Minimum wage 2025: How it compares to the national full-time average
The national minimum wage is a key benchmark for low-paid work in Australia. Each year, Fair Work reviews and sets the rate, which takes effect on 1 July. For 2025, the specific figure is not published in the data used on this site. The most recent available is the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026: $26.44 per hour, $1004.9 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. This article uses that rate as a reference to show how the minimum wage sits against the national full-time average and other salary benchmarks.
The national full-time average
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The most recent data is for May 2026. The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2083.7 per week, which annualises to about $108,352 (multiplied by 52). This is the line on the Place a salary on the line tool. The minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is roughly 48% of this average. For context, the full-time median (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) is about $90,532, and the all-employees median about $74,100. The minimum wage sits well below both medians.
A resident take-home sketch
Using 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; 45% above $190,000) plus the 2% Medicare levy, a single resident earning the minimum wage of $52,255 would pay approximately $5,088 in income tax and $1,045 in Medicare levy, leaving about $46,122 take-home pay. This is a rough estimate and does not account for tax offsets or the low-income tax offset. The average full-time earner at $108,352 would pay about $24,667 in tax and $2,167 in Medicare levy, leaving about $81,667. The gap in take-home pay is substantial. For a more detailed breakdown of how tax affects different salaries, see the Guides section.
How the minimum wage compares by state
State full-time averages vary significantly. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest average at about $119,090, followed by Western Australia at about $115,825, New South Wales at about $109,658, Victoria at about $106,137, Queensland at about $106,064, the Northern Territory at about $103,173, South Australia at about $102,450, and Tasmania at the lowest at about $96,008. The minimum wage is a national rate, so it does not vary by state. This means the minimum wage as a percentage of the state average ranges from about 44% in the ACT to about 54% in Tasmania. See the States and territories page for more detail on each region.
Medians and other benchmarks
The full-time median of $90,532 is significantly higher than the minimum wage. The all-employees median of $74,100 is also well above. The men's full-time average is about $113,412, and women's is about $100,594. The minimum wage is below all these figures. For a comparison of salaries by occupation, see the Job medians page. For industry-specific medians, see Industry medians.
Award minimums
Fair Work also sets award minimums for specific industries. The on-site notes indicate that award minimums rose by 4.75% from the previous year. These rates can be higher than the national minimum wage. For example, many awards have rates above $26.44 per hour. Workers covered by an award should check their specific classification. The national minimum wage applies to employees not covered by an award or agreement.
How the figures are set
The national full-time average is calculated by the ABS from a survey of employers. It represents ordinary-time earnings for full-time adult employees, excluding overtime. The median figures come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey. The minimum wage is set by Fair Work after an annual review. For more on the methodology, see How the figures are set.
Conclusion
While the 2025 minimum wage figure is not available from the sources used here, the 2026 rate provides a clear benchmark. At about half the national full-time average, the minimum wage highlights the gap between low-paid workers and the typical full-time earner. For a personalised comparison, use the Place a salary on the line tool to see where any salary sits against the average.