Discover Australian jobs paying over $200,000, employer-sponsored visa options, eligibility requirements, PR pathways, recruiters and application steps.
Australia offers some of the world’s most attractive salaries for experienced doctors, mining professionals, technology executives, engineers and financial specialists. Certain senior positions pay more than AUD 200,000 per year, but securing one as a foreign worker requires more than finding a vacancy.
Applicants usually need extensive professional experience, recognised qualifications, occupational registration and an Australian employer willing to sponsor them. Others may qualify for permanent residence through Australia’s points-tested skilled migration system.
This guide explains the highest-paying jobs in Australia for immigrants, realistic salary ranges, employer-sponsored work visas, permanent residence pathways and how to apply safely.
Important: All salary figures are estimates in Australian dollars. A salary above AUD 200,000 is generally associated with specialist, senior, remote-location or executive positions. It is not guaranteed.
Highest-Paying Jobs in Australia for Foreign Workers
Current Australian salary guides cover positions paying from below AUD 50,000 to above AUD 250,000. Actual earnings depend on location, qualifications, experience, bonuses and whether superannuation is included in the advertised package. Hays Australia’s salary guide provides updated benchmarks across more than 20 industries.
Occupation
Indicative annual earnings
Important requirements
Specialist surgeon
AUD 300,000 to AUD 600,000+
Medical degree, specialist recognition and AHPRA registration
Anaesthetist
AUD 300,000 to AUD 500,000+
Specialist training and Australian medical registration
Psychiatrist
AUD 220,000 to AUD 450,000+
Recognised psychiatry qualification and registration
General practitioner in a regional area
AUD 200,000 to AUD 400,000+
Medical registration and Medicare provider eligibility
Mining general manager
AUD 220,000 to AUD 400,000+
Mining experience, management record and relevant degree
Engineering project director
AUD 200,000 to AUD 350,000+
Engineering degree, major-project experience and skills assessment
Chief technology officer
AUD 220,000 to AUD 400,000+
Senior technology leadership and commercial experience
Cybersecurity director
AUD 200,000 to AUD 300,000+
Security architecture, governance and leadership experience
Construction director
AUD 200,000 to AUD 320,000+
Major construction and contract-management experience
Corporate legal counsel or law-firm partner
AUD 200,000 to AUD 400,000+
Australian admission or recognition of overseas qualifications
Investment banking director
AUD 220,000 to AUD 500,000+
Relevant finance experience, usually including bonuses
Commercial airline captain
AUD 200,000 to AUD 350,000+
CASA-recognised licence, flight hours and medical clearance
These figures often represent senior-level remuneration. A newly arrived engineer, doctor or technology professional may initially earn less while completing registration, supervised practice or local accreditation.
1. Specialist Doctors and Surgeons
Medical specialists are among Australia’s highest-paid professionals. Anaesthetists, surgeons, psychiatrists, radiologists and some regional general practitioners can earn substantially more than AUD 200,000.
Foreign-trained doctors must normally obtain registration through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and meet the Medical Board of Australia’s requirements. Depending on the applicant’s country of training, this may involve:
Primary-source verification of medical qualifications
English-language evidence
Professional examinations or workplace-based assessment
Specialist college assessment
Supervised practice
Criminal-history and health checks
Hospitals and regional health services may sponsor suitably qualified doctors, particularly where persistent workforce shortages exist.
2. Mining Managers and Senior Resources Professionals
Australia’s mining sector employs experienced professionals in Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Senior mine managers, operations directors, project directors and technical services managers can receive packages above AUD 200,000.
Higher packages may include remote-location allowances, accommodation, flights, performance bonuses and roster benefits. Companies such as BHP provide a dedicated portal for Australian career opportunities.
Relevant applicants typically need:
A degree in mining, civil, mechanical or electrical engineering
Extensive resources-sector experience
Operational leadership experience
Safety and risk-management credentials
Professional licensing required by the state
A positive skills assessment where required for the visa
3. Technology and Cybersecurity Executives
Chief technology officers, engineering directors, enterprise architects, cybersecurity directors and heads of data can earn more than AUD 200,000.
