The national line and where the AFL salary cap sits
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026, is $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year. This is the line that the Average line tool uses to compare any salary. But not every job or industry sits on that line. State differences, award classifications, and enterprise agreements can push pay well above or below it.
One prominent example is the AFL salary cap. The cap is a collective agreement between the AFL and the AFL Players' Association that sets the maximum total player payments per club. It is not published in the ABS or Fair Work data used on this site, but it is known to be in the millions per club, meaning individual player salaries are far above the national average. This illustrates how industry-specific arrangements can create a pay structure that is completely separate from the national line.
State averages: how location moves the line
The national average is a weighted blend of all states and territories. The ABS publishes state-level full-time ordinary-time averages in its original series. Using the on-site figures from the May 2026 release:
- New South Wales: about $109,658
- Victoria: about $106,137
- Queensland: about $106,064
- South Australia: about $102,450
- Western Australia: about $115,825
- Tasmania: about $96,008
- Northern Territory: about $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: about $119,090
If you work in the ACT, your pay is likely above the national line; if you work in Tasmania, it is likely below. The line tool adjusts for this by showing your distance from the national average, but you can also compare to your state average using the States and territories page.
Awards and enterprise agreements: how the AFL salary cap fits in
Most Australian employees have their pay set by an award, an enterprise agreement, or an individual contract. The national minimum wage from Fair Work is $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026, or $52,255 a year on 38 hours. Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the same period. These are floors, not ceilings.
The AFL salary cap is a ceiling. It is a form of enterprise agreement that applies to a specific industry. While the cap itself is not published in the sources used here, it demonstrates how collective bargaining can create a pay structure that is far above the national average. For context, the full-time median for all employees is about $74,100 (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025), and the full-time median is about $90,532. The AFL salary cap is well above even the full-time median.
How the line tool helps
The Average line tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows you the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, plus your distance from the national full-time average. It uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, for the line. It does not use the AFL salary cap because the cap is not an average or median figure. The tool also shows tax estimates using the 2026–27 resident rates: nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above that, plus the 2% Medicare levy.
If you want to see where your salary sits, Place a salary on the line. For more on how the figures are set, see How the figures are set.
Summary
The national full-time average is a useful benchmark, but it is not the whole story. State averages, award classifications, and industry-specific agreements like the AFL salary cap can move pay well off the line. The Average line tool helps you see where you stand relative to the national average, and the supporting pages provide context for state and industry differences.