What is the take-home pay on a data science salary at the national full-time average?

If your data science salary matches the national full-time adult ordinary-time average of $2,083.70 per week ($108,352 per year), your estimated take-home after tax and Medicare levy for 2026–27 would be about $78,000–$79,000 per year, depending on your exact tax offsets. This uses the resident tax brackets: nil up to $18,200, 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, plus 2% Medicare levy. The actual take-home will vary with deductions and the Medicare levy surcharge if you do not have private hospital cover.

How does a typical data science salary compare with the national full-time average?

Data science roles are usually classified as Professionals or fall within the Information media & telecommunications or Professional, scientific & technical services industries. The ABS reports that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings in Information media & telecommunications averaged $2,714.10 per week ($141,133 per year) in May 2026, well above the national average of $2,083.70. In Professional, scientific & technical services, the average was $2,389.60 per week ($124,259). These figures suggest data science salaries are likely above the national average, but the ABS does not publish a separate data science category.

Which state or territory offers the highest data science salary?

The ABS does not break down data science salaries by state, but you can compare state full-time adult ordinary-time averages. For May 2026, the Australian Capital Territory had the highest average at $2,290.20 per week ($119,090 per year), followed by Western Australia at $2,227.40 ($115,825). New South Wales averaged $2,108.80 ($109,658), Victoria $2,041.10 ($106,137), and Queensland $2,039.70 ($106,064). Data science roles in these states may command a premium above the state average, especially in Canberra’s public sector and Perth’s mining-linked tech roles.

Data Science Salary in Australia: How It Compares to the National Average

Data Science Salary in Australia: A Resident Take-Home Sketch

If you are looking for a data science salary in Australia, the first thing to know is that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish a specific figure for that job title. Data science is a relatively new and cross-disciplinary field, so official earnings surveys group it under broader categories. This article uses the most recent ABS data to give you a practical picture: how a typical data science salary compares with the national full-time average, what your take-home pay might look like after tax, and where the best-paid roles tend to cluster.

The National Full-Time Average as Your Reference

The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 puts full-time adult ordinary-time earnings at $2,083.70 per week. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that is about $108,352 per year. This is the figure this site uses as the line for the national average. It is an average, not a median, and it covers all full-time adults across every industry.

For comparison, the full-time median weekly earnings from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) were about $1,741 per week, or roughly $90,532 per year. The all-employees median (including part-time) was about $1,436 per week ($74,672 per year). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week ($52,255 per year).

Where Data Science Salaries Sit

Data science roles are most commonly classified under two industry groups in the ABS data:

Information media & telecommunications – average full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,714.10 per week ($141,133 per year) in May 2026.
Professional, scientific & technical services – average of $2,389.60 per week ($124,259 per year).

Both are well above the national average. Within these industries, data scientists, machine learning engineers, and analytics managers are likely to earn at the higher end. The ABS also reports that the occupation group Professionals had an average hourly earnings of $64.50 in May 2025, and Managers $69.20. Data science roles often sit at the boundary of these two groups.

It is important to note that these are averages, not medians, and they include all experience levels. Entry-level data science salaries may be closer to the national average, while senior roles can exceed $150,000–$180,000 per year.

Take-Home Pay After Tax

Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the 2% Medicare levy, here is an estimate of take-home pay for a data science salary at the industry average levels:

At the national average ($108,352): Tax on this income falls into the 30% bracket (up to $135,000). Estimated tax plus Medicare is about $29,000–$30,000, leaving roughly $78,000–$79,000 take-home.
At the Information media average ($141,133): This crosses into the 37% bracket (above $135,000). Estimated tax plus Medicare is about $42,000–$43,000, leaving roughly $98,000–$99,000 take-home.
At the Professional services average ($124,259): Still in the 30% bracket. Estimated tax plus Medicare about $35,000–$36,000, leaving roughly $88,000–$89,000 take-home.

These are rough estimates. Your actual take-home will depend on deductions, the Medicare levy surcharge if you do not have private hospital cover, and any tax offsets.

State and Territory Differences

Where you work matters. The ABS publishes full-time adult ordinary-time averages for each state and territory (May 2026):

Australian Capital Territory: $2,290.20 per week ($119,090 per year)
Western Australia: $2,227.40 ($115,825)
New South Wales: $2,108.80 ($109,658)
Victoria: $2,041.10 ($106,137)
Queensland: $2,039.70 ($106,064)
Northern Territory: $1,984.10 ($103,173)
South Australia: $1,970.20 ($102,450)
Tasmania: $1,846.30 ($96,008)

Data science salaries are likely to follow a similar pattern, with Canberra and Perth offering the highest averages. Canberra’s public sector and defence-related analytics roles, and Perth’s mining and resources tech sector, tend to pay above the national average. Place a salary on the line to see how your income compares with the national average.

Occupation and Industry Benchmarks

For a more granular view, the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025) provides median weekly earnings for all employees by occupation. While data science is not listed separately, the closest categories are:

Professionals: median weekly earnings of $1,887 for full-time, average hourly $64.50.
Managers: median $1,994 full-time, average hourly $69.20.

Data scientists often work in teams under a manager or as individual contributors, so these medians give a useful ballpark. The Job medians page on this site lets you explore more occupations.

Industry medians from the same survey show:

Information media & telecommunications: average weekly total cash earnings $2,324.40 (all employees, including part-time).
Professional, scientific & technical services: $2,082.00.

These are lower than the full-time averages because they include part-time workers. For full-time only, the averages above are more relevant. See Industry medians for a full breakdown.

What the Data Doesn’t Tell You

The ABS surveys are the most reliable source for earnings data in Australia, but they have limitations. They do not capture bonuses, equity, or contractor rates, which are common in data science. They also do not separate data science from other roles like software engineering or data analysis. For a precise figure, you would need to consult industry salary surveys or job advertisements, but those are not part of the official statistics this site uses.

Summary

While there is no official data science salary figure, the evidence points to data science roles paying significantly above the national full-time average of $108,352 per year. The closest industry averages suggest a typical range of $124,000 to $141,000 per year for full-time employees, with take-home pay after tax of roughly $88,000 to $99,000. State averages indicate that Canberra and Western Australia offer the highest pay, while Tasmania and South Australia are lower. For a personalised comparison, use the Place a salary on the line tool on this site.

Remember: the national average is a moving target. The ABS releases Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, in May and November. The figures in this article are from the May 2026 release. Always check the latest data when making decisions about your career or salary negotiations.