5673.0.55.001 - Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics, Australia - Electronic Publication, 2000-01  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/12/2003   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

TASMANIA

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


For the financial year 2000-01, the average individual annual wage and salary income for wage and salary earners in Tasmania was $30,411. This was an increase of 3.5% over the previous year ($29,385) and a 17.3% increase on the average in 1995-96 ($25,915). The average annual rate of increase over the last five years has been 3.3%. The overall increase of 17.3% since 1995-96 was the lowest of all the states and territories.

Over the period 1995-96 to 2000-01 Tasmanian employees had the lowest average wage and salary incomes in the nation. The difference between the average for Tasmania and the average for Australia was around $2,580 in 1995-96 and around $4,330 in 2000-01. The difference in average employee earnings between Tasmania and the state with the second lowest average earnings has more than doubled during the period 1995-96 to 2000-01, increasing from around $585 in 1995-96 to around $1,425 in 2000-01. In 2000-01 average earnings in Tasmania were $9,169 less than the average for employees in the Australian Capital Territory, the state/territory with the highest average ($39,580). It should be noted that in comparison to the other states and territories, Tasmania has the highest proportion of part-time employees which is a contributing factor to the low average incomes compiled from these ATO data.

Total wage and salary income paid to Tasmania's wage and salary earners increased from $4.4 billion in 1995-96 to $5.0 billion in 2000-01, an increase of 13.8%. The increase to 2000-01 over the last year was 4.4% (up from $4.8 billion) which was significantly higher than the average annual rate of increase for the last five years (2.6%). Over the five year period to 2000-01, the number of wage and salary earners has decreased by 3.1%, from around 170,270 people to 165,065 people.

AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME,
Tasmania and Australia, 1995-96 to 2000-01
Graph: Average Annual Wage and Salary Income, Tasmania and Australia, 1995-96 to 2000-01
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.


METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN TASMANIA

In 2000-01, 43.4% of the state's wage and salary earners resided in metropolitan Tasmania (i.e. Greater Hobart Statistical Division). Metropolitan Tasmania comprised 42.2% of the state's population aged 15 years and over in 2000-01.

The average wage and salary income for persons in the metropolitan area in 2000-01 was $31,677 or 7.7% more than the average for employees in non-metropolitan areas. The percentage difference between the average for persons in the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas has remained relatively steady over the five years from 1995-96 to 2000-01 fluctuating between a low of 6.9% in 1997-98 to a high of 8.2% in 1999-00. For the other years the percentage difference was around 7.7%.

WAGE AND SALARY EARNERS, Metropolitan(a) and non-metropolitan Tasmania, 1995-96 to 2000-01
% Change
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
1999-00 to 2000-01
1995-96 to 2000-01(b)
WAGE AND SALARY EARNERS (no.)
Metropolitan Tas.
73,112
72,320
71,192
71,016
70,778
71,643
1.2
-0.4
Non-metropolitan Tas.
96,432
94,725
93,302
92,850
92,196
92,741
0.6
-0.8
Total Tas.(c)
170,273
167,719
165,200
164,483
163,623
165,065
0.9
-0.6
WAGE AND SALARY INCOME ($m)
Metropolitan Tas.
1,974.5
2,016.8
2,046.4
2,113.5
2,172.7
2,269.5
4.5
2.8
Non-metropolitan Tas.
2,416.9
2,454.0
2,508.7
2,567.0
2,614.8
2,727.6
4.3
2.4
Total Tasmania(c)
4,412.7
4,491.9
4,577.2
4,699.9
4,808.0
5,019.7
4.4
2.6
AVERAGE WAGE AND SALARY INCOME ($)
Metropolitan Tas.
27,007
27,888
28,745
29,761
30,697
31,677
3.2
3.2
Non-metropolitan Tas.
25,064
25,907
26,888
27,647
28,362
29,411
3.7
3.3
Total Tas.(c)
25,915
26,782
27,707
28,574
29,385
30,411
3.5
3.3
Metropolitan/non-metropolitan difference(d) (%)
7.8
7.6
6.9
7.6
8.2
7.7
-
-
(a) Metropolitan Tasmania has been defined as comprising the Greater Hobart Statistical Division.
(b) Average annual rate of increase.
(c) Total includes data that could not be allocated to either metropolitan or non-metropolitan.
(d) Non-metropolitan Tasmania used as denominator to calculate percentage difference.
Note: Indigenous persons engaged in CDEP projects may be included in the above data for the years 1995-96 to 1997-98 and excluded for 1998-99 onwards. Consequently changes between 1997-98 and 1998-99 and 1995-96 and 2000-01 in particular need to be treated with caution. For further details please refer to the Explanatory Notes.
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.

AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME,
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan Tasmania, 1995-96 to 2000-01
Graph: Average Annual Wage and Salary Income, Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Tasmania, 1995-96 to 2000-01
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.


LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

In 2000-01, the local government area with the highest average wage and salary income in Tasmania was West Coast (M), with an annual average of $37,586. The main economic activity in the West Coast municipality is the mining of metallic minerals and, as is the case in many other parts of Australia, areas with mining activity generally exhibit high average incomes. However, the average for West Coast (M) is significantly lower than the average in many of the other mining LGAs on the mainland.

