How do Monash salary rates compare with the national full-time average?

Monash University’s enterprise agreement sets professional staff salaries from roughly $60,791 (HEW 1) to over $153,976 (HEW 9). The national full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings are $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). Many HEW levels, especially HEW 6 and above, sit at or above that average. Academic staff rates are typically higher again, reflecting the market for teaching and research roles.

What do the HEW levels mean at Monash?

HEW stands for Higher Education Worker. It is a classification system used in Australian universities. HEW 1–4 cover general administrative and support roles, HEW 5–6 are experienced professional staff, HEW 7–8 are senior specialists or managers, and HEW 9–10 are senior leaders. Each level has multiple salary steps based on experience and performance. The rates are set by enterprise agreements negotiated between the university and staff unions.

What would a Monash employee earning the national average take home after tax?

Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the 2% Medicare levy, a gross annual salary of $108,352 would result in about $80,320 take-home pay, or roughly $1,545 per week. This is a sketch only; individual circumstances (HELP repayments, private health insurance, deductions) will change the final amount. Monash salaries at HEW 6 or above would yield a similar or higher net income.

Monash salary rates: how they compare with the national average

Monash salary rates in context

Monash University is one of Australia’s largest and most research-intensive universities. Its salary rates are set through enterprise agreements that cover both professional (non-academic) and academic staff. Understanding where these rates sit against the national full-time average helps current and prospective employees gauge their earning power.

Professional staff rates

The latest Monash enterprise agreement (effective from 2022 to 2026) shows annual salaries for professional staff across ten HEW levels. For example:

HEW 1 (lowest): $60,791
HEW 5 (mid-level): $86,344 to $99,179
HEW 6: $100,155 to $108,106
HEW 7: $110,527 to $121,227
HEW 9: $145,062 to $153,976

These figures are for full-time staff and include the 3.5% increase from April 2026. The national full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings, as measured by the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026, is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year. That means a Monash professional at HEW 6 top step ($108,106) earns almost exactly the national average. Staff at HEW 7 and above earn above it.

Academic staff rates

Academic staff at Monash are classified from Level A (associate lecturer) to Level E (professor). While the exact rates are not reproduced here, they generally start around $80,000–$90,000 for a new Level A and exceed $200,000 for senior professors. These rates also outpace the national average, reflecting the specialised nature of academic work.

Place a salary on the line to see how any Monash salary compares with the national average, the full-time median ($90,532), and the all-employees median ($74,100).

A resident take-home sketch

To give a practical sense of what these salaries mean after tax, consider the national average of $108,352. Using the 2026–27 resident tax rates:

Nil tax on the first $18,200
15% on the next $26,800 (to $45,000)
30% on the next $90,000 (to $135,000)
37% on the next $55,000 (to $190,000)
45% above $190,000

Plus the 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions).

For $108,352:

Tax on $18,200–$45,000: $4,020
Tax on $45,000–$108,352: $19,005.60
Total tax: $23,025.60
Medicare levy: $2,167.04
Total deductions: $25,192.64
Take-home: about $83,159.36 per year, or $1,599.22 per week.

A Monash professional at HEW 6 top step ($108,106) would have a very similar take-home. At HEW 7 top step ($121,227), the take-home rises to roughly $91,000 per year.

Guides on our site explain how to factor in HELP repayments, salary packaging, and other adjustments.

How the figures are set

The national average comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, which is published twice a year (May and November). The May 2026 release shows full-time adult ordinary-time earnings of $2,083.70 per week. This is a mean figure, so it can be pulled up by high earners. The full-time median ($90,532) and all-employees median ($74,100) come from the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (August 2025) and give a better sense of the typical worker.

Monash salary rates are set through enterprise bargaining under the Fair Work Act. The current agreement runs until 2026, with annual increases of 3%–4%. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $52,255 per year for a 38-hour week, set by Fair Work.

About this site explains how we calculate the line and why we use the full-time average as the reference point.

State comparisons

Monash is based in Victoria, where the state full-time average is about $106,137 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is slightly below the national average of $108,352. However, Monash salaries at HEW 6 and above exceed the Victorian average, making the university a competitive employer in the state. For comparison, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest state average ($119,090), while Tasmania has the lowest ($96,008).

States and territories page shows how each region compares.

Key takeaways

Monash professional staff salaries range from about $60,791 to over $153,976.
The national full-time average is $108,352 per year.
Many Monash roles, especially HEW 6 and above, meet or exceed that average.
After tax, a salary at the national average yields about $83,160 take-home per year.
Monash’s enterprise agreement ensures annual increases, keeping pace with inflation and market rates.

For a personalised comparison, use our line tool to enter any salary and see where it stands against the national average, medians, and minimum wage.