Why a state or an award can move the figure off the national line
When you hear about a salary like Cristiano Ronaldo's, it's natural to wonder how it stacks up against everyday earnings in Australia. The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (multiplied by 52). That is the line this site uses as a benchmark. But Ronaldo's pay is not part of that survey. He is not an Australian employee, and his income is not reported to the ABS. So where does that leave us? We can use the national average as a reference point to understand how location, industry, and award coverage shift pay.
The national full-time average and what it includes
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The May 2026 figure of $2,083.70 is the seasonally adjusted ordinary-time earnings for full-time adults. That works out to roughly $108,352 a year. This average covers all full-time employees across Australia, mixing high and low earners. It is not a median. The full-time median, from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025), is about $90,532. The all-employees median (including part-time) is about $74,100. These medians give a better sense of the typical worker, while the average is influenced by very high salaries.
Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412 per year, and women's is about $100,594. That gap reflects differences in hours, occupations, and industries. The ABS notes that compositional factors affect the comparison.
State and territory differences
Where you work matters. The full-time average in the Australian Capital Territory is about $119,090, the highest of any state or territory. That reflects a high concentration of public sector and professional jobs. Western Australia follows at about $115,825, driven by mining and resources. Tasmania has the lowest full-time average at about $96,008. New South Wales is about $109,658, Victoria about $106,137, Queensland about $106,064, South Australia about $102,450, and the Northern Territory about $103,173. These figures are from the same ABS release. If you are comparing a salary like Cristiano Ronaldo's to an Australian benchmark, you would need to know which state or territory the job is in. The national line hides local variation. You can explore state averages on the States and territories page.
Awards, minimum wage, and the base floor
Fair Work sets the national minimum wage and award rates. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $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. Many employees are covered by awards that set higher rates for specific industries and roles. For example, a hospitality award might have a different base rate than a clerical award. These award rates are the legal minimum, but many workers earn above them. The national full-time average of $108,352 is well above the minimum wage, showing that most full-time workers earn more than the floor.
If Cristiano Ronaldo were employed in Australia under an award, his salary would be subject to the same minimum standards. But his reported earnings are far above any award rate. The point is that awards and enterprise agreements create a lower bound, not an upper one. The distance from the national line depends on the industry, the employer, and the worker's bargaining power.
How the figures are set and why they matter
The ABS collects data from employers, not from individuals. The Average Weekly Earnings survey samples businesses and asks about total wages and number of employees. It does not capture the earnings of self-employed people, contractors, or those working overseas. That is why a footballer like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is likely employed by a club outside Australia, does not appear in the data. The How the figures are set page explains the methodology in more detail.
For Australian workers, the national average is a useful benchmark. If your salary is above $108,352, you are earning more than the typical full-time worker. If it is below, you may be in an industry with lower pay or working part-time. The site's line tool lets you Place a salary on the line to see how it compares.
Medians and the distribution of earnings
The full-time median of about $90,532 is lower than the average because high earners pull the average up. The all-employees median of about $74,100 includes part-time workers, who earn less on average. These medians come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, which is published less frequently than Average Weekly Earnings. The Industry medians page shows how different sectors compare. For example, mining and information technology tend to have higher medians, while retail and hospitality have lower ones.
If you are trying to gauge where a salary like Cristiano Ronaldo's sits, you would need a reliable source for his actual pay. Reported figures vary widely and are often not verified by Australian authorities. The ATO does not publish individual salaries of non-residents. So the best we can do is note that his earnings are almost certainly far above the national average, but we cannot give a precise comparison.
Tax and take-home pay
The Australian tax system for residents in 2026–27 has a tax-free threshold of $18,200, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy adds 2% (with reductions for low-income earners). A worker earning the national average of $108,352 would pay about $24,667 in tax plus $2,167 in Medicare levy, leaving about $81,518 after tax. That is a rough estimate. For a high earner like Ronaldo, the top marginal rate would apply to most of his income, but his tax residency status would affect how much he pays in Australia. The ATO provides guidance on residency for tax purposes.
Conclusion
Cristiano Ronaldo's salary is not part of the Australian earnings landscape measured by the ABS. The national full-time average of $108,352 is a useful anchor for understanding pay in Australia, but it varies by state, industry, and award coverage. Whether you are comparing a footballer's pay or your own, the line on this site gives you a consistent reference. Use the Guides to learn more about how earnings are measured and what they mean for you.