Living the dream: Australia’s top jobs by the beach are revealed – and how much it can earn you

New data shows Australia’s best surfing beaches are more likely to be populated by doctors, computer nerds, advertising executives and financial specialists than by laid-back surfers.

Huge six-figure salaries are now commonplace for locals in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Perth’s Cottesloe Beach and Melbourne’s Portsea.

But for those looking for a sunny, saltwater lifestyle on a budget, the traditional inland nightlife is still an option.

Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Victoria’s Surf Coast and the tropical resorts of Broome and Port Douglas still provide shelter for people on lower incomes.

Here’s how much you need to earn to live in Australia’s most idyllic beachside postcodes, and what kind of jobs are typically available, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Tax Office.

Cottesloe

Cottesloe Beach, where the Indian Ocean meets the Swan River in Perth, is Australia’s best surfing beach, with an average taxable income of $295,283.

The average Australian earns four times the average taxable income of $72,327.

Billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest lives in postcode area 6011, but doctors are much more common. Hospital workers and lawyers top the list of occupations in the 2021 census.

Bondi

Sydney’s eastern suburbs are home to five of Australia’s top ten highest wage postcodes, but Bondi is not, despite the fact that its suburbs are actually very wealthy.

Computer engineers top the list of most common occupations in Australia, making it Australia’s answer to California’s Silicon Valley in terms of demographics.

Advertising came second on the list, suggesting creatives are drawn to the hub for celebrities, actors and models.

Australia’s most famous beach is still relatively wealthy, however, with an average taxable income of $147,052 in the 2026 postcode.

Harbor Sea

Portsea, Melbourne’s wealthy haven on the Mornington Peninsula, is an hour’s drive from the city and has a particularly high taxable income of $221,867.

Trucking magnate Lindsay Fox’s hometown is also a popular spot for people working in finance, followed by those doing management consulting work.

The elite postcode 3944 also includes Cheviot Beach, where Liberal Prime Minister Harold Holt drowned in December 1967 and was never seen again.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay, Australia’s easternmost point, was a slaughterhouse town until 1983 and a whaling station until 1962. Today, however, it is home to gluten-free and vegan restaurants.

In the gentrified beach postcode of 2481, where actor Chris Hemsworth lives in a mansion, the average income now stands at $89,588. Hospitality jobs are the most common occupation in this part of northern New South Wales.

Golden Coast

Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast’s most famous beach, is also where many people work in cafes and restaurants. The average taxable income in postcode area 4217 in south-east Queensland is $77,045.

Adelaide

Glenelg Beach in Adelaide is home to doctors, nurses and people in the aluminium industry. The average taxable income in postcode area 5045 is $80,657.

Broome

The Kimberley region of Western Australia is home to Broome, best known for its sunset camel rides and pearling industry.

However, the chances that residents of zip code area 6725 are nurses are higher. The average taxable income of $72,612 is very close to the national average.

Port Douglas

This tropical paradise north of Cairns, in the far north of Queensland, is where former US President Bill Clinton was holidaying and playing golf when the planes hit the Twin Towers in New York in September 2001.

The largest employer in this tourist town is the lodging industry, so the average taxable income for zip code 4877 is low: $55,946.

Surf Coast

The town of Bells Beach on the Great Ocean Road, on Victoria’s Surf Coast, is surprisingly popular with print shops and antique shops. The taxable income averages $83,183 in postcode area 3228.