New analysis by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) has found you can earn a higher net income across more than 80 occupations by being based in regional, rural and remote Australia, rather than a major city.
Beyond City Limits: Unveiling Income Premiums in Regional Australia analyses the nature and extent of income differences between major city and regional occupations, utilising integrated Census and Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data, covering 80 per cent of the nation’s workforce, and after deducting housing costs.
In Inner Regional and Outer Regional areas, which covers the New England region, it found an income premium for four out of eight major occupation groups: technicians and trades workers, community and personal service workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers.
Further, there are more than 80 individual jobs where net incomes are higher across all four remoteness categories, compared to major cities, including:
· Chief Executives
· Manufacturers
· Electrical Engineers
· Special Education Teachers
· Vocational Education Teachers
· General Practitioners
· Counsellors
· Motor Mechanics
· Plasterers
· Electricians
· Bakers and Pastrycooks
· Butchers and Smallgoods Makers
· Ambulance Officers and Paramedics
· Child Carers
· Aged and Disabled Carers
· Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials
· Retail Supervisors
· Truck Drivers
· Domestic Cleaners
· Chefs
RAI CEO Liz Ritchie says this new analysis shines a light on opportunities, not just for the regions, but the entire national workforce.
“This report busts the long-held myth that you have to live in a major city to earn a high income. The truth is, there are high regional incomes available in many occupations for those who look beyond metropolitan boundaries – which means more money in the pockets of hardworking Australians,” Ms Ritchie said.
“There are labour shortages across the regions. More than 67,000 job vacancies in regional Australia were advertised online in January– a level 62.7 per cent higher than the five-year pre-COVID average.”
“We need more people to know about the career opportunities in regional Australia. There are plenty of good jobs, where you can earn a very good income. Combine that with the regions’ liveability factors, like less traffic, more affordable housing and access to nature and you can understand why so many people have already made the move.”
The report found, after controlling factors that impact income such as age, gender, education, industry and occupation, compared to major cities overall net income is:
· 13.6 per cent higher in very remote Australia
· 12.8 per cent higher in remote Australia
· Comparable with outer regional Australia
· 2.4% lower in Inner Regional Australia
In addition to the report, the RAI is also today unveiling a new interactive online tool, providing users with real-time, location-specific insights into regional labour markets.
The Regional Jobs Guide provides insights into five key areas: the number of jobs advertised online, vacancies as proportion of total jobs, the innovative Regional Indicator of Stable Employment, the labour force participation rate and the unemployment rate.
Ms Ritchie says the tool bridges information gaps between metropolitan and regional labour markets, offering granular insights and advanced filtering options and will be updated monthly to ensure users have access to the latest job market trends.
“The Regional Indicator of Stable Employment metric is unique to the Regional Jobs Guide, offering a picture of labour market efficiency and employment stability across regional Australia, by assessing the balance between job seekers and job vacancies in an area. This index will enable targeted responses to regional employment challenges,” Ms Ritchie said.
“Region-specific data is vitally important to job seekers considering a move to the regions. The more data we can collect and collate on individual areas, the better we can inform decision-makers developing and driving regional employment policy and programs.”
Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Areas, by Local Government:
Inner Regional Armidale, Glen Innes, Tamworth and Uralla. Outer Regional Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Narrabi, Tenterfield and Walcha.
Select occupations with income premiums across all four regional Australia ASGS Remoteness Areas:
| OCCUPATION | INNER REGIONAL | OUTER REGIONAL |
| Chief Executives | 1.32% | 4.41% |
| Electrical Engineers | 4.85% | 2.02% |
| Vocational Education Teachers | 9.05% | 6.74% |
| General Practitioners | 1.54% | 6.61% |
| Counsellors | 2.14% | 3.54% |
| Bakers and Pastrycooks | 8.48% | 9.34% |
| Butchers and Smallgoods Makers | 3.26% | 2.21% |
| Ambulance Officers and Paramedics | 1.70% | 2.95% |
| Child Carers | 6.29% | 7.15% |
| Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials | 1.23% | 1.73% |
View the entire report here.