Understanding the Median Salary Australia 2025
When you hear about the median salary Australia 2025, the most reliable source is the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Employee Earnings and Hours survey. The latest data, from August 2025, gives two key figures: the median for all employees (including part-time and casual workers) and the median for full-time employees only. The all-employees median sits at about $74,100 a year, while the full-time median is about $90,532 a year. These are the figures you should use when comparing your own pay to the typical Australian.
It is important to distinguish the median from the average. The national full-time average, drawn from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings series for May 2026, is about $108,352 a year. The average is pulled up by higher incomes, so the median is often a better reflection of what a typical worker earns. For most people, the median is the more relevant benchmark.
Reading the Same Pay as a Year, a Week, and an Hour
One of the most useful ways to understand your salary is to see it expressed in three different timeframes: yearly, weekly, and hourly. The site does this automatically when you place a salary on the line. It takes your annual figure, divides by 52 to get a weekly amount, and then divides that weekly amount by 38 (the standard full-time hours) to get an hourly rate. This lets you compare your pay directly against the national full-time average line, which is $2,083.70 a week or about $108,352 a year.
For example, if you earn the full-time median of $90,532 a year, your weekly pay would be about $1,741.00 and your hourly rate about $45.82. That is below the national full-time average line, which is expected because the median is lower than the average. If you earn the all-employees median of $74,100 a year, your weekly figure is about $1,425.00 and your hourly rate about $37.50.
How the Median Compares to the Average and Minimum Wage
The national full-time average line is set by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026. That figure is $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 per year. The full-time median of $90,532 is about 16% lower. The all-employees median of $74,100 is about 32% lower. This gap shows that many workers earn less than the average, which is influenced by a smaller number of very high incomes.
At the other end of the scale, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week on a 38-hour week, which works out to about $52,255 a year. That is well below both medians. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date, so many award-covered workers earn more than the minimum but still below the medians.
State Differences in Full-Time Averages
While the median salary Australia 2025 is a national figure, pay varies significantly by state and territory. The full-time average for each state (from the same ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026) gives a sense of where pay is higher or lower:
- New South Wales: about $109,658
- 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
These are averages, not medians, but they show that the ACT and Western Australia tend to have higher pay, while Tasmania is lower. You can explore more on the states and territories page.
Using the Median for Your Own Comparison
To see where your salary sits, start with your annual pay before tax. Enter it into the tool on the line page. The site will show you your weekly and hourly equivalents, and how far you are above or below the national full-time average line. You can also check medians for specific jobs on the job medians page or for industries on the industry medians page. These are based on the same ABS Employee earnings survey and give a more tailored benchmark.
Remember that the median salary Australia 2025 is a snapshot from August 2025. The ABS updates the Employee earnings survey every two years, so the next release will be for 2027. In the meantime, the average weekly earnings are updated twice a year (May and November), so the line moves more frequently than the median.
Tax and Take-Home Pay
Your salary before tax is what you enter on this site. To estimate your take-home pay, you can apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; and 45% above $190,000. The Medicare levy of 2% applies before any reductions. For the full-time median of $90,532, the tax would be about $20,467 plus Medicare levy of $1,810, leaving about $68,255 after tax. For the all-employees median of $74,100, tax is about $14,970 plus Medicare $1,482, leaving about $57,648.
Conclusion
The median salary Australia 2025 gives you a realistic benchmark. Whether you look at the all-employees median of $74,100 or the full-time median of $90,532, you can compare your own pay by converting it to a weekly and hourly figure. The national full-time average line of $108,352 is higher, but the median is what most Australians earn. Use the tools on this site to place your salary on the line and see exactly where you stand. For more detail on how these figures are set, visit the data page.