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   
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NORTHERN TERRITORY

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


For the financial year 2000-01, the average individual annual wage and salary income for wage and salary earners in the Northern Territory was $35,473. This was an increase of 4.6% over the previous year ($33,903).

Average earnings for employees in the Northern Territory in 2000-01 were the third highest in Australia, around $4,110 less than the highest average in the Australian Capital Territory and around $730 above the average for all wage and salary earners across Australia. The average from 1995-96 to 1997-98 was similar to the Australian average, although this may be due to the possible inclusion of earnings from persons engaged in Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) which has had the effect of lowering the average.

Total wage and salary income paid to Northern Territory wage and salary earners increased from $2.64 billion in 1999-00 to $2.70 billion in 2000-01, an increase of 2.0%. In 1995-96, total wages and salaries paid were around $2.30 billion.

It should be noted that Indigenous persons engaged in CDEP may be included in these data for the years 1995-96 to 1997-98 but excluded for 1998-99 onwards. The general effect of this is that the number of wage and salary earners may be overstated for the first three years of this series and conversely the average wage and salary income understated. Consequently, changes between these particular groups of years need to be treated with caution. For further details please refer to the Explanatory Notes.

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


METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN NORTHERN TERRITORY

In 2000-01, 52.8% of the Northern Territory's wage and salary earners resided in the Darwin metropolitan area (i.e. Darwin City and Palmerston-East Arm Statistical Subdivisions). In comparison the metropolitan area comprised 47.8% of the state's eligible workforce, i.e. persons aged 15 years and over.

The average wage and salary income for persons in the metropolitan area in 2000-01 was $35,971, or 3.9% more than the average for employees in non-metropolitan areas ($34,620). This percentage difference was similar in 1998-99 when it was 4.1%.

WAGE AND SALARY EARNERS, Metropolitan(a) and non-metropolitan Northern Territory, 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 NT
38,237
39,046
40,363
40,768
41,037
40,159
-2.1
-
Non-metropolitan NT
40,919
40,867
40,881
35,477
34,296
33,347
-2.8
-
Total NT(c)
81,666
82,515
83,876
78,835
78,011
76,078
-2.5
-
WAGE AND SALARY INCOME ($m)
Metropolitan NT
1,151.4
1,230.2
1,316.2
1,378.8
1,399.3
1,444.6
3.2
-
Non-metropolitan NT
1,070.3
1,127.3
1,169.9
1,152.2
1,144.9
1,154.5
0.8
-
Total NT(c)
2,302.2
2,445.3
2,577.9
2,624.7
2,644.8
2,698.7
2.0
-
AVERAGE WAGE AND SALARY INCOME ($)
Metropolitan NT
30,113
31,507
32,610
33,820
34,099
35,971
5.5
-
Non-metropolitan NT
26,156
27,584
28,616
32,477
33,382
34,620
3.7
-
Total NT(c)
28,191
29,635
30,735
33,294
33,903
35,473
4.6
-
Metropolitan/non-metropolitan difference(d)(e) (%)
15.1
14.2
14.0
4.1
2.1
3.9
-
-
(a) Metropolitan NT is defined as comprising the Darwin City and Palmerston-East Arm Statistical Subdivisions.
(b) Average annual rate of increase. Not calculated due to CDEP issue. See note below.
(c) Total includes data that could not be allocated to either metropolitan or non-metropolitan.
(d) Non-metropolitan NT used as denominator to calculate percentage difference.
(e) Large differences due to CDEP issue. See note below.
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 Northern Territory, 1995-96 to 2000-01
Graph: Average Annual Wage and Salary Income, Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Northern Territory, 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 the Northern Territory was Jabiru (T), with an annual average of $40,148. Jabiru is a mining area (uranium), located approximately 260 kilometres east of Darwin, in the Alligator Rivers Region. The average wage and salary income in Jabiru was around $3,820 more than the average in Darwin, the LGA with the second highest average. The average for Alice Springs (T) in 2000-01 was $34,025 (ranked 6th).

The local government areas in the Northern Territory with the lowest average wage and salary incomes in 2000-01 were Tennant Creek ($32,285) and Coomalie ($32,626). However, these averages are significantly higher than those corresponding LGAs with the lowest averages in other states. This is indicative of the higher wages paid to employees in remote areas.

Of the eight local government areas in the state, two had averages above that for the state ($35,473) and three had averages above that for the nation ($34,745).


AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, LGAs, Northern Territory, 2000-01
LGA CodeLGA Name
$
72000Jabiru (T)
40,148
71000Darwin (C)
36,330
72800Palmerston (T)
34,943
72300Litchfield (S)
34,559
72200Katherine (T)
34,415
70200Alice Springs (T)
34,025
70700Coomalie (CGC)
32,626
73800Tennant Creek (T)
32,285
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.


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

WAGE AND SALARY EARNERS, LGAs, Northern Territory, 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
$
70200Alice Springs (T)
11,047
363.4
32,897
11,050
376.0
34,025
70700Coomalie (CGC)
427
12.5
29,246
393
12.8
32,626
71000Darwin (C)
30,649
1,062.1
34,653
29,549
1,073.5
36,330
72000Jabiru (T)
510
19.2
37,630
456
18.3
40,148
72200Katherine (T)
3,292
109.6
33,284
3,183
109.5
34,415
72300Litchfield (S)
6,092
201.7
33,110
5,975
206.5
34,559
72800Palmerston (T)
10,300
334.1
32,435
10,526
367.8
34,943
73800Tennant Creek (T)
1,070
33.6
31,385
1,006
32.5
32,285
79399Unincorporated NT
11,946
408.1
34,164
11,368
402.1
35,372
79999LGA unknown
2,678
100.6
37,569
2,572
99.7
38,753
Total Northern Territory
78,011
2,644.8
33,903
76,078
2,698.7
35,473
Source: ATO Income Tax Data.