Median salary Australia: Where the national line sits
The national full-time median salary in Australia is about $90,532 a year, according to the ABS Employee Earnings survey from August 2025. This is the middle point: half of all full-time employees earn more, half earn less. It sits well below the full-time average of $108,352, which is pulled higher by a smaller number of very high earners. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual workers) is lower again, at about $74,100.
Why does this matter? The national line on this site is the full-time average: $108,352 a year, or $2083.70 a week. If your salary is below that line, you are earning less than the typical full-time worker. But the median gives a different perspective—it is more representative of the typical full-time earner, because it is not distorted by extreme incomes.
How state averages move the figure off the national line
State full-time averages vary significantly, and they can shift where your pay sits relative to the national median. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 shows:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
If you live in Western Australia or the ACT, your pay is likely above the national median, and may even be above the national average. In Tasmania, the average is below the national median, meaning many full-time workers there earn less than the national middle point. The median itself is a national figure, but state averages give context: they show how geography can push pay up or down.
Award minimums and the median
Award minimum wages also affect where your salary sits. From 1 July 2026, the national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. That is well below the median. But many awards set rates higher. The 4.75% increase to award minimums from that date means some workers have moved closer to the median, but most award-dependent roles still fall below it.
For example, a retail worker on a Level 1 award might earn around $45,000 a year, far below the median. A nurse on a higher award might earn $80,000, still below the median but closer. The median is not a target—it is a benchmark. But if your award rate is below the median, you are earning less than the typical full-time worker.
Using the line tool
You can place a salary on the line to see how it compares to the national full-time average and median. The tool shows your weekly and hourly pay on a 38-hour week, and the distance from the line. For state comparisons, see our states and territories page.
Why the median matters more than the average for most people
The average is higher because of a small number of very high incomes. The median is a better measure of what a typical worker earns. If you earn $90,532, you are exactly at the median. If you earn $108,352, you are at the average—but that means you earn more than most full-time workers, because the average is above the median.
Tax and take-home pay
For 2026–27, resident tax rates are: nil to $18,200; 15% to $45,000; 30% to $135,000; 37% to $190,000; 45% above that. Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (before reductions). On the median salary of $90,532, tax and Medicare would be roughly $20,000, leaving about $70,500 take-home. On the average of $108,352, tax is about $26,000, leaving $82,000. These are rough estimates—your actual tax depends on offsets and deductions.
Gender pay gap
The median also shows the gender divide. Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412; women's about $100,594. That gap of nearly $13,000 means women are more likely to be below the median. The median for all employees is lower because more women work part-time.
Conclusion
The median salary Australia of $90,532 is a key benchmark. State averages and award minimums can push your pay above or below it. Use the line tool to see where you stand.