What is the average NBL salary?

The average NBL salary is not a figure published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Fair Work, or the Australian Taxation Office. The NBL is a professional sports league, and player salaries are typically private contractual matters. Unlike national earnings statistics, there is no publicly available official average for NBL players. For context, the national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings was $2,083.70 per week ($108,352 per year) as of May 2026, according to the ABS.

How does the NBL salary compare to the national average?

Without a published average NBL salary, a direct comparison is not possible. However, professional athletes in leagues like the NBL often earn above the national full-time average, but salaries vary widely by experience, role, and contract terms. The national full-time median weekly earnings were $1,741 per week ($90,532 per year) in August 2025, and the all-employees median was $1,425 per week ($74,100 per year). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week.

Where can I find official NBL salary data?

Official NBL salary data is not published by the league or by Australian government statistical agencies. The ABS collects earnings data through surveys like Average Weekly Earnings and Employee Earnings, but these cover all employees across industries, not specific sports leagues. For individual player salaries, you would need to refer to contract disclosures or reports from sports media, which are not official sources. The best public benchmarks remain the national averages and medians from the ABS.

Average NBL salary: How does it compare to the national full-time average?

Understanding the average NBL salary

When you search for the "average NBL salary," you are likely looking for a figure that represents what a typical player in the National Basketball League earns. However, unlike national earnings statistics published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the NBL does not release an official average salary. Player contracts are private, and the league's salary cap and player payments are not broken down into a simple average that is publicly available. This page explains what we can and cannot say about the average NBL salary, and how it might compare to the national benchmarks we track.

National benchmarks for comparison

To give context, we use the most recent official data from the ABS. The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) was $2,083.70 per week in May 2026, which equates to about $108,352 per year (multiplied by 52 weeks). This figure comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey. It represents the average gross earnings before tax for full-time adult employees across all industries, excluding overtime and irregular payments.

For a more typical worker, the median full-time weekly earnings were $1,741 per week ($90,532 per year) in August 2025, according to the ABS Employee Earnings survey. The median for all employees (including part-time and casual) was $1,425 per week ($74,100 per year). These medians give a better sense of what a middle-earning Australian takes home.

The national minimum wage, set by Fair Work from 1 July 2026, is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, amounting to $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% in the same adjustment.

How NBL salaries might compare

Professional basketball players in the NBL are not captured in the ABS surveys, which cover employees in typical employer-employee relationships across all industries. NBL players are often engaged under individual contracts, and their earnings can range from relatively modest rookie salaries to six-figure sums for star players. The league operates under a salary cap, but the average player salary is not a published statistic.

Given the nature of professional sport, it is likely that many NBL players earn above the national full-time average, especially those with established careers. However, without official data, we cannot provide a precise figure. If you are comparing a specific salary offer or contract, you can place a salary on the line to see how it stacks up against the national full-time average, medians, and minimum wage.

Factors that move pay above or below the average

Several factors determine whether an NBL player's salary would sit above or below the national full-time average:

Experience and performance: Veteran players and those with international experience typically command higher salaries.
Team salary cap: Each NBL team has a cap, which limits total player payments and influences individual salaries.
Market size and revenue: Larger markets may offer higher salaries, but the NBL is a relatively small league compared to the NBA or European leagues.
Contract type: Some players may have part-time or supplementary roles, especially if they also play overseas or have other employment.

For most Australians, the national full-time average of $108,352 is a useful benchmark. If you are in a different occupation, you can explore job medians or industry medians to see typical earnings in your field.

State and territory variations

The national average masks differences across states and territories. For example, the full-time average in the Australian Capital Territory is about $119,090, while in Tasmania it is about $96,008. You can see the full breakdown on our states and territories page. An NBL player based in Melbourne (Victoria, average $106,137) or Sydney (New South Wales, average $109,658) would be comparing against those local averages as well.

Conclusion

While the average NBL salary is not a published figure, you can use the national full-time average of $108,352 as a reference point. For a more personalised comparison, use our tool to place a salary on the line and see where it sits against the ABS benchmarks. For further reading on how these figures are set, see How the figures are set and About this site.