SKILLED migrant taxpayers contributed $32 billion, or 72 per cent to the total $45 billion in migrant income in 2010-11 with those employed in mining earning the highest median income, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures.

In its second release of experimental data on migrants’ personal income, the ABS reports that in 2010-11, skilled migrant taxpayers were most likely to be born in the United Kingdom, India and China, with almost half (49 per cent) hailing from these countries.

Migrants from the United Kingdom reported the most income with $10 billion followed by Indian born migrant taxpayers with $6.5 billion.

About two thirds of migrant taxpayers held a skilled visa, with most between 25 to 44 years of age.

The data showed that skilled migrant taxpayers:

• generated 65 per cent ($1.5 billion) of total personal income;
• reported $788.9 million in investment income (62 per cent of the total);
• recorded $215 million in other income, with males responsible for 77 per cent ($164.6 million); and
• were mainly employed as professionals (35 per cent) and managers (11 per cent).

Mining the highest paying industry

While the mining industry recorded the fourth lowest number of jobs held by skilled migrants (9,325) out of the 20 industries analysed by the ABS for the financial year, these migrants reported the highest median income of $83,329.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s latest quarterly statistical report on Subclass 457 visas tells a similar story, although the higher salaries illustrate the growth in wages that occurred during the resources investment and construction phase.

It reports that for primary applications granted in 2015-16 to 30 September 2015, the mining industry paid the highest average nominated base salary of $167,700. This figure increases to $218,600 when looking at total remuneration for the same period.

In the year to 30 September, there were 320 primary 457 visa applications granted for the mining industry. This represents a 45.2% fall on the year prior (580 granted to 30 September 2014).

Mining accounted for just 2.4% of all 457 visas granted during the period, well behind ‘Other Services’ at 15.9%, ‘Accommodation and Food Services’ at 13.1% and ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical’ at 12.6%.

Click here to view the ABS’s Personal Income of Migrants, Australia, Experimental, 2010-11 data.

Click here to view the Department of Immigration and Broder Protection’s Subclass 457 Quarterly Report 30 September 2015.