Industries with the Highest Profit Margin in Australia in 2025

1. Superannuation Funds in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 96.1%

Significant global market volatility has affected invest incomes for superannuation funds in recent years. The initial COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent economic uncertainty, including inflationary pressures, saw revenue for funds fluctuate dramatically. Superannuation fund revenue is expected to increase at an annualised 0.7% over the five years through 2022-23, to total $230.1 billion, although the period has seen significant volatility. Superannuation fund's total assets are a more accurate indicator of the industry's size, with assets expected to grow at an annualised 3.4% over the same period, to $3.5 trillion. Continued incremental increases to the Superannuation Guarantee Scheme have boosted contributions to... Learn More

2. Battery Material Mining in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 44.3%

Battery material mining revenue has soared, as battery manufacturers have sought to lock in supply to meet surging demand. Rising demand for electric vehicles has led global automakers to offer a growing range of electric vehicles, particularly in China. The supply of battery materials has become increasingly tight, driving demand for Australian battery material exports. Overall, industry revenue has grown at an annualised 55.9% over the past five years, to $16.9 billion. This includes a rise of 198.6% in 2022-23, as lithium export prices skyrocket.

Several new enterprises have entered the industry by developing lithium mines in Western Australia. These firms... Learn More

3. Residential Real Estate Advertising in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 42.8%

The Residential Real Estate Advertising industry involves listing residential properties that are available for buying or leasing. While most listings are now offered online, advertisements can also be published in print publications like newspaper or property magazines. Positive trading conditions have been benefiting real estate advertisers. Lower interest rates after the COVID-19 outbreak encouraged residential housing prices to climb, which elevated the number of listings that could be advertised. REA Group and Domain Holdings dominate the industry, and most properties available at any one time are listed on their websites. Climbing housing prices have enabled these large advertisers to hike... Learn More

4. Retail Property Operators in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 41.4%

Retail property operators have contended with volatile trading conditions over the past five years. Although demand for retail trade has grown, online shopping's mounting popularity has constrained demand for traditional bricks-and-mortar locations as some retailers have reduced their in-store presences to soften rent costs. Previously low interest rates supported the development and supply of retail properties for lease. Low interest rates also provided tenants greater bargaining power for more desirable lease agreements. Non-essential retail activity has also declined, limiting retail property operations revenue. Overall, revenue is expected to fall at an annualised 8.2% over the past five years and is... Learn More

5. Electricity Distribution in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 40.7%

Electricity distribution networks form the last link in electricity transport to homes and businesses. Since these regional monopolies provide such a vital service, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) determines their revenue allowances, returns on investment and capital expenditure in five-year blocks. Until 2015, regulators let distribution networks earn higher revenue, prompting significant investment in expanding their network assets. Since then, revenue allowances have been slashed. A low interest rate environment cut borrowing costs, meaning distributors could recoup their investments at a lower rate of return than previously. To reinforce this, the AER mandated a new Rate of Return Instrument in... Learn More

6. Electricity Transmission in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 39.9%

Australia's electricity supply chain is undergoing a radical shift, as renewable energy sources take up more of the electricity mix. Electricity transmission forms a key part of the infrastructure underlying this supply chain, transporting high-voltage current from generators to distribution networks, and directly to energy-intensive businesses. Transmission providers function as regional monopolies, with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) determining their revenue and capital returns in five-year blocks.

Regulators loosened their purse strings until 2015, letting transmission firms invest in new assets and earn more revenue. After 2015 this trend was reversed, with revenue creeping up 0.2% over the past five years,... Learn More

7. Commercial Property Management in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 35.9%

Operators in the Commercial Property Management industry are responsible for managing their clients' commercial real estate holdings. Their duties include tenant management and rent collection. Industry operators have faced difficult trading conditions over the past five years. Declines in demand from key downstream markets have constrained industry performance over the period. Working from home mandates and sporadic lockdown measures introduced across the country to curb the spread of COVID-19 have reduced demand from office and retail property operators. However, increases in the number of businesses over the past five years have benefited operators via an expanded customer base. Overall, industry... Learn More

8. Intellectual Property Leasing in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 35.5%

Intellectual property (IP) leasing firms lease their patents, trademarks, spectrum and other intangible property to businesses in exchange for payment. Climbing demand from downstream sectors, like professional, scientific and technical services, has buoyed industry performance in recent years. Industry revenue is expected to rise at an annualised 6.5% over the five years through 2023-24, to $4.2 billion. Over three-quarters of the industry's enterprises are expected to be non-employing in 2023-24. The tendency for non-employing owner-operators to take profit as imputed wages serves to lift the size of the industry's profit margins relative to the wider leasing industry. In recent years,... Learn More

9. Lithium and Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 34.7%

Spodumene concentrate (lithium ore) has become by far the dominant product in the Lithium and Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining industry over the five years through 2023-24. Spodumene concentrate is still mainly exported to China for further processing, but major mining firms have started to use it domestically to refine lithium hydroxide. Spodumene concentrate output has increased over the past five years, particularly over the three years through 2023-24. While production is growing strongly, surging demand is behind the largely price-driven growth, as strong demand from the Chinese electric vehicle market and lithium stockpiling is prompting a spike in world prices.... Learn More

10. Industrial and Other Property Operators in Australia

Profit Margin 2025: 31.2%

Industry property operators have benefited from rising total merchandise imports and exports and expanding business inventories in recent years. Growth in online shopping's popularity has supported demand for industrial property. In particular, tenant demand for warehousing, transport and logistics facilities has accelerated. The perfect storm of spiking industrial property prices and relatively strong industrial rental yields have supported industry expansion and profitability. Negotiating lower rental payments for tenants adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic limited industry growth in recent years, but frenzied demand for limited available industry property outweighed this constraint. Overall, industry revenue is expected to rise at an... Learn More