Qantas cabin crew salary and the national average
When you search for a Qantas cabin crew salary, you are likely looking for a figure that tells you what a flight attendant at Australia’s largest airline earns. The short answer is that a precise, publicly available Qantas-specific salary is not published by the airline or by official sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics or Fair Work. However, we can use the minimum rates set by the Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2020 and the national earnings benchmarks to give you a clear picture of where this role sits against the Australian full-time average.
The award minimums for cabin crew
The Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2020, issued by Fair Work, sets the minimum pay for all cabin crew employed in Australia, including those at Qantas. As of 1 July 2026, the minimum weekly rate for a full-time cabin crew member is $1,097.40, which works out to $28.88 per hour. That is based on a full-time roster of between 1,716 and 1,872 hours per year.
In addition to the base rate, cabin crew receive a flying allowance of $18.40 per block hour – the time the aircraft is actually in the air. The award notes that a typical roster of 120 hours per month includes about 90 block hours, so the flying allowance adds roughly $1,656 per month. Part of that allowance ($6.88 per hour as of June 2026) is treated as a daily travel allowance for tax purposes.
For more senior roles, the award rates are higher: a cabin crew supervisor on a narrow-bodied aircraft with four or more crew earns a minimum of $1,280.40 per week ($33.69 per hour), and a cabin crew manager on a wide-bodied aircraft earns $1,495.50 per week ($39.36 per hour).
Qantas, as a major airline, is known to pay above these award rates, especially for experienced crew and those on long-haul international flights. But without a published enterprise agreement or official salary survey, we cannot give an exact Qantas cabin crew salary. The award minimums are the legal floor.
How the award minimum compares to the national full-time average
The national full-time adult average weekly ordinary-time earnings, as measured by the ABS in May 2026, stand at $2,083.70 per week. That is about $108,352 per year when multiplied by 52. The award minimum for a cabin crew member ($1,097.40 per week) is only about 53% of that average. Even with the flying allowance, a cabin crew member on award rates would earn roughly $1,097.40 + ($18.40 × 90 / 4.33 weeks) ≈ $1,097.40 + $382 ≈ $1,479 per week, still well below the national average.
However, the national average includes all full-time workers across all industries and experience levels. Many cabin crew are early in their careers, and the role often attracts people who value travel and flexible schedules over top pay. The median full-time salary in Australia is about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025), which is a more typical benchmark. The award minimum plus flying allowance would be around $77,000 per year, which is below the median but not drastically so.
State-by-state context
Full-time average earnings vary across Australia. For example, Western Australia has the highest state average at about $115,825 per year, while Tasmania is lowest at about $96,008. Qantas’s main bases are in New South Wales (average $109,658) and Victoria (average $106,137). Cabin crew based in those states would be comparing their pay to a higher local average. The award rates are national, so a Qantas cabin crew member in Sydney faces a larger gap to the state average than one in Hobart.
What about the minimum wage and other benchmarks
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week for a 38-hour week. The cabin crew award minimum of $28.88 per hour is above that, but not by a huge margin. The 2025 Annual Wage Review increased award rates by 4.75%, which is reflected in the current figures.
For a more personalised comparison, you can place a salary on the line to see how any figure stacks up against the national average, medians, and state averages. You can also explore how the figures are set to understand the sources behind the benchmarks.
Tax considerations
If you are earning a Qantas cabin crew salary, remember that the flying allowance includes a daily travel allowance component that may be tax-free if you meet ATO conditions. For the 2026–27 income year, resident tax rates start at nil for the first $18,200, then 15% up to $45,000, 30% up to $135,000, 37% up to $190,000, and 45% above that, plus the 2% Medicare levy. The tax treatment of allowances can affect your take-home pay.
The bottom line
A precise Qantas cabin crew salary is not publicly available from official sources. The award minimums provide a floor, and Qantas almost certainly pays more, but how much more is not disclosed. Compared to the national full-time average of $108,352 per year, even a well-paid cabin crew member is likely to earn below that figure. The role is more competitive with the all-employees median of $74,100, especially when flying allowances are included.
If you are considering a career as cabin crew, use the award rates as a starting point and factor in the allowances, potential overtime, and the lifestyle benefits. For a direct comparison to your own salary, use our line tool to see where you stand.