Understanding NSW Health Salary Sacrifice and the National Average
When you work in NSW Health, you may have access to salary sacrifice arrangements that can reduce your taxable income. This page explains how that affects the way your pay is measured against the national full-time average, and what that means for your weekly and hourly take-home amounts.
What is salary sacrifice?
Salary sacrifice (also called salary packaging) lets you use pre-tax income to pay for certain expenses. Common examples in NSW Health include novated leases for cars, additional superannuation contributions, and some work-related items. The amount you sacrifice is deducted from your gross salary before tax is calculated, lowering your taxable income and potentially increasing your take-home pay.
However, the base salary you earn before any sacrifice is the figure that matters for comparisons on this site. The tool on Place a salary on the line asks for your yearly salary before tax. That is your base salary, not your taxable income after sacrifice.
How does a NSW Health salary compare to the national 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 that the site uses. For New South Wales, the full-time average is about $109,658 per year, which is slightly above the national figure.
If your base salary in NSW Health is around the state average of $109,658, that works out to about $2,109 per week and about $55.50 per hour on a standard 38-hour week. That puts you above the national line.
But many roles in NSW Health are covered by awards or enterprise agreements that set specific pay rates. Nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, and administrative staff all have different pay scales. The state average is a broad measure that includes all full-time workers in NSW, not just health.
The difference between averages and medians
It is important to distinguish the average from the median. The national full-time median salary is about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). That means half of all full-time workers earn less than that, and half earn more. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100.
So while the average is pulled up by high earners, the median gives a better sense of what a typical worker earns. If your base salary in NSW Health is above $90,532, you are above the typical full-time worker.
How salary sacrifice changes the picture
Because salary sacrifice reduces your taxable income, your take-home pay may be higher than someone with the same base salary who does not sacrifice. For example, if your base salary is $109,658 and you sacrifice $10,000 into super, your taxable income becomes $99,658. You pay less tax and Medicare levy, so your net pay is higher.
But the site still compares your base salary of $109,658 to the national average. So even though your taxable income is lower, you are still above the line. This is an important distinction when using the tool.
Tax considerations for 2026–27
The ATO tax rates for 2026–27 are: nil on the first $18,200, 15% on income up to $45,000, 30% on income up to $135,000, 37% on income up to $190,000, and 45% above that. The Medicare levy is 2% (with possible reductions for low-income earners). Salary sacrifice reduces the income subject to these rates, which is why it can be beneficial.
The 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% in the same decision. Most NSW Health employees are covered by awards or agreements that pay above the minimum, but it is a useful benchmark for the lowest legal pay.
Putting it all together
When you use the tool on this site, enter your base yearly salary before any salary sacrifice. The site will show you your weekly and hourly amounts on a 38-hour week, and how far you are from the national full-time average. If you are in NSW Health, remember that your actual take-home pay may be higher than the figures suggest because of salary sacrifice.
For more detail on how salaries vary across Australia, see the New South Wales page. To understand how the figures are set, visit How the figures are set.
Frequently asked questions
We have answered the most common questions about NSW Health salary sacrifice and the national average above. The key takeaway is that your base salary is what counts for the line, and salary sacrifice is a separate benefit that affects your tax, not your comparison to the average.