Where an NBA salary sits against the Australian full-time average
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish data on NBA salaries. NBA salaries are typically set in US dollars by teams in the United States and are not directly comparable to Australian earnings statistics. However, if you are wondering how an NBA salary – or any salary – compares to the Australian full-time average, this site provides the benchmark.
The Australian full-time average
The national full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the line used on this site. It is the average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults, seasonally adjusted. The ABS releases this figure twice a year, for May and November.
For context, the full-time median is about $90,532 per year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 per year (ABS Employee earnings, August 2025). The average is higher than the median, which means higher earners pull the average up.
State and territory averages
Full-time averages vary across Australia. The on-site notes provide these figures:
- 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
These are derived from the same ABS survey and reflect differences in industry mix and cost of living. You can see more detail on the States and territories page.
Minimum wage and award rates
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week (Fair Work). Award minimums rose by 4.75% from that date. The minimum wage is well below the full-time average, as it applies to the lowest-paid workers.
Tax on a salary
For the 2026–27 income year, resident tax rates are:
- 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 a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions). These brackets apply to taxable income. The full-time average of $108,352 falls in the 30% bracket.
NBA salaries in context
Because the ABS does not report NBA salaries, we cannot give a precise figure. NBA salaries are generally in the millions of US dollars per year. For example, the minimum salary for a rookie in the 2025-26 NBA season is over US$1 million, and star players earn tens of millions. Even the lowest NBA salary is many times the Australian full-time average.
If you are asking about salaries in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), those are not separately published by the ABS either. NBL player salaries vary widely and are not a standard statistic in Australian earnings surveys.
Using this site
To see where any salary sits against the Australian full-time average, you can Place a salary on the line. The tool accepts a yearly salary before tax and shows the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, plus the distance from the full-time average. It does not require a login or award search.
For more detail on how the figures are set, see How the figures are set. The site relies on official sources: the ABS for averages and medians, Fair Work for minimum wages, and the ATO for tax.
Summary
- The Australian full-time average is $108,352 per year.
- NBA salaries are not published by Australian authorities and are typically much higher.
- The site uses the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026 as its benchmark.
- For any salary, you can use the line tool to compare.