Understanding the Australian minimum wage
The national minimum wage is the legal minimum pay rate for most employees in Australia, set annually by the Fair Work Commission. It applies to employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. The Commission reviews the rate each financial year, with changes taking effect from 1 July.
For the 2025 calendar year, the precise minimum wage figure is not available in the current data set. The most recent determination, effective from 1 July 2026, sets the rate at $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date. The 2025 rate would have been announced in June 2025, but is not included here.
How it compares to the national full-time average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, multiplied by 52). This is the line used on this site. The 2026 minimum wage (from 1 July 2026) of $52,255 per year is about 48% of that average.
For context, the full-time median is about $90,532, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). Men’s full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412; women’s is about $100,594. The minimum wage sits well below all these benchmarks.
State and territory comparisons
State full-time averages vary. New South Wales is 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. The minimum wage is below every state average.
The role of awards and enterprise agreements
Most Australian employees are covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement, which sets a minimum wage higher than the national minimum. The Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review also increases award rates. The 4.75% increase from 1 July 2026 applied to award minimums. The national minimum wage is the safety net for those not covered by any other instrument.
How the figures are set
The national full-time average is from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, published twice a year (May and November). The medians are from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, released less frequently. The minimum wage is determined by Fair Work after consultation. For more detail, see How the figures are set.
Where your salary on the line
If you want to see where your own pay compares to the national full-time average, you can Place a salary on the line on this site. The tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the week and hour on a 38-hour week, plus distance from the full-time average.