Engineers and scientists enjoy top pay increases

A 2007 survey shows that scientists and engineers enjoyed some of the country's highest salary increases throughout 2006/07.

The Australian Institute of Management's 2007 National Salary Survey has shown that staff in engineering/science roles in large companies received a salary rise of 4.7% in 2006/2007.

Salary rises by job family ranged from 4.1 to 4.8%, placing engineers and scientists at the top end of the scale.

This represents a rise from the previous year's average increase of 4.4%, and 4.0% in 2003/2004.

Large companies in the resource boom states of Western Australia and Queensland have been hardest hit with salary increases substantially outpacing the national average at 6.8% and 5.1% respectively.

The forecasts for next year are less positive, however, with an expected pay rise of only 4.2% in 2007/2008 for engineering/science "“ the lowest pay rise of all the job families.

The National Salary Survey 2007 surveyed a total of 779 private and publicly listed companies from a broad range of industries.