Minimum wage salary in Australia
The national minimum wage salary is the legal floor for most employees in Australia. From 1 July 2026, Fair Work set the rate at $26.44 an hour, which translates to $1,004.9 a week and about $52,255 a year on a standard 38-hour week. This figure is the minimum an employer can pay a permanent adult employee who is not covered by an award or agreement.
Award minimums rose by 4.75% on the same date, meaning many workers in specific industries receive more than the national minimum. The minimum wage salary is distinct from the full-time average and median, which reflect what typical workers earn.
How it compares to the full-time average
The Australian full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.7 a week, or about $108,352 a year, according to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026. That is more than double the minimum wage salary. The gap highlights how the minimum is a safety net, not a benchmark for typical earnings.
Even the full-time median of $90,532 a year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) is well above the minimum. The all-employees median, which includes part-time and casual workers, is $74,100. These medians show that most Australian workers earn significantly more than the minimum wage salary.
State and territory differences
Full-time averages vary across states and territories, and the minimum wage salary sits below every state average. For example:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
These figures, from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, show that even the lowest state average (Tasmania at $96,008) is nearly double the minimum wage salary. Place a salary on the line to see how your pay compares.
Medians and averages: what they mean
It is important to keep the minimum wage salary separate from averages and medians. The full-time average is pulled up by high earners, while the median better represents the middle of the pack. The minimum wage is a floor set by Fair Work, not a market outcome.
Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412, and women's is about $100,594. Both are well above the minimum. The minimum wage salary applies equally regardless of gender, but because it is low, it affects women and younger workers disproportionately.
Tax on the minimum wage salary
Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates, a minimum wage salary of $52,255 falls into the 30% marginal bracket after the tax-free threshold and the 15% bracket. The tax calculation is:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on the next $26,800 ($4,020)
- 30% on the remaining $7,255 ($2,176.50)
- Plus 2% Medicare levy ($1,045.10)
Total tax and levy come to about $7,242, leaving roughly $45,013 after tax. This is an estimate; individual circumstances such as the low-income tax offset or family benefits can change the outcome.
Where the minimum wage salary fits
The minimum wage salary is about half the full-time average and well below the full-time median. It is also less than the all-employees median. For someone earning the minimum, the gap to the average is substantial. States and territories shows how location affects typical pay, but the minimum is uniform across the country.
Award-covered employees often receive more than the minimum. For example, the Hospitality Award or the General Retail Industry Award have higher base rates. The national minimum wage salary is the absolute floor, and most workers are above it.
Why the minimum wage salary matters
Understanding where the minimum wage salary sits against the full-time average helps readers gauge their own position. If you earn the minimum, you are well below the typical full-time worker. If you earn the average, you are more than double the minimum.
The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year, for May and November. The next update will show whether the gap widens or narrows. Fair Work reviews the minimum wage annually, with the next change due from 1 July 2027.
For more detail on how figures are set, see How the figures are set. To compare your salary to the line, use Place a salary on the line.