What the national full-time average means for a project engineer salary
If you are looking at a project engineer salary in Australia, the most useful starting point is the national full-time adult ordinary-time average published by the ABS. In May 2026, that figure was $2,083.70 a week, which works out to $108,352 a year (multiply by 52) and about $54.83 an hour (divide the weekly amount by 38). This is the line that Place a salary on the line uses to show how any pay packet compares.
The ABS does not publish a dedicated average for project engineers, so the national full-time average is the best single benchmark. Project engineers are usually classified as Professionals, and the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025) reported that Professionals earned an average of $2,049.60 a week ($106,579 a year) and a median hourly rate of $64.50. Those figures are a little below the national full-time average, but the difference is small.
How to read a salary as a year, week and hour
The site works with yearly salaries before tax, then shows the equivalent weekly and hourly amounts based on a 38-hour week. That is the standard full-time week used by the ABS and Fair Work. To do the conversion yourself:
- Year to week: divide by 52.
- Week to hour: divide by 38.
- Year to hour: divide by 1,976 (52 × 38).
For example, the national full-time average of $108,352 a year becomes $2,083.70 a week and $54.83 an hour. If you have a project engineer salary offer of, say, $110,000 a year, that is $2,115.38 a week and $55.67 an hour. You can compare that directly to the line.
Where project engineer salaries sit
Because the ABS does not break out project engineers as a separate occupation, the best available data comes from the broader Professionals group and from industry averages. Project engineers often work in construction, mining, engineering services, or manufacturing. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025) gives these averages for non-managerial employees in relevant industries:
- Mining: $74.10 an hour (average weekly hours 42.4)
- Electricity, gas, water and waste services: $63.80 an hour (38.2 hours)
- Manufacturing: $44.30 an hour (36.2 hours)
These hourly rates are for all non-managerial roles in those industries, not just project engineers, but they give a sense of the range. The mining sector pays well above the national average, while manufacturing is closer to the all-employees median.
State and territory averages also matter. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings for May 2026 show full-time adult ordinary-time earnings by state:
- New South Wales: $2,108.80 a week ($109,658 a year)
- Victoria: $2,041.10 ($106,137)
- Queensland: $2,039.70 ($106,064)
- South Australia: $1,970.20 ($102,450)
- Western Australia: $2,227.40 ($115,825)
- Tasmania: $1,846.30 ($96,008)
- Northern Territory: $1,984.10 ($103,173)
- Australian Capital Territory: $2,290.20 ($119,090)
You can see more detail on States and territories. Project engineer salaries in Western Australia and the ACT tend to be higher, reflecting the mining and public-sector presence.
Comparing to the minimum wage and tax
Fair Work sets the national minimum wage, which from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or $52,255 a year on 38 hours. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time. A project engineer salary is almost always well above this floor.
The tax system for 2026–27 uses these brackets (resident rates, before the 2% Medicare levy):
- 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
A project engineer earning the national full-time average of $108,352 would fall in the 30% bracket (plus Medicare). After tax, the take-home pay would be roughly $80,000–$85,000 depending on offsets. The Guides section has more detail on how tax affects different salary levels.
Using the line to benchmark any project engineer salary
The national full-time average is updated twice a year (May and November) by the ABS. The most recent figure is from May 2026. You can Place a salary on the line to see instantly how it compares – whether it is above or below the average, and by how much in dollars and percentage. The same tool also shows the all-employees median ($74,100 a year) and the full-time median ($90,532 a year) for extra context.
Remember that the average is just one point. Project engineer salaries vary by industry, experience, location, and whether the role is covered by an enterprise agreement or individual arrangement. The ABS notes that individual arrangement is the most common method of setting pay (38.5% of employees), followed by collective agreement (34.6%). That means many project engineers negotiate their own pay, which can push salaries above or below the average.
For the most reliable picture, combine the national average with industry and state data, and always check the specific award or agreement that applies. The How the figures are set page explains the sources and methods behind the numbers.