Hobart City Council had the second highest average wage and salary income in 2000-01 ($35,202), followed by the neighbouring LGAs of Kingborough ($32,637) and Clarence ($31,532). In the north of the state near Launceston, on the banks of the Tamar River, West Tamar and George Town municipalities also had relatively high averages with $30,924 and $30,887 respectively. The average in Launceston, the most populated local government area in Tasmania, was $30,163 - ranked 8th.

Of the 29 local government areas in the state, seven had averages above that for the state ($30,411) while two had averages above the national figure of $34,745.

LGAs WITH HIGHEST AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, Tasmania, 2000-01
LGA CodeLGA Name
$
65610West Coast (M)
37,586
62810Hobart (C)
35,202
63610Kingborough (M)
32,637
61410Clarence (C)
31,532
65810West Tamar (M)
30,924
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.


Local government areas along the east coast recorded the lowest average wage and salary incomes in Tasmania in 2000-01. Tasman (M) had the lowest average with $23,829 while Glamorgan/Spring Bay, Break O'Day and Southern Midlands municipalities had averages around $26,000 per annum. Flinders (M), i.e. Flinders Island, had the second lowest average in Tasmania ($25,371) and Huon Valley in the south of the state had the fourth lowest ($26,016). Agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism are the major industries in these LGAs and it should be noted that the wage and salary earner data presented here excludes persons in their own business such as farmers, fishermen and other local business owners. Low average incomes are also evident in areas with significant tourism activity as many employees are employed on a part-time basis.

LGAs WITH LOWEST AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, Tasmania, 2000-01
LGA CodeLGA Name
$
65210Tasman (M)
23,829
62010Flinders (M)
25,371
62410Glamorgan/Spring Bay (M)
25,797
63010Huon Valley (M)
26,016
60210Break O'Day (M)
26,155
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.

AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, LGAs, Tasmania, 2000-01
Map: Average Annual Wage and Salary Income, LGAs, Tasmania, 2000-01
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.

WAGE AND SALARY EARNERS, LGAs, Tasmania, 1999-2000 and 2000-01
1999-2000
2000-01
LGA CodeLGA Name
Wage and salary earners
Wage and salary income
Average wage and salary income
Wage and salary earners
Wage and salary income
Average wage and salary income
no.
$m
$
no.
$m
$
60210Break O'Day (M)
1,414
35.4
25,016
1,436
37.6
26,155
60410Brighton (M)
4,380
121.4
27,721
4,451
127.4
28,613
60610Burnie (C)
6,242
186.9
29,938
6,272
193.3
30,827
60810Central Coast (M)
6,955
196.0
28,182
6,925
203.0
29,313
61010Central Highlands (M)
835
23.6
28,240
829
24.2
29,188
61210Circular Head (M)
2,818
73.5
26,077
2,771
76.1
27,467
61410Clarence (C)
18,023
547.9
30,398
18,261
575.8
31,532
61510Derwent Valley (M)
3,160
91.0
28,784
3,124
92.9
29,745
61610Devonport (C)
8,725
246.3
28,228
8,715
253.3
29,065
61810Dorset (M)
2,509
65.0
25,912
2,503
68.4
27,325
62010Flinders (M)
294
7.2
24,653
313
7.9
25,371
62210George Town (M)
2,049
61.4
29,947
2,096
64.7
30,887
62410Glamorgan/Spring Bay (M)
1,134
28.1
24,749
1,159
29.9
25,797
62610Glenorchy (C)
14,565
405.7
27,853
14,695
419.1
28,517
62810Hobart (C)
18,427
630.2
34,200
18,563
653.5
35,202
63010Huon Valley (M)
4,238
106.6
25,144
4,319
112.4
26,016
63210Kentish (M)
1,424
37.8
26,513
1,413
37.6
26,631
63410King Island (M)
653
16.3
24,969
673
18.1
26,832
63610Kingborough (M)
10,946
344.0
31,423
11,177
364.8
32,637
63810Latrobe (M)
2,646
74.8
28,270
2,678
77.9
29,074
64010Launceston (C)
22,353
647.2
28,955
22,522
679.3
30,163
64210Meander Valley (M)
5,323
146.1
27,449
5,302
151.9
28,657
64610Northern Midlands (M)
4,092
113.4
27,704
4,202
121.2
28,850
64810Sorell (M)
3,685
100.8
27,347
3,764
106.2
28,220
65010Southern Midlands (M)
1,437
36.6
25,492
1,433
37.8
26,396
65210Tasman (M)
548
12.5
22,831
575
13.7
23,829
65410Waratah/Wynyard (M)
4,404
126.9
28,819
4,402
131.0
29,767
65610West Coast (M)
2,183
80.6
36,932
2,197
82.6
37,586
65810West Tamar (M)
7,512
224.6
29,895
7,614
235.5
30,924
69999LGA unknown
649
20.5
31,604
681
22.6
33,223
Total Tasmania
163,623
4,808.0
29,385
165,065
5,019.7
30,411
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.