Luka Dončić salary and the Australian earnings landscape
Luka Dončić is one of the NBA's brightest stars, and his salary reflects that status. But how does his pay stack up against the earnings of an average Australian worker? While the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not track NBA contracts, we can use the national full-time average as a benchmark to understand the scale.
The national full-time average as a benchmark
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The latest release, for May 2026, shows that full-time adult ordinary time earnings (seasonally adjusted) sit at $2,083.70 per week. That works out to about $108,352 per year when multiplied by 52 weeks. This figure is the line used on this site to compare any salary.
For context, the full-time median earnings are lower: the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) reports a full-time median of about $90,532 per year, and an all-employees median of about $74,100. The national minimum wage, set by Fair Work from 1 July 2026, is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, equating to roughly $52,255 per year.
How Luka Dončić's salary compares
Luka Dončić's salary is not measured by the ABS or any Australian wage-setting body. Publicly available NBA contract data indicates he signed a five-year, $207 million supermax extension with the Dallas Mavericks, with annual salaries in the range of US$35–40 million. Even after currency conversion, that is many multiples of the Australian full-time average. To put it in perspective, the top 1% of Australian earners might earn around $300,000–$400,000 per year, but Dončić's earnings are an order of magnitude higher.
State-by-state full-time averages
Earnings vary across Australia. The ABS provides full-time average ordinary time earnings by state and territory (original, May 2026):
- New South Wales: about $109,658 per year
- Victoria: about $106,137
- Queensland: about $106,064
- South Australia: about $102,450
- Western Australia: about $115,825
- Tasmania: about $96,008
- Northern Territory: about $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: about $119,090
Even the highest state average (ACT) is still far below Luka Dončić's reported NBA salary. You can explore how your own salary compares by state using our States and territories page.
Tax and take-home pay for a resident
If Luka Dončić were an Australian resident for tax purposes, his take-home pay would be affected by the 2026–27 tax rates. The tax-free threshold is $18,200, then:
- 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 over $190,000
Plus a 2% Medicare levy (subject to reductions for low earners). At his likely income level, the marginal rate would be 45% plus 2% Medicare, meaning he would keep about 53 cents for every dollar earned above $190,000. For the average full-time worker earning $108,352, the effective tax rate is lower—roughly 24% including Medicare—leaving a take-home of about $82,000 per year.
Putting it all together
Luka Dončić's salary is a world away from the Australian average, but using the ABS figures gives a useful reference point. Whether you're comparing your own pay or just curious about global earnings, the national full-time average of $108,352 is a solid anchor. To see where any salary sits on the line, use our Place a salary on the line tool.
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey remains the most authoritative measure of Australian earnings, updated each May and November. For medians and detailed breakdowns by occupation and industry, the Employee Earnings and Hours survey provides additional context. And for minimum wages, Fair Work's annual review sets the floor.
While Luka Dončić's exact salary isn't in the ABS data, the contrast highlights just how high top NBA salaries are relative to the typical Australian worker. It also underscores the value of understanding your own earnings in the context of national benchmarks.