Data released by the Australian Tax Office last week revealed the majority of Warrnambool residents who lodged a tax return in 2019-20 earnt between $37,000 and $90,000.

This was in stark contrast to the $170,000 average in the highest-earning postcodes.

In total, 9588 people earnt between $37,000 and $90,000.

Almost 5000 people earnt between $18,201 to $37,000, while 2375 people brought in between $90,000 and $180,000.

In Portland, the average income was again between $37,000 and $90,000 (3045), while 1191 earnt between $90,000 and $180,000.

In Hamilton, the average salary was $18,201 to $37,000, with 1504 people falling into that category.

Only two Victorian suburbs - Hawksburn and Toorak - made it into the top 10 postcodes for highest average salary - with most people taking home more than $180,000 a year.

Residents from the Perth suburbs of Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove have the highest average income in the nation.

However, affluent parts of Sydney have dominated the list, making up eight of the top 10 postcodes.

The 2027 postcode of Darling Point, Edgecliff and Point Piper in Sydney came in second with $205,957, followed by the 2023 postcode which takes in Bellevue Hill in Sydney's east with $195,204.

The postcode which takes in Watsons Bay and Vaucluse came in fourth, while Hawksburn and Toorak in Victoria came in fifth.

The ATO also revealed surgeons had the highest average income of any other profession, earning $406,068 a year.

Anaesthetists came in second with $388,814, followed by internal medicine specialists with $310,848, financial dealers on $279,790 and psychiatrists on $252,691.

Medical practitioners, judicial or legal professionals, mining engineers, engineering managers and financial investment advisors rounded out the top 10 professions by income.

During the 2019/20 financial year, the average income for Australians was $63,882, up 2.13 per cent on the previous year.

The ATO also revealed men were paid on average $74,559, compared with $52,798 for women.

The average Australian paid just under $20,000 in tax that year.

However, the data revealed 60 people who earned more than $1 million have paid no tax for the 2019/20 financial year.

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