Liam Martin NRL salary demand: Where does it sit against the national full-time average?
Liam Martin, the Penrith Panthers back-rower, has been in the headlines over his contract negotiations. While his exact salary demand has not been made public through official sources such as the ABS, Fair Work, or the NRL salary cap register, it’s a useful exercise to compare any potential figure against the national full-time adult ordinary-time average. This site uses that average as the benchmark line.
The national full-time average: your reference point
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 reports that full-time adult ordinary-time earnings (seasonally adjusted) are $2,083.70 per week. Multiplied by 52 weeks, that gives an annual salary of about $108,352 before tax. This is the figure we call the line. It represents the average gross weekly earnings for a full-time adult employee, excluding overtime and irregular payments.
Men’s full-time ordinary-time average is higher at about $113,412 per year, while women’s is about $100,594. These averages are published twice a year (May and November) by the ABS. They are not the same as the median or the minimum wage.
How NRL salaries typically compare
NRL player salaries are not captured in the ABS earnings surveys because they are a specialised industry. However, it’s well known that top NRL players earn multiples of the national average. The NRL’s average player salary is often reported in the media as being around $300,000–$400,000 per year, but this is not an official ABS statistic. Liam Martin, as a representative player and key member of the Panthers, would likely command a salary well above the national full-time average. Without a confirmed figure, we can only note that his demand, if it follows market rates, would place him far above the line.
A resident take-home sketch on the average
To give context, let’s look at what a resident earning the national full-time average takes home after tax and the Medicare levy. Using the 2026–27 tax rates:
- Nil tax on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
- Plus 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions)
On $108,352, the estimated tax is about $24,500 and Medicare about $2,167, leaving roughly $81,685 per year, or about $1,571 per week. This is a rough sketch; actual take-home pay depends on individual circumstances like deductions, HECS/HELP repayments, and family status.
Other benchmarks: medians and minimum wage
It’s important to distinguish the average from other measures. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) gives a full-time median of about $90,532 per year and an all-employees median of about $74,100. These medians are lower than the average because the average is pulled up by high earners. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week, amounting to about $52,255 per year. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date.
State full-time averages
If Liam Martin’s salary demand were to be compared geographically, the average varies by state. The highest full-time average is in the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090, followed by Western Australia at about $115,825. New South Wales, where the Panthers are based, has a full-time average of about $109,658, slightly above the national figure. Victoria is about $106,137, Queensland about $106,064, South Australia about $102,450, Tasmania about $96,008, and the Northern Territory about $103,173. These state averages are derived from the same ABS survey.
Where to place a salary on the line
If you have a salary figure in mind, you can place a salary on the line to see how it compares to the national full-time average, the median, and the minimum wage. The tool shows weekly and hourly equivalents based on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the average. For a more detailed breakdown by occupation or industry, visit the job medians or industry medians pages.
The bottom line on Liam Martin’s demand
Without an official public figure from the NRL, the Panthers, or Liam Martin’s representatives, we cannot state his exact salary demand. The sources used on this site – the ABS, Fair Work, and the ATO – do not cover individual NRL contracts. What we can say is that any demand in line with top NRL players would be significantly above the national full-time average of $108,352. For a resident earning that average, the take-home pay is roughly $81,685 per year after tax and Medicare. As always, use the line as your reference point.