Construction Worker Salary in Australia
If you are looking for a construction worker salary in Australia, the on-site notes do not contain a precise figure for this exact role. Instead, you can compare any construction worker pay against the national full-time adult ordinary-time average published by the ABS. This page explains how to read that average as a year, a week and an hour, and where it sits relative to medians and the minimum wage.
National Full-Time Average: The Line
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that equals about $108,352 a year. On a standard 38-hour week, the hourly rate is $54.83. This is the line that the site uses to compare salaries.
If you have a construction worker salary in mind, you can place it on the line to see how far above or below the national average it sits. The tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the equivalent weekly and hourly amounts, plus the distance from the full-time average.
Medians and Minimums
For context, the ABS Employee Earnings survey (August 2025) gives a full-time median of about $90,532 a year and an all-employees median of about $74,100. These are medians, not averages, meaning half of workers earn more and half earn less. The national minimum wage from Fair Work, effective 1 July 2026, is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or about $52,255 a year on 38 hours. Award minimums for construction roles rose by 4.75% in that same update.
State-by-State Full-Time Averages
Full-time average earnings vary by state and territory. The ABS data for May 2026 shows:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
A construction worker salary in Western Australia or the ACT may be higher than the national average, while Tasmania is below. For more detail, see the states and territories page.
How the Figures Are Set
The national average comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, published twice a year (May and November). It measures ordinary-time earnings for full-time adult employees, excluding overtime. The median figures come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, published annually. The minimum wage is set by Fair Work each financial year. You can read more about how the figures are set.
Construction Industry Context
While this page does not have a specific construction worker salary, the construction industry as a whole has its own median. You can explore industry medians for construction and other sectors. The Construction page may provide further insights. Remember that individual roles within construction—such as labourers, carpenters, electricians or project managers—will have different pay rates, often governed by awards or enterprise agreements.
Tax on a Construction Worker Salary
If you earn a construction worker salary, the ATO's 2026–27 resident tax rates apply: nil 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. A 2% Medicare levy also applies, with possible reductions for low-income earners. For a salary at the national average of $108,352, the tax would be roughly $24,000 plus Medicare, but exact amounts depend on deductions and offsets.
Reading Your Salary as a Year, Week and Hour
The on-site tool is designed to show any salary as a yearly figure before tax, then convert it to a weekly amount (based on 52 weeks) and an hourly amount (based on a 38-hour week). It also shows the distance from the full-time average. For example, if a construction worker earns $90,000 a year, that is $1,730.77 a week and $45.55 an hour—below the national average of $108,352. If they earn $120,000, that is $2,307.69 a week and $60.73 an hour—above the line.
Where to Next?
If you want to compare your construction worker salary to others in the same occupation, the job medians page may have relevant data. For broader industry comparisons, see industry medians. And for guides on negotiating pay or understanding awards, visit the guides section.
Remember: the precise average for a construction worker is not in this index, but you can always use the national full-time average as a benchmark. The line is $108,352 a year, $2,083.70 a week, or $54.83 an hour.