Australia’s richest postcodes and highest earners have been revealed by the Australian Tax Office.

To nobody’s surprise, Australia’s highest earning area is in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. According to the latest taxation statistics for 2012-13, the mean income in the 2027 postcode — made up of Darling Point, Edgecliff, HMAS Rushcutters and Point Piper — sits at a comfortable $177,514.

That’s almost nine times higher than the mean income in Australia’s poorest postcode, 2403. The 350 people with taxable incomes in this rural New South Wales postcode near Inverell — which includes the suburbs of Delungra, Gragin and Myall Creek — are sitting on $21,691 each.

Six of the nation’s highest earning postcodes are in New South Wales, three are in Victoria, and one is in Western Australia.

Queensland didn’t register a mention in the top 10, but we do have the nation’s sixth and eighth poorest postcodes. The mean taxable income in the 4613 — which includes Abbeywood, Melrose, Okeden, Proston, Speedwell, Boondooma, Brigooda, Coverty, Kinleymore and Stalworth — came in at just $27,547, while the mean taxable income in the 4626 — which includes Beeron, Boynewood, Brovinia, Cattle Creek, Coonambula, Derri Derra, Dykehead, Glenrae, Gurgeena, Hawkwood, Monogorilby, Mundowran, Mundubbera, O’Bil Bil, Old Cooranga, Philpott and Riverleigh — sits at $27,891.

The ATO also released a list of the country’s highest earning occupations, based on the returns of 12.77 million taxpayers. Surgeons came in on top with a mean taxable income of $361,202; anaesthetists ($319,033) and internal medicine specialists ($263,601) rounded out the top three.

Canberra has been revealed as the nation’s most charitable region, with its residents making an average annual donation of $261. QLD came in amongst the least charitable — ahead of only the Northern Territory — with an average annual donation of $129.

“Compiling Tax Stats is a significant undertaking each year,” said ATO Second Commissioner Andrew Mills. “It adds to our picture of the Australian community, showing the spread of taxable income across the country, sources of income and data about business and work-related expenses.

“We make the data available for researchers and the broader community to improve the understanding of Australia’s taxation and superannuation systems and how they operate within the broader environment.”

Australia’s richest postcodes

Postcode State Suburb name Taxable income or loss no. of individuals Mean taxable income
2027 NSW Darling Point, Edgecliff, HMAS Rushcutters, Point Piper 5,980 $177,514
3761 VIC St Andrews 655 $148,967
2023 NSW Bellevue Hill 6,945 $143,112
6011 WA Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove 6,610 $142,504
3142 VIC Hawksburn, Toorak 10,100 $142,000
2030 NSW Dover Heights, HMAS Watson, Rose Bay North, Vaucluse, Watsons Bay 9,610 $139,099
3944 VIC Portsea 400 $138,800
2088 NSW Mosman, Spit Junction 19,200 $137,647
2110 NSW Hunters Hill, Woolwich 5,880 $132,557
2063 NSW Northbridge 4,180 $130,801

Australia’s poorest postcodes

Postcode State Suburb name Taxable income or loss no. of individuals Mean taxable income
2403 NSW Delungra, Gragin, Myall Creek 350 $21,691
2359 NSW Aberdeen, Bakers Creek, Bundarra 375 $24,742
2361 NSW Ashford, Atholwood, Bonshaw, Limestone, Pindaroi 375 $25,431
2404 NSW Bangheet, Bingara, Gineroi, Keera, Dinoga, Elcombe, Upper Bingara, Pallal, Riverview 840 $27,013
2424 NSW Tiri, Cundle Flat, Cooplacurripa, Cells River, Caffreys Flat, Number One, Mount George, Knorrit Forest, Knorrit Flat 210 $27,537
4613 QLD Abbeywood, Melrose, Okeden, Proston, Speedwell, Boondooma, Brigooda, Coverty, Kinleymore, Stalworth 315 $27,547
3637 VIC Waaia, Yalca 290 $27,627
4626 QLD Beeron, Boynewood, Brovinia, Cattle Creek, Coonambula, Derri Derra, Dykehead, Glenrae, Gurgeena, Hawkwood, Monogorilby, Mundowran, Mundubbera, O’Bil Bil, Old Cooranga, Philpott, Riverleigh 1,290 $27,891
2842 NSW Mollyan, Mendooran, Yarragrin 285 $28,110
2371 NSW Capoompeta, Deepwater, Emmaville, Rocky Creek, Stannum, Torrington, Wellington Vale, Yellow Dam 525 $28,252

Top 10 occupations

Occupation Mean taxable income
Surgeons $361,202
Anaesthetists $319,033
Internal Medicine Specialists $263,601
Financial Dealers $219,213
Judicial and Other Legal Professionals $192,189
Psychiatrists $186,778
Mining Engineers $166,410
Other Medical Practitioners $166,025
Chief Executives and Managing Directors $152,364
Generalist Medical Practitioners $144,498

Austalia’s most charitable states 

State Mean – Gifts and donations for all individuals $
ACT $261
NSW $221
VIC $190
SA $156
WA $151
TAS $145
QLD $129
NT $113

Did your occupation place amongst the highest earners? Give yourself a pat on the back in the comments below…