Ivan Cleary salary and the national full-time average
Ivan Cleary is the head coach of the Penrith Panthers, one of the most successful teams in the NRL. His salary is not disclosed in any public record, and neither the ABS, Fair Work, nor the ATO publish individual coaching contracts. Without a precise figure, the best way to understand where his pay might sit is to use the national full-time average as a benchmark.
The national full-time average: $108,352 a year
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 reports full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 a week. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that is about $108,352 a year. This is the figure this site uses as the line. For a full-time worker on ordinary hours, it represents the midpoint of what Australian employers pay before tax.
Place a salary on the line to see how any amount compares.
Take-home pay on the average
For a resident earning $108,352 in 2026–27, the tax brackets 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
- Plus the 2% Medicare levy
A rough calculation gives about $25,000 in tax and Medicare, leaving around $83,350 take-home a year, or $1,603 a week. That is before any deductions or offsets.
How the average compares to other benchmarks
The full-time median from the ABS Employee Earnings survey (August 2025) is about $90,532 a year, lower than the average because high earners pull the average up. The all-employees median is about $74,100. The national minimum wage from Fair Work, effective 1 July 2026, is $26.44 an hour, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week.
State full-time averages vary. The highest is the ACT at about $119,090, followed by Western Australia at $115,825. The lowest is Tasmania at $96,008. New South Wales, where the Panthers are based, has a full-time average of about $109,658.
States and territories shows how each region compares.
Where Ivan Cleary's salary might sit
NRL head coaches are among the highest-paid in Australian sport. While no official figure exists for Cleary, media reports often suggest top coaches earn between $500,000 and $1 million a year. That would be roughly five to ten times the national full-time average. Without a confirmed number, the average remains the most reliable reference point.
How the figures are set
The ABS calculates average weekly earnings from a survey of employers. It is not a median and not a minimum. Fair Work sets award rates and the national minimum wage after the Annual Wage Review. The ATO publishes tax tables. None of these sources disclose individual salaries like Ivan Cleary's.
How the figures are set explains the methodology.
Using the line as a tool
Even without knowing Cleary's exact pay, the line helps anyone understand where their own salary stands. Enter a yearly figure on this site and it shows the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the national full-time average. That distance is the same whether you are a coach, a nurse, or a retail worker.
About this site has more on the purpose of the index.
Summary
Ivan Cleary's salary is not public. The national full-time average of $108,352 a year is the best available benchmark. It is higher than the median and much higher than the minimum wage, but likely well below what a premiership-winning coach earns. For anyone wanting to compare their own pay, the line is a simple, transparent reference.