A League Average Salary in Australia: How It Compares to the National Full-Time Average
When people ask about "a league average salary" in Australia, they are usually referring to the A-League, the country's top professional soccer competition. Unlike national wage data published by the ABS or Fair Work, the A-League's average salary is not a regularly released public figure. The Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) occasionally publishes reports, but those are not part of the standard sources used on this site. Without an official figure from the ABS, Fair Work, or the ATO, we cannot give a precise number. However, we can use the national full-time average as a benchmark to understand where A-League pay might sit.
The National Full-Time Average as a Reference
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 puts the national full-time adult ordinary-time average at $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (multiplied by 52 weeks). This is the line used on this site. For context, the full-time median is $90,532, meaning half of full-time workers earn less and half earn more. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is $74,100. These figures come from the ABS Employee Earnings survey, August 2025.
Men's full-time average is about $113,412, while women's is about $100,594. State averages also vary: New South Wales sits at $109,658, Victoria at $106,137, Queensland at $106,064, South Australia at $102,450, Western Australia at $115,825, Tasmania at $96,008, the Northern Territory at $103,173, and the Australian Capital Territory at $119,090. These state figures can help when comparing A-League clubs based in different regions.
Where Does the A-League Average Likely Sit?
A-League player salaries are not uniform. Marquee players can earn well over $1 million a year, while younger or squad players may earn less than the national average. The PFA's most recent collective bargaining agreement set minimum salaries for A-League Men's players at around $65,000 for senior players and lower for development players. For A-League Women's, the minimum is lower, though it has increased in recent years. Without an official average, it is reasonable to assume that the A-League Men's average is above the national full-time average, given the presence of high earners, while the A-League Women's average is likely below it. But this is speculation; the data is not publicly available from our sources.
A Take-Home Sketch Using the National Average
If we use the national full-time average of $108,352 as a hypothetical salary, what would a resident take home after tax? For the 2026–27 income year, the tax brackets are: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; and 45% above $190,000. The Medicare levy is 2% of taxable income, with reductions for low-income earners.
On $108,352, the tax calculation is:
- First $18,200: $0
- Next $26,800 (to $45,000): 15% = $4,020
- Next $63,352 (to $108,352): 30% = $19,005.60
- Total tax: $23,025.60
- Medicare levy: $2,167.04
- Total deductions: $25,192.64
- Take-home pay: approximately $83,159.36 per year, or $1,599.22 per week.
This is a rough estimate. Actual take-home depends on deductions, offsets, and other factors. For a salary at the national average, the weekly take-home is about $1,599, compared to the gross weekly average of $2,083.70.
How the Minimum Wage Compares
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from the previous year. The minimum wage is about half the national full-time average. For A-League players, the minimum under the collective agreement is higher than the national minimum wage, but still below the average for many.
Using This Site to Place Your Salary
If you are an A-League player or want to compare your own salary, you can place a salary on the line to see how it measures up against the national full-time average. The tool shows weekly and hourly equivalents on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the average. You can also explore states and territories to see how averages differ across Australia.
Conclusion
While the A-League average salary is not a published figure from the ABS, Fair Work, or the ATO, the national full-time average of $108,352 provides a solid reference. A-League Men's players likely earn above this average on the whole, while A-League Women's players likely earn below. For a precise figure, you would need to consult the PFA or club disclosures. Until then, the national average remains the best benchmark for understanding where professional soccer salaries sit in the broader Australian workforce.