Even in the modern age of cut-throat business and human resources, people tend to hold their cards tight to their chest when it comes to their earnings. While you probably know your co-workers are earning a comparable salary to you, it can be surprisingly hard to guess how much those employed in other industries are taking home. So let’s throw back the curtain on who’s really earning in Australia – and who isn’t.

1. Miners – Avg $2597 per week

Living in Australia, the super-rich names are all in mining and natural resources, and it seems reasonable that the industry moving the most money in and out of the country also pays the most to its workers. A typical case of hard pay for hard work, mining companies offer staggering salaries for even modest positions, which attracts many who feel they have nothing to lose or are willing to make sacrifices to get ahead.

2. Teachers and Education Workers – Avg $1640 per week

This might come as a shock to those who hear about constant cuts to education budgets, but our nation’s educators sit well above the average weekly salary. Beating out supposedly more lucrative industries such as construction, real estate and transport, our teachers may still argue that they are underpaid – in many countries they earn more, and this figure includes corporate trainers as well – but they aren’t doing too badly.

3. Utilities Service Workers – Avg $1734 per week

Contrary to the common belief that Australian tradies have it made, those working in gas, water and waste sectors can seem unglamorous stooges. But they are laughing all the way to the bank as the fifth highest paid industry by ABS statistics.

4. IT & Telecomms – $1806 per week

With computers only becoming more relevant to all sectors of business over time, those with the skills to use them are forever in demand and command the salaries to match. They are poised to overtake financial and insurance workers as the second highest paid industry.

5. Artists – Avg $1368 per week

The lowest earning industry on this list and closing it out, Australia’s artists are well below the all-sector average pay rate. But some readers might not realise they still pull bigger paychecks than many “hard working” positions in the manufacturing, administration and retail industries, on a par with workers in real estate jobs. Still, I would argue that our artists are undervalued compared to what they offer the nation; they are trained and highly skilled professionals working very long hours, on top of the inestimable quality art brings to a nation starving for culture. Reference: Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ‘Average Weekly Earnings’.