Queensland Minimum Wage and the National Full-Time Average
If you are looking up the Queensland minimum wage, you are probably wondering how the lowest legal pay in the state compares to what most full-time workers earn. The short answer is that Queensland uses the national minimum wage set by Fair Work, and that rate is well below the average full-time salary.
What Is the Queensland Minimum Wage?
Queensland does not have a separate state minimum wage. The national minimum wage applies to all employees in Australia who are not covered by an award or agreement. From 1 July 2026, Fair Work set the national minimum wage at $26.44 per hour, which works out to $1,004.90 per week or about $52,255 per year on a standard 38-hour week. Award minimums rose by 4.75% at the same time.
For most industries, the actual minimum pay will be higher under a modern award or enterprise agreement. The national minimum wage is the absolute floor, and it is the figure you should use when comparing against the full-time average.
How Does It Compare to the National Full-Time Average?
The Australian full-time adult ordinary-time average is $2,083.70 per week or about $108,352 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). That is the line on this site. The Queensland minimum wage of $52,255 is only 48% of that average. In dollar terms, the gap is about $56,000 a year.
Even within Queensland, the state full-time average is $106,064 per year (ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026). So the minimum wage is also about 49% of the state average. This gap is typical across Australia: the minimum wage has always been well below average earnings.
Medians Give Another Perspective
The ABS also publishes medians, which are less affected by very high incomes. The full-time median is about $90,532 and the all-employees median is about $74,100 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The minimum wage sits at about 58% of the full-time median and 70% of the all-employees median. That means a minimum-wage worker earns less than most people in the workforce.
What About Other States?
Queensland's full-time average of $106,064 is close to the national figure. For context, New South Wales averages $109,658, Victoria $106,137, and Western Australia $115,825. The minimum wage is the same everywhere, so the gap between minimum and average is largest in high-earning states like WA and the ACT ($119,090).
You can see how Queensland compares to other states on our States and territories page, or dive into the Queensland page for more local data.
How the Figures Are Set
The national minimum wage is reviewed annually by Fair Work. The ABS publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year (May and November). Medians come from the ABS Employee Earnings survey, which is less frequent. All figures on this site are sourced from these official bodies. For more on methodology, see How the figures are set.
Tax and Take-Home Pay
A minimum wage of $52,255 a year falls into the 30% tax bracket for 2026–27 (tax-free threshold up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, then 30% to $135,000). After the Medicare levy of 2%, the effective tax rate is about 16%, leaving roughly $43,000 take-home pay. That is before any deductions or offsets.
Key Takeaways
- The Queensland minimum wage is the national minimum wage: $26.44/hour, $52,255/year.
- It is about half the national full-time average of $108,352.
- It is also well below the full-time median ($90,532) and the all-employees median ($74,100).
- Award rates are typically higher, so check your specific award if you are an employee.
For more context on where your salary sits, use the Place a salary on the line tool to compare any wage against the national average.