Minimum full time wage Australia: Where it sits on the line
The national minimum wage is the legal floor for pay in Australia. For a full-time employee working 38 hours a week, it comes to $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or about $52,255 a year before tax. That figure is set by the Fair Work Commission and applies from 1 July 2026.
How far below the average?
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average, measured by the ABS in its Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, is $2,083.70 a week, or roughly $108,352 a year. That means the minimum wage is less than half the average. Even the full-time median—the middle point where half of full-time workers earn more and half earn less—is about $90,532 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The minimum wage sits well below that median too.
What would move pay above or below the average?
Most employees in Australia are not on the national minimum wage. They are covered by an award or an enterprise agreement that sets higher minimum rates. The Fair Work Commission’s 2026 Annual Wage Review increased award minimums by 4.75%, so many award rates are now above the national minimum wage but still below the full-time average.
Factors that can push pay above the average include:
- Overtime and penalty rates: Time-and-a-half or double-time on weekends, public holidays, or late shifts can lift weekly earnings significantly.
- Industry: Some industries have much higher averages. For example, the mining industry’s full-time average is well above the national figure, while retail and hospitality sit lower. See Industry medians for more.
- Location: State averages vary. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest full-time average at about $119,090, while Tasmania’s is about $96,008. A minimum wage worker in the ACT would still be below the local average but closer to it than a worker in Tasmania. Check States and territories for details.
- Public vs private sector: The public sector full-time average is about $117,648 (based on $2,263.10 a week), while the private sector average is about $105,773. Public sector roles often have higher base pay and better conditions.
- Enterprise agreements: Some workplaces negotiate pay rates above award minima. These agreements can lift pay closer to or above the average, especially in unionised industries.
Conversely, pay can fall below the average if an employee is on the national minimum wage or a low award rate, works fewer than 38 hours (part-time or casual), or is in a low-paying industry or region. Casual employees also receive a loading (usually 25%) to compensate for lack of leave, but their base rate may still be low.
How the figures are set
The national minimum wage is reviewed annually by the Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel. The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year (May and November) based on a survey of employers. The full-time average used on this site is the seasonally adjusted ordinary-time earnings for full-time adults. For more on methodology, see How the figures are set.
Using this information
If you want to see where a specific salary sits against the national average, you can Place a salary on the line. The tool shows the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the full-time average. Remember that the average is a mean and can be pulled up by high earners; the median gives a better sense of the typical full-time worker’s pay.
For further reading, our Guides cover topics like award coverage, penalty rates, and how to negotiate above-minimum pay.
Key takeaways
- The national minimum wage for full-time work is about $52,255 a year, well below the full-time average of $108,352.
- Most workers are covered by awards or agreements that pay more than the minimum, but many still earn below the average.
- Location, industry, overtime, and sector (public vs private) are the main factors that can move pay above or below the average line.