Over the past 12 months, South Australia has experienced a noticeable increase in salaries in the property, construction, architecture, engineering, and civil industries. Soaring inflation, tight labour markets and global economic uncertainty have been contributing factors for salary increases, as organisations have balanced attracting and retaining talent with keeping remuneration budgets under control.
Whilst salary isn’t always the most important factor in attracting and retaining talent, organisations are consulting to ROUSSOS for advice on where salaries are currently benchmarked for all roles to ensure they are in line with market rate.
The most significant figure increases over the last 12 months have been across the below roles:
Sector | Role | Level of Experience | Salaries 2022 vs 2023 |
Commercial Construction | Construction Graduate | Entry-level | 2022: $55K - $65K + super 2023: $65K - $75K + super |
Commercial Construction | Contract Administrator | 2-3 years' experience | 2022: $70K - $90K + super 2023: $90K - $110K + super |
Commercial Construction | Site Manager | Experience working on projects up to $5M | 2022: $80K - $90K + super 2023: $100K - $120K + super |
Architecture | Interior Designer | 4-6 years' experience | 2022: $60K - $70K + super 2023: $80K - $90K + super |
Engineering | Civil Designer | 3-5 years' experience | 2022: $65K - $75K + super 2023: $80K - $95K + super |
Administration | Submissions & Tenders | 2-3 years' experience | 2022: $65K - $75K + super 2023: $80K - $95K + super |
Property | Assistant Development Manager | 1-2 years' experience | 2022: $70K - $75K + super 2023: $90K - $95K + super |
Civil Construction | Project Engineers / Senior Engineers | Experience with a Tier 1 civil contractor | Salaries are reaching between $160K - $180K + super and allowances |
Interestingly, there has been little to no movement in senior executive level roles (ie. State Leads). These roles are currently paying around $200K plus plus mark, which is comparable to what professionals of this level are earning in other states such as Melbourne.
The increase in salaries this year is the fastest ‘through-the-year’ growth rate since the March quarter of 2013, and well above the annual average growth rate over the past five years of 2.2 per cent. Whilst the skills shortage is still prevalent, this salary increase trend in South Australia is reflective of the growing demand for professionals in these industries.
At ROUSSOS Recruitment, we understand the importance of salary benchmarking to ensure that your company is offering competitive compensation packages that align with current market trends. As recognised market leaders in our sectors by expertise and number of advertised roles across SEEK and LinkedIn, our team of recruitment specialists can provide valuable advice and insights on the current salary ranges for various roles in the industry.