Minimum wage 2026 and the national full-time average
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or about $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week. Fair Work sets this rate, and award minimums rose by 4.75%. This page sketches how that pay sits against the national full-time average, and what a resident might take home after tax.
Where the minimum wage lands on the line
The site’s reference line is the national full-time adult ordinary-time average: $2,083.70 a week, about $108,352 a year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, × 52). The minimum wage is about 48% of that average. For context, the full-time median (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) is about $90,532, and the all-employees median is about $74,100. The minimum wage sits at about 58% of the full-time median and 70% of the all-employees median.
Men’s full-time average is about $113,412; women’s about $100,594. The minimum wage is about 46% of the men’s average and 52% of the women’s average. These comparisons show the gap between the minimum and typical full-time earnings.
A resident take-home sketch
For a single resident earning the minimum wage in 2026–27, the tax brackets are:
- Nil on income up to $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions).
On $52,255:
- Tax-free threshold: $18,200
- Next $26,800 taxed at 15% = $4,020
- Remaining $7,255 taxed at 30% = $2,176.50
- Total tax before levy: $6,196.50
- Medicare levy (2% of $52,255) = $1,045.10
- Total tax and levy: about $7,242
- Take-home: about $45,013
This is an estimate. Offsets, family circumstances, or low-income tax offsets could reduce tax further. The take-home is roughly 86% of gross pay.
How the minimum wage compares across states
State full-time averages (ABS, May 2026) vary. The minimum wage is below every state average:
- 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
The minimum wage is about 54% of Tasmania’s average (the lowest state) and about 44% of the ACT’s average (the highest).
What the minimum wage means for the line
The line on this site is the national full-time average. If you earn the minimum wage, you are well below the line. Place a salary on the line to see your own distance. The gap is about $56,097 a year. To reach the average, a minimum-wage earner would need to more than double their pay.
How the figures are set
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The May 2026 figure is used here. The minimum wage is set annually by Fair Work, effective 1 July. Award minimums rose 4.75% in 2026. The ATO sets tax rates each year. How the figures are set explains the sources and methods.
Other benchmarks
The full-time median of about $90,532 is a better measure of typical full-time pay. The minimum wage is about 58% of that. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100, so the minimum wage is about 70% of that. These medians are from the ABS Employee Earnings survey, August 2025.
Take-home on the average
For comparison, a single resident earning the full-time average of $108,352 in 2026–27:
- Tax-free: $18,200
- 15% on $26,800 = $4,020
- 30% on $63,352 (from $45,001 to $108,352) = $19,005.60
- Total tax: $23,025.60
- Medicare levy (2%): $2,167.04
- Total: $25,192.64
- Take-home: about $83,159
The average earner takes home about 77% of gross, while the minimum-wage earner takes home about 86%. The lower earner pays a smaller share in tax.
Why the minimum wage matters
The minimum wage sets a floor for pay. Many award-covered workers earn above the minimum but below the average. The gap between the minimum and the average reflects broader inequality. The line on this site helps you see where your pay sits relative to the national full-time average.
For more context, see States and territories for state-level comparisons, or Job medians for occupation-specific medians. Industry medians show how different sectors compare. Guides offer deeper analysis of pay trends. About this site explains the purpose and limitations of the line.