Australian Taxation Office data released on Friday reveal Victoria's surgeons are slightly more highly-paid than our anaesthetists; vice versa in NSW. Our figures are largely in line with national figures, although mining engineers and engineering managers, who are among the best paid nationally, are conspicuous by their absence. Our state also has a uniquely high number of well-paid economists, the figures reveal. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Mr Robinson says the figures don't surprise him, because very few people are capable of becoming an air traffic controller.

"I'm not surprised it's one of the highest-paid professions," he says. Last year, Airservices Australia, where Mr Robinson works as air navigation services training manager, had 1180 people apply for its training program. Only 30 were accepted. "Statistically that’s less than 3 per cent of those who apply for the role,” he said. "I think the flying public demand a very high level of safety, and we're very good at our jobs."

If you got in, it was an excellent job, Mr Robinson said. Every day brings different challenges – a closed runway, an emergency. "If you like doing the same thing repetitively, this is not for you," he says. Being an air traffic controller requires outstanding spatial awareness, the ability to focus on multiple things at once and prioritise the most important, and coolness under pressure. High IQ wasn't important, he said, but good decision making was vital. Whatever profession one lands in, the ATO data reveals that there is still a considerable difference between pay grades for men and women.

Out of almost 1200 recorded jobs, fewer than 100 paid women more than men on average. They include receptionists, school teachers, beauticians – and goat farmers. “To find professions where women earn even slightly more than men, the ATO has had to go to goat farming and beauticians,” says Roderick Campbell, research director at The Australia Institute. “Some of these are obviously low income professions, where minimum wages come into play and even out that inequality. It really shows the gender gap is still there.” It all adds up In NSW, Actuaries, mathematicians and statisticians have added up to become the 10th highest paid job, earning an average taxable income of $161,215 in 2015/16.

Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at University of Technology Sydney Dr Stephen Woodcock said doing maths professionally is not a field for “a lonely guy with a calculator”. “It’s good to hear there is some financial recognition but in some ways, it's not that surprising if you look at the headlines recently with Facebook and the large amounts of data that companies have and are using to make decisions from,” Dr Woodcock said. Mathematician Dr Stephen Woodcock with his five-year-old son Ben. Credit:Wolter Peeters "I suspect the last month of horrendous headlines regarding Facebook has probably done mathematicians and statisticians earnings no harm at all. “There's nothing glamorous or fun on my tax returns – maybe there should be!"

All these figures are based on an individual’s average taxable income, which is how much you earn before tax but after deductions for items such as charitable donations or work-related expenses. Keep in mind these figures are based on tax returns, so do not distinguish between full-time and part-time workers. Also, the figures are based on the mean income, and can be skewed by those who earn far above the rest of their profession. For example, neurosurgeons earn more than $500,000 a year on average, while a general surgeon takes home about $300,000 on average.