planning and policy decisions.

For most people, household income is the most important determinant of their economic well-being and their ability to support a minimum material standard of living. Household income also contributes to the economic well-being of the communities and regions in which people live. Although people may receive income from a number of sources, over 80% of all income earned by Australian taxpayers is derived from wages and salaries.

Analysing geographical variations in average Wage and salary income can provide valuable information about the relative advantage or disadvantage of different regions. The data presented in this article can be used to explore questions such as:

• Which LGAs had higher average Wage and salary income compared to others?
• Which LGAs experienced higher growth in Wage and salary income compared to others?
• Which LGAs with high average Wage and salary income experienced either above or below average income growth?
• Which LGAs with low average Wage and salary income experienced either above or below average income growth?

The following are some highlights for local government areas from the Perspectives article.REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, 2008-09

In Australia, the average income from wages and salaries was $46,599 in 2008-09. This amount has increased from $36,889 in 2003-04, at an average annual rate of 4.8%. Map 1 shows regional variations in average annual Wage and salary income in 2008-09 by Local Government Area (LGA). The LGAs with the highest average income from wages and salaries were the inner metropolitan areas of Australia's capital cities or mining areas, such as Roebourne (S) in Western Australia and Roxby Downs (M) in South Australia. However, the majority of LGAs recorded average Wage and salary incomes below the Australian average, and these were generally located outside of major cities.


GROWTH OF AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, 2003-04 TO 2008-09

All LGAs in Australia experienced growth in average annual Wage and salary income between 2003-04 and 2008-09. Map 2 shows that the majority of LGAs with high average annual growth rates of Wage and salary income were located in rural agricultural or mining areas. 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%.

While Brisbane (C) as a whole LGA experienced an above average growth rate of Wage and salary income (5.6%), there are significant variations of income growth between the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) within this LGA. For example, the inner suburban SLAs of Balmoral, Bulimba and Hawthorne all experienced high growth rates of 7.4%, yet the outer suburban SLAs of Sunnybank, MacGregor and Robertson all had below average growth rates of 3.5%.


FURTHER INFORMATION

To read the full article, refer to Perspectives on Regional Australia: Variations in Wage and Salary Income between Local Government Areas (LGAs). 2003-04 to 2008-09 (cat. no. 1380.0.55.006).

For more information on data available at the LGA level visit Finding data for Local Government Areas.