The Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) latest statistics based on 2015-16 tax returns show the average taxable annual income for Dubbo workers was $51,469. 

Average wages in Millthorpe, Orange, Mudgee, Bathurst and Lithgow were all much higher than Dubbo. 

However, even the wages in Millthorpe and Orange aren’t even a third of Australia’s richest area – Sydney’s eastern suburbs – where the average income is up to a staggering $192,500 each year.

NSW Business Chamber regional manager Western NSW Vicki Seccombe said Millthorpe had a lot of tree-changers from Sydney and health professionals living in the village.

She said Orange’s higher wages than similar-sized Central West cities was probably due to the number of health, government and mine workers, with salaries at the hospital, Department of Primary Industries and Cadia mine generally higher.

Ms Seccombe said Mudgee’s higher wage was probably also due to having three mines nearby.

“Cadia salaries are perceived as being higher than businesses in town,” she said.

“[And] we’ve got more health care workers in Orange.”

The ATO figures showed that medical jobs continued to be the best paid. The only non-medical profession to average more than $250,000 was financial dealers on $263,309.

The ATO figures also showed on average Orange claimed more deductions ($2782) in their tax return than Bathurst ($2461) and Dubbo ($2277) workers.