Psychology salary in Australia
If you are looking at a career in psychology or want to check where your pay sits, the most recent national data comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The median full‑time weekly earnings for Psychologists and Psychotherapists is $2,204 (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). That works out to about $114,608 a year before tax, or roughly $58 an hour on a standard 38‑hour week.
This page lets you read the same pay as a year, a week and an hour, and shows how it compares with the national full‑time adult average. The line on the chart is the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026 – $2,083.70 a week, or $108,352 a year. That is the average for all full‑time adults across all occupations.
How psychology pay compares with the national average
The median psychology salary is above the national full‑time average. That means the typical psychologist earns more than the typical full‑time worker. It is also well above the all‑employees median of about $74,100 a year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025) and the national minimum wage of $52,255 a year (Fair Work, from 1 July 2026).
Keep in mind that the median is not the same as the average. The median is the middle point – half of full‑time psychologists earn more, half earn less. The average can be pulled up by a small number of very high earners. For a more personal comparison, place your own salary on the line to see where you sit.
What the ABS data tells us about psychologists
The ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) also reports that:
- Median hourly earnings for psychologists are $60 (based on actual hours worked, not a 38‑hour week).
- About 50% of psychologists work full‑time hours, compared with 69% across all occupations.
- The average full‑time week for psychologists is 42 hours.
- The profession has a median age of 44 and is 82% female.
These figures are for the occupation group “Psychologists and Psychotherapists” (ANZSCO 2723). They include clinical, organisational, educational and other psychologists, as well as psychotherapists.
Reading your pay as a year, week and hour
The tool on this site converts any yearly salary to a weekly and hourly figure using a 38‑hour week. For the median psychology salary of $114,608:
- Yearly: $114,608
- Weekly: $2,204
- Hourly (38‑hour week): $58.00
If you are paid under an award or enterprise agreement, your actual hours and rates may differ. The national minimum wage and award minimums rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026, so check your classification if you are early in your career.
State and territory differences
The national full‑time average hides variation around the country. According to the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, state full‑time averages range from about $96,008 in Tasmania to $119,090 in the ACT. Psychologists’ pay can also vary by state, especially between public health systems and private practice. For a breakdown of averages by state, see the states and territories page.
Tax on a psychology 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 the Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions).
On the median psychology salary of $114,608, most of your income falls in the 30% bracket. The tax on that amount (excluding the tax‑free threshold and offsets) would be roughly $26,000 plus Medicare. Use the Guides for more detail on how tax interacts with salary.
Where to find more salary data
The ABS publishes two main sources:
- Average Weekly Earnings – released twice a year (May and November). The latest is May 2026.
- Employee Earnings and Hours – released every two years. The latest is August 2025.
For occupation‑specific medians, Jobs and Skills Australia publishes profiles using ABS data. The psychology profile (based on May 2025 data) is the most recent available. The next update will use the new OSCA classification from mid‑2026.
If you want to compare psychology with other professions, see the job medians page. For industry comparisons, see industry medians.
What this means for your pay check
If you are a psychologist earning around the median, you are above the national full‑time average. If you earn less, you may be early in your career, working part‑time, or in a lower‑paid setting. The How the figures are set page explains the methodology behind the averages and medians.
Remember that the line on this site is the national full‑time adult ordinary‑time average. It is a benchmark, not a target. Your individual pay depends on your role, experience, location and employer.
About this site
Average line is a salary index that shows where any pay sits against the national full‑time average. We use official ABS, Fair Work and ATO data. No login or award search is required – just enter a yearly salary and see the comparison. About this site has more on our sources and approach.