Salary gap closes between major Australian capital cities

Brisbane is the new mecca for Australian workers with the salary gap between Sydney and Melbourne decreasing, according to PKL Personnel, leading recruitment firm specialising in office support employment.

In the office support profession the industry average starting wage in Brisbane has risen to $40,100 in 2006/07 from $34,900 in 2005/06 according to the survey. The salary gap between Brisbane and Sydney / Melbourne is now only 16% compared with 23% twelve months ago.

Roxanne Calder, General Manager of PKL, said, "Office support professionals specifically are in high demand and salaries on average for these roles are only 5% lower, aligning Brisbane more closely with Sydney and Melbourne. Roles including team secretaries, office managers, administrators, and juniors are paid the same or higher in some cases than other capital cities."

Brisbane is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia and the cost of living compares favourably with other capital cities. Relocations are on the rise and according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland received the largest number of arrivals during 2005/06 with 98,300 people migrating north. As a result of this, the demand for jobs is increasing and PKL is at the recruitment forefront, with the upcoming expansion of its operations in Brisbane.

In Sydney over this past year there has been a substantial increase in salaries in response to the urgent need for candidates within the office support profession. Counter offers have also been more frequent than ever with employers realising both the cost and reduced ability to back fill roles when resignations occur.

Alternatively, in Melbourne junior salaries have increased over the last three years with candidate expectations rising beyond their skill set. At the top end of the market, high salaried ($70,000 +) roles are difficult to find, in particular personal assistants across the $55,000 - $60,000 + band with this role market being very competitive.

"The stability in the economy over the last twelve months has seen continued job creation and wage inflation. The rise in wages can be attributed to the continued shortage of experienced and highly skilled staff. Roles are becoming increasingly specialised, further reducing the potential pool of candidates."

"Employers that have been most successful in filling positions rapidly are those that have been more flexible regarding role specifications and have focused their attentions on transferable skills rather than specific experience," concluded Calder.

About PKL Personnel
PKL, a privately owned Australian company, is a leading recruitment firm with a differentiated marketing strategy, specialising in office support recruitment with a personalised, tailored approach. PKL originated in Sydney supplying temporary and permanent office support recruitment since June 1995 and expanded its operations to Melbourne in 2004.