NBL Player Salary and the National Average
Professional basketball players in the National Basketball League (NBL) are paid under a collective agreement that sets a salary cap, a salary floor, and a minimum player payment. For the 2026–27 season (NBL27), the NBL announced a 7 per cent increase to player payments. The minimum salary is $82,948.37, rising to $88,754.76 the following season. The salary cap is $2,167,358.92 per team, with a floor of $1,950,642.53. Marquee player allowances range from $267,560 to $535,121.
Unlike the national full-time average published by the ABS, the NBL does not disclose an average player salary. The league's structure means some players earn well above the minimum, while others are near the floor. Without a published mean or median, the minimum is the only firm figure available for comparison.
How the NBL Minimum Stacks Up
The national full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). This is the reference line used on this site. The NBL minimum of $82,948 is about 23 per cent below that average.
Compared to other benchmarks:
- The full-time median earnings are about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The NBL minimum sits about $7,600 below that.
- The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100. The NBL minimum is above that median.
- The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $52,255 per year on a 38-hour week. The NBL minimum equates to about $42.00 per hour on the same hours, well above the minimum.
State full-time averages also provide context. For example, the New South Wales average is about $109,658, Victoria $106,137, and Western Australia $115,825. The NBL minimum is below all state averages. You can compare any salary against state figures on our States and territories page.
A Resident Take-Home Sketch
To see what an NBL player on the minimum might actually keep, we apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates and the Medicare levy. The tax brackets are:
- Nil 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 a 2% Medicare levy (before any reductions).
For a salary of $82,948:
- Tax on first $18,200: $0
- Tax on $18,201–$45,000: 15% of $26,800 = $4,020
- Tax on $45,001–$82,948: 30% of $37,948 = $11,384.40
- Total tax: $15,404.40
- Medicare levy: 2% of $82,948 = $1,658.96
- Total deductions: $17,063.36
- After-tax income: $65,884.64
(Note: this is a simplified calculation; the actual tax may vary with offsets or deductions.)
That after-tax amount is about $1,267 per week. By comparison, the national full-time average before tax is $2,083.70 per week; after similar tax treatment (roughly $26,000 in tax and Medicare), the average worker takes home about $1,580 per week. The NBL minimum player takes home about $313 less per week than the average full-time worker.
On an hourly basis, assuming a 38-hour week, the NBL minimum salary works out to about $42.00 per hour before tax, compared to the national average of $54.74 per hour.
What About Award Wages?
The NBL is not covered by a modern award. Player wages are set by the league's Salary and Contracting Rules, which are negotiated between the NBL and the players' association. Award minimums in other industries rose by 4.75 per cent from 1 July 2026, but the NBL's 7 per cent increase for the 2026–27 season is higher than that.
If you want to see how any salary compares to the national full-time average, you can Place a salary on the line and get a visual breakdown including weekly, hourly, and after-tax figures.