Where Craig Bellamy's pay sits against the national full-time average
Craig Bellamy is one of the most successful coaches in NRL history, having led the Melbourne Storm to multiple premierships. His salary, however, is not a matter of public record. Unlike some public-sector roles or award-covered positions, NRL head coaches negotiate their contracts privately. This means any figure you see in the media is an estimate or a leak, not an official disclosure.
To understand where his pay might sit, we first need to establish the benchmark: the national full-time average. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, full-time adult ordinary time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week. Multiplied by 52, that gives an annual salary of about $108,352 before tax. This is the line used by Place a salary on the line to compare any individual's earnings against the typical full-time worker.
The national context: averages, medians and the minimum
The ABS publishes two key measures. The average (mean) is pulled higher by high earners. The median gives a better sense of the typical worker. For full-time employees, the median weekly total cash earnings in August 2025 were $1,887 per week, or about $90,532 per year. For all employees (including part-time), the median was $1,436 per week, about $74,100 per year. These figures come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey.
At the bottom end, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. That works out to $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time.
State-by-state full-time averages
Where you work also matters. The on-site notes give state full-time averages derived from the same ABS survey:
- 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
Craig Bellamy works in Melbourne, Victoria, where the full-time average is about $106,137. That is slightly below the national average, but still a high benchmark. For more detail on how states compare, see States and territories.
What we know about NRL coach salaries
While Bellamy's exact figure is not public, NRL head coaches are generally among the highest-paid in Australian sport. Reports over the years have suggested that top coaches earn between $500,000 and $1 million per year, with some of the most successful (like Bellamy) possibly exceeding that range. These are not official figures, but they are consistent with the market for elite coaching talent.
If Bellamy earns, say, $800,000 per year, that would be more than seven times the national full-time average. Even at a more conservative $500,000, he would be earning nearly five times the average. This places him in the top few percent of Australian earners.
Tax considerations
For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions). A salary of $500,000 or more would be taxed at the top marginal rate on most of the income. But even after tax, the take-home pay would be far above the average worker's gross salary.
Why the average matters
The national full-time average is a useful anchor. It reflects what a typical full-time worker earns across all industries and occupations. For someone like Craig Bellamy, whose role is highly specialised and high-profile, it is expected that his pay far exceeds that anchor. But without a confirmed figure, we can only say that his salary is almost certainly well above the line.
If you want to see where your own salary sits against the national average, you can Place a salary on the line using our tool. For more on how the ABS collects these figures, see How the figures are set.
The bottom line
Craig Bellamy's salary is not published by any official source. The ABS, Fair Work, and the ATO do not release individual coach salaries. Media reports are the only guide, and they are not definitive. What we can say with confidence is that the national full-time average is $108,352, and that a coach of Bellamy's stature would earn many times that amount. For a precise comparison, we would need the actual figure, which remains private.
For more context on how different occupations compare, visit Job medians or Industry medians. And if you are curious about how the minimum wage and awards interact with the average, our Guides section has detailed explanations.