The Average Aus Salary: Yearly, Weekly, Hourly
When you hear "average aus salary," the most authoritative figure comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 puts full-time adult ordinary-time earnings at $2,083.70 per week. Multiply by 52 weeks and you get about $108,352 a year before tax. That is the line this site uses to show where your pay sits.
Reading Your Pay in Three Ways
A salary is usually quoted per year, but it helps to see it as a week and an hour. On a standard 38-hour week, the national average works out to roughly $54.83 an hour ($2,083.70 ÷ 38). If you earn more than that, you are above the full-time average; if less, you are below.
You can place a salary on the line to see your own distance from the national average. The tool accepts a yearly figure before tax and instantly shows the weekly and hourly equivalents.
How the Average Compares to Other Benchmarks
The average is not the only measure. The ABS also publishes medians, which better represent the typical worker. In August 2025, the full-time median weekly earnings were $1,741 (about $90,532 a year), and the all-employees median was $1,425 per week (about $74,100 a year). The average is higher because high incomes pull it up.
At the bottom end, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week on 38 hours, which comes to about $52,255 a year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date.
State and Territory Averages
Where you live makes a difference. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 gives full-time averages by state. The highest is the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090 a year, followed by Western Australia at $115,825. The lowest is Tasmania at about $96,008. You can explore all states and territories on the states and territories page.
Men’s and Women’s Averages
The ABS breaks down earnings by gender. For men, the full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412 a year ($2,181.00 per week). For women, it is about $100,594 a year ($1,934.50 per week). The gap reflects differences in industries, hours, and roles.
Tax on the Average Salary
If you earn the national average of $108,352 in 2026–27, your tax is worked out on these resident rates: nothing on the first $18,200, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that. Plus a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions). The exact amount depends on your deductions and offsets.
How the Figures Are Set
The ABS collects data from employers every six months. The May 2026 release is the latest. The next release for November 2026 comes out on 25 February 2027. For more on the methodology, see how the figures are set.
Using the Average to Check Your Own Pay
Whether you are negotiating a raise, comparing job offers, or just curious, the national average is a useful reference. Enter your salary into the line tool to see how it stacks up. You can also compare by occupation or industry using the job medians and industry medians pages.
Remember: the average is not the same as the median or the minimum. Each tells a different story about earnings in Australia.