Advertised Australian salaries are once again rising ahead of inflation, according to new data from Seek.

The Seek Advertised Salary Index (ASI) looks at the change in advertised salaries for jobs posted on the employment marketplace.

For December, advertised salaries increased by 4.5 per cent compared to December 2022.

Inflation was measured at 4.3 per cent.

Seek senior economist Matt Cowgill said Australian salaries are starting to increase above inflation again.

“Finally, advertised salaries are rising faster than prices once again,” Cowgill said.

“After a long period of declining real wages, the Seek Advertised Salary Index is now rising in real terms again, with 4.5 per cent advertised salary growth outpacing inflation at 4.3 per cent.”

There was a 0.9 per cent quarterly increase in advertised wages compared to the September 2023 quarter, and a 0.3 per cent monthly increase.

This was the same growth rate as was recorded in the previous two months as well.

“Although this is solid growth, it’s a clear slowdown from the previous quarter, when Fair Work Commission decisions delivered a bump to wages growth.”

The community services sector enjoyed an 8 per cent leap in salaries in the 12 months to November last year, thanks primarily to a Fair Work Commission decision that boosted minimum wages in the aged care sector by 15 per cent since July.

In contrast, the tech sector saw only a 2 per cent rise in wages in the same 12 months, ranking among the lowest industries in terms of salary increases.

How much does it pay?

According to another Seek report, the majority of Australian job advertisements posted online are not disclosing salaries.

It found two-thirds of job ads don’t contain a salary range.

The number of ads with a listed salary increased slightly year-on-year with a 6.5 per cent rise, with 34.5 per cent of advertisements on Seek in Australia listing a salary range.

This number was much higher for government job ads, with half giving a salary guide, while just 13 per cent of corporate enterprise job postings did so.

According to Think & Grow’s 2023/2024 Australian Tech Salary Guide, the salaries for executives are stagnating while companies are focusing resources at specialised roles such as user interface design, data and analytics and solutions engineering.

The report found that salaries on offer for software engineering practitioners increased by an average of 18.5 per cent year-on-year, while those of team leaders grew by just 1.4 per cent.

It found that the top paying tech roles in Australia include senior engineering manager, software architect, and solutions architect.

According to the study, Victorian-based companies are paying more than their New South Wales and Queensland counterparts for software, systems operations and hardware roles, while New South Wales is willing to offer more money to business strategists, designers and finance and project managers.

Another recent report found tech employees should expect a pay rise in the current financial year.

The study found that 93 per cent of tech employers in Australia will see their salaries rise in 2023-24, by an average of between 3 per cent and 6 per cent.

And according to a CSIRO report, these employers are looking for people skills above all else, particularly for prospective employees looking to work remotely, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating this demand.