Employers usually want candidates with evidence of leading large teams, managing critical infrastructure, delivering cloud transformation and controlling substantial technology budgets. Certifications can help, but they rarely replace senior commercial experience.
Commonly requested expertise includes cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, data engineering, cybersecurity governance, enterprise platforms and financial technology.
4. Engineering, Energy and Construction Directors
Major infrastructure, renewable-energy, oil and gas, construction and transport projects can pay project directors and engineering leaders above AUD 200,000.
Foreign applicants may need a formal skills assessment from Engineers Australia or another designated authority. Senior salaries usually require experience delivering complex projects, managing contractors and controlling multimillion-dollar budgets.
5. Finance, Law and Executive Management
Investment banking directors, chief financial officers, corporate legal specialists and senior management consultants can exceed AUD 200,000, especially when bonuses are included.
However, these positions are highly competitive. Foreign lawyers must investigate admission requirements in the relevant Australian state or territory. Finance professionals may also benefit from recognised accounting or investment qualifications.
Australian Employer-Sponsored Visa Options
Australia does not operate a general “work permit” that allows every foreign worker to enter and search for employment. You need a visa with work rights.
Sponsorship under an agreement between an employer or industry and government
Depends on the agreement
The Skills in Demand visa, Subclass 482, allows approved employers to recruit overseas workers when they cannot obtain an appropriately skilled Australian worker. Department of Home Affairs
Sponsorship is attached to a genuine nominated position. An employer cannot legally sell a job offer or guaranteed visa.
Specialist Skills and Core Skills Sponsorship
The Subclass 482 visa includes different streams. Senior professionals earning above AUD 200,000 may be considered under the Specialist Skills stream where the position and occupation meet the applicable rules. Other eligible occupations may use the Core Skills stream.
Salary alone does not establish eligibility. The employer, occupation, employment contract, experience and immigration requirements must all qualify.
Australian PR Pathways for Skilled Immigrants
Express Entry and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot are Canadian programs. They cannot provide Australian permanent residence.
Australia’s relevant alternatives include:
Employer Nomination Scheme, Subclass 186
This is an employer-nominated permanent visa. Applicants may qualify through a direct-entry route or after eligible sponsored employment, subject to the stream’s requirements.
Skilled Independent Visa, Subclass 189
This is a points-tested permanent visa that does not require employer or state nomination. Applicants submit an expression of interest through SkillSelect and must be invited to apply.
Skilled Nominated Visa, Subclass 190
This permanent visa requires nomination by an Australian state or territory. Each jurisdiction sets its own occupation priorities and nomination conditions. Queensland, for example, confirms that Subclass 190 holders can live and work there as permanent residents. Migration Queensland
Skilled Work Regional Visa, Subclass 491
This provisional visa requires state, territory or eligible-family nomination and residence in regional Australia. It may lead to permanent residence after the holder meets the applicable regional requirements.
This allows an eligible regional employer to sponsor a skilled worker. Qualifying holders may later pursue the Permanent Residence, Skilled Regional visa, Subclass 191.
National Innovation Visa, Subclass 858
This permanent visa is designed for exceptionally accomplished candidates with internationally recognised achievements. A high salary by itself is insufficient.
Visa Requirements and Supporting Documents
Requirements differ by visa, but an employer-sponsored application may require:
Valid international passport
Formal employment offer and contract
Employer nomination details
Educational certificates and transcripts
Professional licences or registration
Positive occupational skills assessment, if required
Detailed employment references
Recent payslips, tax evidence or bank records supporting work history
English-language test results, unless exempt
Police certificates
Medical examination
Curriculum vitae
Marriage and birth certificates for accompanying relatives
Certified translations of documents not written in English
Employment references should describe duties, employment dates, working hours and salary. A vague letter containing only a job title may not establish the required experience.
Meeting the Eligibility Requirements
Before applying, confirm that:
Your occupation is eligible for the intended visa stream.
You possess the required qualifications and professional experience.
