“The strong Australian dollar, rising job numbers and emerging skills shortages make a compelling argument for any employee wanting to approach their boss for a salary increase,” Hays Energy regional director Simon Winfield said.

Winfield added that along with the rising dollar, the jobs market in Australia has recovered quickly in comparison to other international markets with total employment in September alone growing by 49,500.

“With such a strong employment performance, candidate salary expectations are rising,” he said.

The stronger dollar has also given Australians the opportunity to explore working options internationally.

“Candidates who had put their relocation on hold during the GFC [global financial crisis] are again expressing interest in heading overseas now that international markets are improving, especially Asia and the US, and to a lesser extent London,” Winfield said.

“They are looking for that opportunity to travel, live abroad and gain international contacts and experience.”

But there are also plenty of reasons to stay at home.

“The IMF gave the Australian economy a big tick recently by saying it will be among the better global economies going forward into next year,” he said.

“When combined with current jobs numbers, it’s a fantastic vote of confidence for our economy and the job opportunities it will present.”