What is the average accountant salary in Sydney?

There is no published average salary specifically for accountants in Sydney. The national median full-time salary for accountants is about $104,156 per year ($2,003 per week), based on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours. For context, the New South Wales full-time average across all occupations is about $109,658 per year, which is slightly above the national full-time average of $108,352.

How does an accountant salary in Sydney compare to the national average?

The national median for accountants ($104,156) is very close to the national full-time average ($108,352). In Sydney, the NSW full-time average is $109,658, so an accountant earning the national median would be slightly below the state average. However, individual salaries vary by experience, firm size, and specialisation.

What would a Sydney accountant take home after tax?

Using the national accountant median of $104,156 as a guide, a resident in 2026–27 would pay about $24,467 in income tax plus $2,083 Medicare levy, leaving roughly $77,606 net per year, or about $1,492 per week. This is a rough estimate; actual take-home depends on deductions, HELP repayments, and other factors.

Accountant Salary Sydney: How It Compares to the National Average

Accountant Salary Sydney: Where It Sits on the Line

If you are an accountant in Sydney or considering the profession, you probably want to know how the pay compares to the national full-time average. The Average line uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings figure as its reference point – $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 a year. This is the line that all salaries are measured against.

For accountants across Australia, the most recent data from the ABS (via Jobs and Skills Australia) shows a median full-time weekly earnings of $2,003. That works out to about $104,156 a year. That is remarkably close to the national full-time average – just over $4,000 less. It means a typical accountant earns almost exactly what the average full-time worker earns.

But what about Sydney specifically? The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey breaks down earnings by state, not by occupation within a state. The New South Wales full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,108.80 per week, or about $109,658 a year. That is slightly above the national average, reflecting Sydney’s role as a financial and professional hub. However, no published figure gives a precise accountant salary for Sydney. The national median for accountants is the best available benchmark.

The National Picture for Accountants

According to the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), the median full-time earnings for accountants (ANZSCO 2211) is $2,003 per week. The median hourly rate is $53. About 84% of accountants work full time, and the average full-time hours are 43 per week – slightly below the all-occupations average of 44 hours. The median age is 42, and women make up 54% of the profession.

These figures are for non-managerial adult employees paid at the adult rate. They exclude part-time workers and managers, so they give a clearer picture of typical pay for the role.

How Sydney Compares

Sydney sits within New South Wales, which has the second-highest state average after the Australian Capital Territory. The NSW full-time average of $109,658 is about $1,300 above the national average. If you are an accountant in Sydney earning the national median of $104,156, you would be about $5,500 below the state average. But that is a rough comparison – many accountants in Sydney, especially in financial services or large firms, earn well above the median.

For a more tailored view, you can place a salary on the line to see how it compares to the national average, or explore states and territories for other regions.

A Resident Take-Home Sketch

Let’s use the national accountant median of $104,156 as an example. For the 2026–27 financial year, the tax rates are:

Nil on the first $18,200
15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
45% on income above $190,000

Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions).

For $104,156:

Tax on first $18,200: $0
Tax on $18,201 to $45,000: $26,800 × 15% = $4,020
Tax on $45,001 to $104,156: $59,156 × 30% = $17,746.80
Total income tax: $21,766.80
Medicare levy: $104,156 × 2% = $2,083.12
Total tax and levy: $23,849.92
Net annual income: about $80,306
Net weekly (52 weeks): about $1,544

That is a rough estimate. Actual take-home pay depends on deductions, HELP repayments, and other factors. The national full-time average of $108,352 would yield a net of about $83,000 per year.

The Minimum Wage and Award Context

From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week – about $52,255 a year. Award minimums increased by 4.75% in the 2026 Annual Wage Review. Accountants are often covered by the Professional Employees Award 2020, which sets minimum rates above the national minimum. However, most accountants earn well above award rates.

What This Means for You

If you are an accountant in Sydney, your salary is likely to be near or above the national full-time average. The national median for the profession is very close to the line. For a more precise comparison, you can use the tools on this site to place a salary on the line and see the distance from the average. You can also check job medians for other roles or industry medians for sector-specific data.

Remember that the ABS Average Weekly Earnings is published twice a year (May and November). The current reference is May 2026. The median figures come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, most recently August 2025. These are the most reliable public sources for Australian salary data.