New data issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the ACT has the highest average wages and salaries, at $60,987, while Western Australia recorded the second highest on $57,365 and the Northern Territory came in third highest on $54,082.

The report also breaks down salary and wages by suburb. When looking at average income, the south side dominated.

Deakin topped the list at $77,134, just ahead of Narrabundah, Kingston and Barton - on $77,130 - and Yarralumla on $77,120. Red Hill, Griffith and Forrest were all also above $75,000 and Hughes, Garran and Curtin's averages topped $71,000.

But it was a different story for median incomes.

An ABS spokesman said the median figure was a better reflection of wider income levels in a suburb than using averages.

“With using an average, you might get a few handful of people who are getting a high income and that just skews the result,” the spokesman said.

“The median – the mid-point – is probably the better figure to use.”

Gungahlin was home to the five wealthiest suburbs based on median figures.

Crace led the way, with a median income for wages and salaries of $57,214, while Narrabundah residents – who earnt a median $54,141 – were the highest earning south-siders.

Crace also recorded the largest average increase in average incomes. Wages and salaries were up 9 per cent in the suburb in the five years up to 2010-11, well ahead of the 6.8 per cent growth in second-place Hall.

At the other end of the spectrum, Civic and Acton, home of many university students, recorded the smallest increase in average wages, of just 1.6 per cent over those five years.

The report also shows the ACT has the highest proportion of wage earners reporting incomes higher than $78,000 in 2010-11, at 28.6 per cent. A further 25.3 per cent of ACT residents reported earning between $52,000 and $78,000. That compares with 18.5 per cent and 20.9 per cent respectively for the nation as a whole.

In 2010-11, 14.4 per cent of ACT residents earned less than $15,600.

Tasmania recorded the lowest average income levels at $43,521, while the national average wages and salaries income was $51,923.

The data also showed women earned only 64 per cent of the average male's wage nationally.

ABS director Lisa Conolly said that men recorded a higher average of $62,699 compared with $40,312 for women.

"The report shows that men earn more than women in every state and territory with the gap being particularly large in Western Australia, where females earn only 55 per cent of the average male income,” she said.

"These figures have not changed much since 2005-06."

Sydney provided eight out of Australia's top 10 regions for the highest average wage and salary income.

The suburb of Mosman was ranked first at $123,235, followed by Hunters Hill-Woolwich at $106,695 and Double Bay-Bellevue Hill at $100,443.

When all income was included – including investments and superannuation – the blue-blood suburb of Toorak in Melbourne came out as the highest earning locality, with an average income of $150,458, about $8000 more than second-placed Mosman.