Your employer is approved or eligible to sponsor workers.
The nominated position is genuine and meets salary and employment requirements.
You satisfy English, health and character conditions.
You have completed any mandatory skills assessment or professional registration.
Your evidence matches the information in your CV, employment form and visa application.
How to Get an Employer-Sponsored Job in Australia
Step 1: Confirm occupational recognition
Check whether your profession requires registration or a skills assessment. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, pilots and several technical professionals face occupation-specific requirements.
Step 2: Prepare an Australian-style application
Use a focused CV of approximately two to four pages. Include achievements, licences, technologies, project values and team sizes. Do not add a photograph, marital status or unrelated personal information.
Search phrases such as “482 sponsorship,” “visa sponsorship,” “international applicants,” “relocation assistance” and “employer nominated.”
Step 4: Ask the employer directly
Before proceeding, ask whether sponsorship is available for that specific vacancy. A company that sponsored someone previously is not required to sponsor every foreign applicant.
Step 5: Employer completes sponsorship and nomination stages
The employer may need to establish sponsorship status, nominate the position and complete required labour-market testing. The worker then submits the visa application.
Step 6: Apply through ImmiAccount
Australian visa applications are generally submitted through the Department of Home Affairs’ ImmiAccount. Upload complete and readable documents, complete biometrics or medical examinations when directed, and monitor official messages.
Employers to Check for Sponsorship Opportunities
The organisations below recruit in sectors that employ skilled foreign professionals. Inclusion does not mean that every vacancy provides sponsorship.
Apply only through verified career portals. Do not send passports, banking credentials or visa payments to an individual claiming to be a company recruiter.
International Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies can connect candidates with employers, but they cannot grant visas or guarantee sponsorship.
Agency
Specialisations
Australian contact
Hays Australia
Engineering, construction, mining, finance and technology
Confirm the current office address on the agency’s website before visiting. Recruiters generally receive their placement fee from employers, so unexplained upfront “job allocation fees” should be treated as suspicious.
Australian High Commission and Visa Verification
Australian High Commission, Abuja
5th Floor, Oakland Centre
48 Aguiyi Ironsi Street
Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria
Telephone: +234 (0) 9460 6960
Postal address: PMB 5152, Wuse Post Office, Abuja 00009
Website: Australian High Commission in Nigeria
The High Commission is not a job agency. Visa decisions are handled through Australia’s immigration system. Applicants should use the Department of Home Affairs website and ImmiAccount for application information and status updates. The Australian Government publishes the mission’s official contact details through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
If you hire an immigration professional, verify that the person is appropriately authorised. Never rely solely on a social-media profile or WhatsApp number.
Common Immigration and Sponsorship Mistakes
Avoid these costly errors:
Paying someone for a guaranteed job or visa
Applying for positions without checking registration requirements
Claiming experience that cannot be independently verified
Using altered bank statements, references or certificates
Assuming a high salary automatically qualifies for a visa
Confusing Canadian immigration programs with Australian programs
Submitting inconsistent dates across the CV and application
Resigning from an existing job before receiving a visa grant
Using an unverified immigration consultant
Treating a visitor visa as permission to work
Ignoring visa conditions after arriving in Australia
Settlement Benefits of Australian Permanent Residence
Eligible permanent residents can generally live and work in Australia indefinitely, enrol in Medicare, study, sponsor qualifying relatives and eventually apply for citizenship if they meet the residence and other requirements.
Temporary sponsored workers do not automatically receive every benefit available to permanent residents. Review health insurance, school fees, dependent work rights and regional conditions before accepting an offer.
Conclusion
Jobs paying over AUD 200,000 exist in Australia, but most are designed for specialists and senior leaders. The strongest foreign applicants offer scarce expertise, recognised qualifications and evidence of substantial professional achievement.
Start by confirming your occupation’s registration and visa requirements. Apply directly to legitimate employers, ask whether sponsorship is available for the advertised position and submit any visa application only through official Australian Government channels. No recruiter, migration consultant or employer can guarantee visa approval.
