Does Base Salary Include Super? How Awards and States Shift Your Pay From the National Line
When you compare your salary to the national full-time average, the first question is whether that figure includes superannuation. The short answer: base salary almost never includes super. But the way your pay is set—by award, enterprise agreement, or individual arrangement—and where you live can push your earnings above or below the national line.
What the national average tells us
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings were $2,083.70 in May 2026. That works out to about $108,352 a year (multiplied by 52). This is the line this site uses. It is a measure of ordinary time earnings before tax and before superannuation. The ABS survey collects cash earnings, which includes salary sacrifice but not employer super contributions.
For context, the median full-time employee earns about $1,887 a week ($98,124 a year) according to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey from August 2025. The all-employees median (including part-time) is $1,436 a week ($74,672 a year). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week for a 38-hour week—about $52,255 a year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date.
State differences
Where you work matters. The ABS publishes state-by-state full-time adult ordinary time earnings. Using the on-site figures (ABS May 2026, multiplied by 52):
- New South Wales: $2,108.80 a week, about $109,658 a year
- Victoria: $2,041.10 a week, about $106,137 a year
- Queensland: $2,039.70 a week, about $106,064 a year
- South Australia: $1,970.20 a week, about $102,450 a year
- Western Australia: $2,227.40 a week, about $115,825 a year
- Tasmania: $1,846.30 a week, about $96,008 a year
- Northern Territory: $1,984.10 a week, about $103,173 a year
- Australian Capital Territory: $2,290.20 a week, about $119,090 a year
If you live in Western Australia or the ACT, your pay is likely above the national line. In Tasmania or South Australia, it may be below. These averages reflect the mix of industries and occupations in each state, not just the same job in different locations.
How awards and agreements affect base salary
Your base salary is determined by the method of setting pay. According to the ABS, about 22.7% of employees are paid by award only, 34.6% by collective agreement, and 38.5% by individual arrangement (August 2025 data). Award rates are minimum base rates that exclude super. For example, the average weekly total cash earnings for award-only employees is $922.20—well below the national full-time average because many award workers are part-time or in lower-paid industries.
Collective agreements and individual arrangements often pay more. The average for collective agreements is $1,746.10 a week, and for individual arrangements it is $1,876.50. But these figures are still base salary before super. If your contract says "total remuneration package" of $120,000, that likely includes super. The employer super guarantee is 11.5% from 1 July 2025 (rising to 12% later). So a total package of $120,000 might have a base salary of about $107,600. That base is what you compare to the national average line.
Why the line matters
Place a salary on the line to see how your base salary compares to the national full-time average. The tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the average. If you enter a figure that includes super, it will appear higher than the true base, so check your contract.
States and territories break down the averages by location. If you work in a state with a higher average, your pay might still be below the line if you are in an award-only role. Conversely, a high individual arrangement in a low-average state could put you well above.
How the figures are set explains that the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey measures ordinary time earnings for full-time adults. It is not a median and it does not include super. The line is updated twice a year, for May and November.
The role of super in comparisons
When you ask "does base salary include super?", the answer is almost always no for the base rate. But some employers advertise a total package. To compare fairly, subtract the super component. For example, if your total package is $110,000 and super is 11.5%, the base is about $98,654. That is below the national average of $108,352. If your base is $110,000, you are above the line.
Award rates are set by Fair Work and are minimums. They do not include super. The national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour is also a base rate. Your award may have a higher minimum. Check your award or agreement on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
Putting it together
Your position on the salary line depends on your base salary, not your total package. State location, industry, occupation, and method of setting pay all influence whether you sit above or below the national average. The ABS data gives you a snapshot, but your individual circumstances—especially whether your salary includes super—can change the picture.
Guides offer more detail on interpreting your pay. About this site explains the methodology. Remember: the line is the full-time adult ordinary time average from the ABS, and it is a base salary figure.