Median salary Melbourne: Where does your pay sit?
If you're looking for the median salary in Melbourne, the first thing to know is that the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not publish a median figure specifically for the city. The most granular median data is at the national level, from the ABS Employee Earnings survey. For August 2025, the national full-time median was about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median (including part-time and casual) was about $74,100.
For Melbourne, the best available benchmark is the Victorian full-time average, which stands at about $106,137 a year according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026. That figure is an average (mean), not a median, so it can be pulled up by high earners. The median for Victoria would be lower, likely closer to the national median.
Reading your pay as a year, a week, and an hour
The Place a salary on the line tool on this site lets you enter your yearly salary before tax. It then shows you what that equals per week and per hour, based on a standard 38-hour week. It also shows how far your salary sits from the national full-time average of $108,352 a year (or $2,083.70 a week).
For example, if you earn $90,000 a year in Melbourne, that's about $1,730.77 a week and $45.55 an hour. That is below the national average line by about $18,352 a year. If you earn $110,000, that's about $2,115.38 a week and $55.67 an hour, putting you slightly above the line.
How Melbourne compares to other states
Victoria's full-time average of $106,137 is close to the national average. It sits above Queensland ($106,064) and South Australia ($102,450) but below New South Wales ($109,658) and Western Australia ($115,825). The highest average is in the Australian Capital Territory ($119,090) and the lowest in Tasmania ($96,008). You can explore all state and territory averages on the States and territories page.
Median versus average: why it matters
The median gives a better sense of what a typical worker earns because it isn't skewed by very high or very low incomes. The national full-time median of $90,532 is about $17,820 below the average. That gap tells us that the distribution of earnings is right-skewed: a minority of high earners pull the average up.
For Melbourne, without a published median, you can use the national median as a rough guide, but keep in mind that cost of living and industry mix in Melbourne may push the local median slightly higher or lower. The ABS does not release median data by city, only by state and territory in some cases.
The minimum wage and award rates
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 a week on 38 hours, which works out to about $52,255 a year. That is well below both the median and the average. Many workers in Melbourne are covered by awards or enterprise agreements that set higher minimum rates. Award minimums rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026, as determined by Fair Work.
Tax on your salary in 2026–27
When you enter your salary into the tool, it shows your pre-tax amount. To estimate your take-home pay, you can apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates: no tax on the first $18,200, then 15% on income up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy of 2% also applies, though some people may be eligible for reductions.
For a Melbourne worker earning the national median of $90,532, the tax (including Medicare) would be roughly $20,000–$21,000, leaving about $69,500–$70,500 after tax. Exact figures depend on your circumstances.
Gender pay differences
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey also breaks down earnings by gender. Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412 a year, while women's is about $100,594. That gap of roughly $12,800 reflects broader patterns in the labour market. In Melbourne, similar disparities likely exist, though the ABS does not publish city-level gender splits. The national medians also show a gender gap, but precise figures are not available for Melbourne.
Using the tool to see where you stand
The Average line site is designed to give you a quick comparison. Enter your yearly salary, and the tool will show your weekly and hourly equivalents, plus the distance from the national full-time average. You can also explore Job medians and Industry medians to see how your occupation or industry compares.
Remember that the average line is based on the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026, which covers full-time adult ordinary-time earnings. It does not include overtime, bonuses, or part-time earnings. The medians come from a different survey (Employee Earnings, August 2025) and are updated less frequently.
Summary
While there is no official median salary for Melbourne, you can use the Victorian full-time average of about $106,137 and the national full-time median of about $90,532 as reference points. The tool on this site lets you see how your own salary measures up in weekly and hourly terms against the national average. Whether you're above or below the line, understanding the difference between averages and medians helps you interpret the numbers more accurately.