Highest Paid Jobs in Finance and Economics

In Australia, economists can command serious salaries—especially in finance, government advisory, and the private sector—but the top-tier roles are mostly in specialized or executive-level positions. Here's a breakdown of the highest-paid economist roles in Australia:

🇦🇺 1. Chief Economist (Major Bank or Corporation)

• Salary Range: $350K –$n800K+
• Examples: Westpac, CBA, NAB, ANZ, Macquarie
• Why: They shape economic outlooks for clients, media, and internal strategy. Often quoted in the news and can have influence on policy indirectly.

📈 2. Senior Economist / Director (Big 4 Consulting or Treasury)

• Salary Range: $200K –$n500K+
• Firms: Deloitte Access Economics, PwC, EY, KPMG, Federal Treasury, RBA
• Why: They work on macroeconomic modeling, policy impact, budget forecasting, and long-term national planning.

🧠 3. Economic Advisor to Government (Cabinet / PM / Treasury Exec)

• Salary Range: $250K –$n450K+
• Why: High-level strategic roles influencing national policy (think budget settings, interest rate impacts, migration, infrastructure).

💼 4. Chief Investment Strategist / Head of Research (Superannuation or Fund Manager)

• Salary Range: $300K –$n700K+
• Examples: AustralianSuper, Hostplus, UniSuper
• Why: Combine macroeconomic forecasting with portfolio strategy. Huge responsibility, especially with billions in AUM.

💹 5. Quantitative Economist / Data Scientist Hybrid (Banks & Hedge Funds)

• Salary Range: $180K –$n400K+
• Why: Strong econometrics + programming (R, Python, MATLAB) = lucrative edge in forecasting & asset pricing.

📊 6. Senior Policy Analyst / Economic Modeler (Productivity Commission, RBA, ABS)

• Salary Range: $150K –$n250K+
• Why: Influence regulatory frameworks, monetary policy, and industry reform. More about intellectual impact than raw money, but still well-compensated.

🧑🏫 7. Academic Economist (Professor, with grants or consulting)

• Base: $180K –$n250K
• With Consulting/Boards: Up to $500K+
• Why: Some top economists supplement income through board memberships, media work, or advising firms/governments.

💡 Bonus: Independent Consultant / Economic Forecaster

• Highly variable: $100K –$n1M+ (project-based)
• Examples: Run your own shop like Saul Eslake or Shane Oliver
• Why: Reputation + insight = high-value speaking gigs, reports, and bespoke analysis.

Want me to rank these by how realistic they are to reach in under 10 years? Or show what degrees or skills (e.g. PhD vs master's, coding, etc.) are needed for each?