Understanding Cyber Security Salaries in Australia
If you are looking for a single official figure for a cyber security salary in Australia, you will not find one published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) or Fair Work. The ABS does not break down earnings by niche occupation like cyber security. Instead, cyber security roles are typically classified under ICT Professionals, which sit within the broader Professionals category. This article explains how to make sense of your pay using the national benchmarks available, and how the tool on this site can help you see where your salary sits.
The National Full-Time Average: The Line on the Site
The site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, as its reference line. For full-time adult ordinary time earnings (seasonally adjusted), the national average is $2,083.70 per week. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that comes to about $108,352 per year. This is the figure you will see when you place a salary on the line. It represents the typical earnings of a full-time adult employee before tax, excluding overtime and bonuses.
For comparison, the full-time median (the middle point) is lower: about $90,532 per year, according to the ABS Employee earnings survey from August 2025. The all-employees median (including part-time workers) is about $74,100 per year. These medians give a sense of what half of all workers earn less than, while the average is pulled higher by high earners.
Where Cyber Security Fits
Because the ABS does not publish a specific cyber security salary, we can look at related data. In the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey for May 2025, the median hourly earnings for all Professionals (including managers, engineers, IT specialists, and health professionals) was $64.50. On a standard 38-hour week, that equates to about $2,451 per week or $127,452 per year. This is a useful benchmark, but it covers a wide range of roles. Cyber security specialists—especially those with certifications and experience—often earn more than the Professionals median.
Another reference point: the average weekly total earnings for full-time males in the private sector was $2,139.50 in May 2026, and for females $1,840.80. Cyber security is a male-dominated field, but salaries for women in the sector are rising. The gender pay gap persists, but the site’s line is gender-neutral.
State and Territory Variations
Where you work matters. The ABS publishes state-level full-time adult average ordinary time earnings. The on-site notes give these annualised figures:
- 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
Cyber security hubs like Canberra (ACT) and Sydney (NSW) tend to offer higher salaries due to government and financial sector demand. You can explore these differences on the States and territories page.
How the Site Converts Your Salary
The tool on this site accepts a yearly salary before tax. It then divides by 52 to get a weekly figure, and by 38 to get an hourly rate (the standard full-time week used by the ABS and Fair Work). It shows the distance from the national full-time average line. For example, if you earn $120,000 per year, you are $11,648 above the average. The site also displays the tax bracket you fall into for the 2026–27 financial year: nil up to $18,200, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that, plus the 2% Medicare levy (with possible reductions).
The Minimum Wage and Awards
For context, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, which is about $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date. Cyber security professionals are almost always paid well above award rates, often under individual or collective agreements. The ABS reports that individual arrangement is the most common method of setting pay (38.5% of employees), followed by collective agreement (34.6%).
Using the Site to Benchmark Your Cyber Security Salary
If you are a cyber security professional, you can input your current or desired salary into the tool to see how it compares. The line is the national full-time average, but you can also compare to medians or state averages. The site does not provide a specific cyber security average, but it gives you the context to evaluate your own pay. For more detail on how the figures are compiled, see How the figures are set.
Conclusion
While there is no single official cyber security salary figure in Australia, the national full-time average of $108,352 is a solid benchmark. Cyber security roles typically exceed that, especially in high-demand areas like Canberra and Sydney. Use the site to see where your pay sits on the line, and remember that the ABS updates its Average Weekly Earnings twice a year (May and November). The next release will be for November 2026, due in February 2027.