Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales, is the largest city in Australia, with the population exceeding 5 million people. Almost half of its residents have been born overseas. Sydney has the third-largest foreign-born population after London and New York City, respectively.
Sydney frequently ranks in the top ten of lists of the most liveable cities in the world, in the top locations for economic opportunity, and in the top of the world’s most expensive cities. It’s also Australia's financial capital and one of Asia Pacific's leading financial hubs.
There are some drawbacks, though: in summers, Sydney and its surroundings are prone to extreme heat, drought, and bushfires.
IT salaries
The average IT salary in Sydney is A$105,000 per year (A$8,750 per month). It can vary depending on the specialization. Below are a few examples (AUD per year / per month):
- Software developer: 89,900 / 7,490
- Back-end developer: 90,000 / 7,500
- Front-end developer: 92,025 / 7,670
- Full-stack developer: 95,280 / 7,940
- DevOps engineer: 120,000 / 10,000
- Database administrator: 87,950 / 7,330
- Web designer: 72,880 / 6,070
- System administrator: 82,160 / 6,850
- Project manager: 112,000 / 9,330
- QA engineer: 99,650 / 8,300
- Technical writer: 90,970 / 7,580
- Security analyst: 67,830 / 5,650
IT salaries also depend on experience. Here are some examples (AUD per year).
Automation test analyst:
- Junior: 85,000
- Middle: 95,000
- Senior: 105,000
Back-end developer:
- Junior: 75,000
- Middle: 85,000
- Senior: 100,000
Cybersecurity specialist:
- Junior: 110,000
- Middle: 130,000
- Senior: 155,000
Database administrator:
- Junior: 95,000
- Middle: 110,000
- Senior: 120,000
Front-end developer:
- Junior: 75,000
- Middle: 85,000
- Senior: 100,000
Full-stack developer:
- Junior: 75,000
- Middle: 85,000
- Senior: 100,000
Project manager:
- Junior: 120,000
- Middle: 135,000
- Senior: 150,000
Systems administrator:
- Junior: 70,000
- Middle: 80,000
- Senior: 90,000
Economy
Sydney ranks in the top locations for economic opportunity. It’s also Australia's financial capital and one of Asia Pacific's leading financial hubs. Over half (60%) of Australian FinTech companies are based in Sydney (about 350). Additionally, Sydney is the largest IT market in Australia with a great number of international tech companies present in the city and its surroundings.
The unemployment rate in Sydney is 4.2% — lower than the national average of 5.1%.
Important economic sectors in Sydney include:
- Construction
- Education
- FinTech
- Health care
- Manufacturing
- Tourism
The largest technology companies present in Sydney and its surroundings include:
- Airtasker
- Amazon
- Atlassian
- Avaya
- Canon
- Canva
- Citrix
- Compuware
- Facebook
- Fujitsu
- Google
- IBM
- Microsoft
- NEC
- Oracle
- Twitter
Sydney is home to the Australian Technology Park (ATP) located in Eveleigh, one of the city’s southern inner-city suburbs. The ATP houses mainly start-up hi-tech firms, many of which are BioTech companies.
Many tech companies (Avaya, Canon, Compuware, Fujitsu, Microsoft, Oracle, etc.) are also concentrated in Macquarie Park. It’s a suburb in northern Sydney and center for major commercial and retail districts.
Cost of living
Sydney is the most expensive city in Australia. Consumer prices there are 160% higher than in Mumbai, 80% higher than in Moscow, and 60% higher than in Beijing. Sydney’s housing market is one of the world’s top 20 most expensive ones. However, it is 30% less expensive compared to New York and 9% less expensive compared to London.
The average monthly costs in Sydney are about A$1,430 for one person or A$5,190 for a family of four, excluding rent. Here are some examples (AUD):
- Meal at McDonald’s: 10–15
- Meal at another inexpensive restaurant: 12–30
- Average food basket (milk, bread, eggs, cheese, chicken, apples, potatoes, water, beer): 49
- Monthly fee at a fitness club: 50–140
- Monthly pass: 170–260
- Monthly rent (1 bedroom): 1,500 – 3,200
- Monthly rent (3 bedrooms): 2,400 – 7,500
- Property prices per square meter: 7,000 – 21,500
- Utilities: 140–310 per month
Travel
Sydney’s main passenger airport is Kingsford Smith Airport, one of the world’s oldest continually operating airports. It serves both domestic flights (Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, etc.) and international flights (Auckland, Los Angeles, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, and others).
Entertainment
Sydney is among the top 15 most-visited cities in the world. Its notable landmarks include Sydney Harbour, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Tower, the Queen Victoria Building, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, Taronga Zoo, Sydney Olympic Park, and more. There is an abundance of theaters, museums, shopping centers, and restaurants.
Tired of city life? There is over 1,000,000 ha of nature reserves and parks, including the Botany Bay National Park, Royal National Park, Royal Botanic Garden, The Domain, Prince Alfred Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, and Hyde Park, the oldest parkland in the country. The world-famous Bondi Beach and the Blue Mountains are also in the close vicinity of the city.