NFL salary cap and the Australian salary line
The NFL salary cap is a well-known figure in American sports, setting the maximum amount each team can spend on player salaries. While it is a US-specific limit, Australian workers can use the same idea of a 'line' to see where their own pay sits. This site, Average line, uses the Australian full-time adult average ordinary-time earnings as that line. As of May 2026, the line is $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 a year (multiplied by 52 weeks). That figure comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Average Weekly Earnings survey.
Reading the same pay as a year, a week and an hour
When you place a salary on the line, the tool shows it three ways: as a yearly amount before tax, as a weekly amount, and as an hourly rate based on a 38-hour week. This helps you see how your pay compares to the national full-time average, the median, and the minimum wage. For example, the full-time average of $2,083.70 per week works out to $54.83 per hour. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week, as set by Fair Work. That is about $52,255 a year on 38 hours.
How the full-time average compares
The ABS reports that full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings grew 3.7% annually to May 2026, the lowest annual increase since November 2022. The gender pay gap fell to a record low of 11.3%. Men's full-time ordinary-time average is about $113,412 a year ($2,181.00 per week), and women's is about $100,594 a year ($1,934.50 per week). These are averages, not medians. The full-time median (from ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) is about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 a year.
State and territory differences
Average full-time earnings vary across Australia. The highest is the Australian Capital Territory at about $119,090 a year ($2,290.20 per week), followed by Western Australia at about $115,825 ($2,227.40 per week). The lowest is Tasmania at about $96,008 ($1,846.30 per week). You can explore all states and territories on this site. These figures are from the ABS May 2026 release and are full-time adult ordinary-time averages.
Minimum wage and award rates
The national minimum wage applies to employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. Most employees are covered by an award, which often sets higher minimum rates. From 1 July 2026, award minimum wages increased by 4.75%. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides a Pay and Conditions Tool to calculate exact rates. The national minimum wage itself is $26.44 per hour, which is less than half the full-time average hourly rate of $54.83.
Putting it all together
Whether you are comparing your salary to the NFL salary cap or to the Australian average, the key is to understand the different measures. The full-time average is a useful benchmark, but it is a mean and can be pulled up by high earners. The median gives a better sense of the typical worker. The minimum wage sets the legal floor. Use this site to see where your pay sits on the line, and remember that the ABS updates the average twice a year, in May and November. For more detail on how the figures are set, see How the figures are set.